Sweet on Trader Joe's Saturday: Molten Chocolate Macarons

You see a box of molten chocolate macarons at Trader Joe's and you cannot leave the store without them. Right? No brainer!


You'll find these in the freezer section of TJ's. A box of two (giant) macarons costs $3.99.


Guys...I expected to open the package and find 12 or so cookies inside (I guess I didn't read the package very closely), instead there are two palm-sized macarons in each box. You'll heat them up in the microwave.



A mom's (my) take: I really thought I could write this review ahead of time...I mean, what's not to like? Well, let's talk. The molten center really oozed out...and was greasy around the edges (scroll down for pic). The chocolate flavor seemed a little off to me and the macaron was pretty grainy. I've made macarons (and eaten more than my fair share) and the texture of these just didn't do it for me. Maybe molten + macaron is just not a winning combination.
Overall rating: 2 of 5 stars

A teenager's (Jack's) take: First of all, I am a big fan of macarons. When I saw that this was big and melty, I was sold before I even took a bite. I love how it retains the classic almond flavor of a macaron, while seamlessly integrating the added twist of the melted chocolate. The chocolate may have been a bit too dark for my tastes, but that wasn't even a factor, considering how many other things were happening with my taste buds... Overall, it's the perfect blend of classic macaron and lava cake.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Trader Joe's Molten Chocolate Macarons: we are a house divided. 

[note: We have no affiliation with Trader Joe's. I'm sure they have never read this blog and have no idea who we are. Hey, we like being incognito, although we never wear sunglasses indoors. ;)]

Read all of our Trader Joe's sweet treats and dessert reviews! 

Here's what else we're loving this week:

• We missed last week's review because it was someone's 17th birthday!!! 

17.

A photo posted by Bridget Edwards {bake at 350} (@bridget350) on Jan 24, 2016 at 7:47pm PST

• Kristen Welch's latest book, Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World was released this week. Kristen is so wise (...and I can personally attest to her own kids being kind and lovely). It's an important topic, don't you think? I do. 
• I made Robyn's Best Chocolate Cake for Jack's birthday, and she's telling the truth, it's a GREAT cake! I can't wait to make it again using her frosting recipe! 
• THIS pepperoni pizza baked gnocchi from Julie of The Little Kitchen. Ohmygosh, y'all. 

BM wholemeal bread

I was given a preloved but almost brand new bread machine a few months ago. It came just in time, as my own bread machine refused to work right after the newcomer arrived, 一山不能容二虎 (literal translation: there can't be two tigers in one territory) ;)

This Zojirushi bread machine is very compact in size, much smaller than my China brand bread machine. It doesn't take up much space and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb on the kitchen counter, in fact it is slightly smaller than my rice cooker!

As compared to my old machine, the programming function of this newcomer is not as 'flexible'. Unlike my old machine, I can't stop and re-start the machine to let it run the kneading cycle for another round. This is due to the fact that after the machine is turned on, it has this 20 minutes 'rest' cycle before it starts the kneading cycle. If I were to re-start the machine, the dough would have to be left sitting (which means left to rise) for 20 minutes. I have learned a technique to over come this limitation, but I will elaborate more in a separate post.

In terms of the quality of the finished bread, both machines gave satisfactory results. I would think it is more using the right recipe to suit your bread machine than its functions or quality.

However, having said that, I choose to think that this Japanese brand should have a longer life span hopefully the belt that makes the kneading blade spin would not damage that easily. It is 5 times more expensive than my previous bread machines (which had a life span of around 3 years each), so I would expect this one to last for at least another 10 years ;)

One plus point of this Zojirushi machine is that the kneading blade will not stick to the bread loaf. Just give the pan a few shakes and the loaf will be released from the blade and slide out with ease, leaving the blade in the pan.

Here's sharing with you a bread machine Wholemeal Bread recipe which I took from Carol 自在生活. I have been using this exact recipe ever since I got hold of the new machine. I probably made at least 10 loaves. Why? The reasons are:

1. It uses the most basic ingredients, water, flour, sugar, salt, butter and yeast. No eggs, no milk, yoghurt or other ingredients are needed to enhance the texture or flavour.
2. The bread is made using a straight dough method, no tangzhong or water roux is required to yield a soft texture.
3. Most bread recipes would call for adding the butter only after the dough has been kneaded to a smooth dough, however, it is