While out running today, I caught a glimpse of the perfect wisp of a cloud. It trailed like the fabric of a dress and hung in the sky, glowing with the orange of a setting sun. I can’t adequately express the emotions I felt when I saw this cloud, but it made me think that one day I would like to create a dessert that could elicit a similar reaction.

In the meantime, I have this strawberry dessert that seems to be missing a certain something, though I can’t decide what it is. It has strawberries, marinated in a little sugar, rhubarb strips lightly cooked in gingerbeer, gingerbeer jelly, some frosted pistachios, coconut snow and a scoop of lychee sorbet. It is light and refreshing with a faint hint of ginger from the jelly, which ties all the elements together. Yet, something in the back of my mind tells me that it’s incomplete.

Maybe it’s just a symptom of this general disatisfaction I’m feeling at the moment. There are currently aspects of my life that concern me but thankfully there are also certain people around I can talk to or have a laugh with, which enables me to stand back for a moment and think (with a little humour), How on earth did I get myself into this situation?

I was reminded of it when I read Helen’s recent post, and while my concerns pale in comparison to hers, I feel as though I can relate. So, I’m dedicating this post to her with hope that it will brighten up her day a little.

Recently watched : Låt den rätte komma in

Recently wondered : If Cloudy, with a chance of Meatballs could quite possibly be the next ultimate foodie movie.

Recently heard : Röyksopp

Recently prayed to the food gods at : Spice Temple (recommended : Steamed eggplant with three flavours; Leatherjacket drowned in dried chilli and Sichuan peppercorns)

Recently baked : Lamington-rons!

Why?

Well, just when you think you have sufficiently scratched that itch, along comes another temptation to ponder the benefits of one macaron method over another. This latest temptation comes in the form of Julia’s lovely blog. My favoured standard macaron method isn’t too dissimilar to the one Julia was taught at a macaron class she took in Melbourne. It’s quick, and I always get results I’m very happy with, but I am definitely warming to the Italian meringue method which she also uses to great effect.

For these lamington inspired macarons, I chose to use David Everitt-Matthias’ recipe for chicory macarons from his new book (and my latest cookbook infatuation), substituting chicory as a flavour, with cocoa powder. What I found with the Italian meringue method was that the resulting raw mixture was incredibly stable. Where it’s not unusual to get a slightly less than 100% yield with my normal method, with this batch, I managed a full yield. Well, maybe 80%, because I ate a few. 😛

In the future, I hope to explore this method a little further. Next time though, I will stick to my usual step of sifting the almond meal and icing sugar before using it. I like sifting the dry ingredients to get rid of any larger bits of nut meal which would cause the macaron shell to look less smooth. They were a little bumpy in appearance on this occasion, but certainly no less tasty.

Chicory Macarons :
(makes 18; from Dessert by David Everitt-Matthias)

200g caster sugar
50 ml water
140g egg whites (4 – 5 whites)
200g icing sugar
200g ground almonds
30ml chicory essence

Put the caster sugar and water in a heavy-based pan and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Raise the heat, bring to the boil and cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 120’C on a sugar thermometer. When it reaches approximately 110’C, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a freestanding electric mixer. When the syrup reaches the correct temperature, slowly pour it onto to the whites, whisking constantly. Carry on whisking until the mixture is thick and very stiff.

Mix the icing sugar and ground almonds together and add slowly to the egg whites, gently folding them in. Finally fold in the chicory essence. Place in a piping bag and pipe on to a tray lined with baking parchment, making rounds approximately 3cm in diameter. Allow to dry for about 30 minutes. This is important, as it allows a skin to form before you bake them. Place in an oven preheated to 180’C and bake for 8 – 12 minutes [Note : mine were ready at the 9 minute mark]. Ideally the vent of the oven should be open, but you could just prop the door open slightly [Note : I don’t really think this is necessary, but I did very slightly open the door of the oven for a second or two, half way through the baking process]. The macaroons should be firm to the touch and crisp when cool. Remove from the oven, leave to cool, and then remove from the baking parchment.

Chicory Ganache :

70ml double cream
10ml chicory essence [I omitted this]
100g bitter chocolate (71% cocoa solids), chopped
30g unsalted butter

Put the double cream and chicory essence in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and put to one side for 2 minutes. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl and pour on the hot cream. Stir until the chocolate has melted [Note : If you have trouble getting the chocolate to melt before the cream cools down, do this over a bain marie, but be careful not to overheat the mixture], then add the butter and stir until amalgamated. Leave to cool completely, then whisk until smooth. Sandwich the macaroons together with the ganache.

Shhh.. don’t tell anyone, but I think I’ve got it sussed. Life, my friends, is just one big decision after another.

Unfortunately for me, this revelation is not particularly helpful as I’m pretty bad at making decisions. If life were as straightforward as one of those choose-your-own-adventure books, I’d be the one caught flicking forward to find out which storyline had the better ending, before taking that path. As a kid, we used to own quite a few of these books, but I think I completely missed the point of them.

So I’m sitting here, chewing on an extreme-seeded roll (my favourite Luneburger treat, aside from their pretzels) with avocado, browsing online for a swimsuit, and it strikes me that a) I never did decide who was sexier : Betty Rubble or Wilma Flintstone. Or Judy Jetson, and b) surely “sexy leather bikini” is a bit of a misnomer.

Either I’m falling between the cracks of any potential swimswear target market, or this life-changing decision is just beyond me. Is leather really an appropriate material for a bikini? A search for suede bikinis yielded too many serious results for me to make any jokes about them as well.

Anyway I’m hoping (praying) for some last minute inspiration, as I have yet to make up my mind about what to pack for the holiday B and I are taking next week.

Also this week, I am meant to be making an all important decision regarding my current job. But I’m baking instead.

Nougat, lime macaroon, or lavender berry teacake?

Decisions decisions!

Pistachio Nougat :
(This recipe comes from the Pier cookbook. If you try it and like it, feel free to let the Pastry Chef know 🙂 )

6 sheets sweet rice paper
3 egg whites from 55g eggs
375g whole pistachio nuts [I used a mixture of pistachios, almonds and dried cranberries]
400g caster sugar
100g honey
200g liquid glucose

Preheat the oven to 150’C.

Prepare a baking tray by lightly coating it with olive oil spray, then line it with baking paper, making sure you press the paper into the corners. Place three sheets of the sweet rice paper (or enough to cover the tray) over the baking paper.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Place the pistachio nuts on another baking tray lined with baking paper and warm in the oven for 15 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, glucose and 150ml water and cook until the mixture reaches 142’C on a sugar thermometer. When the syrup reaches 118’C, start beating the egg whites on medium-high speed until almost at the stiff peak stage. When the syrup reaches 142’C, pour the syrup into the beating egg whites in a slow steading stream (make sure not to pour the syrup onto the beaters). Turn the machine off and with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula mix in the pistachio nuts.

Spread the nougat quickly and evenly onto the prepared tray. Cover the top of the nougat with the remaining three sheets of sweet rice paper. Allow the nougat to cool to room temperature, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cut the nougat into desired shapes with a serrated knife and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Lime Zest Macaroons :
(makes about 30; from HomeBaking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid)

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups dried shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons pastry or cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
grated zest of 2 limes

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 148’C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the egg whites, sugar, coconut and flour. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, vanilla, and zest.

Immediately begin shaping the cookies : Scoop up a heaping teaspoon of the mixture and drop onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until the mixture is used, leaving nearly 1 1/2 inches between the cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the coconut shreds have turned opaque and the cookies are very lightly browned on the bottom.

Lift the cookies, still on the parchment, onto a rack to cool and firm, then peel them off the paper and let them cool completely, so they crisp up a little. Store, once cooled, in a well-sealed container. These cookies keep beautifully.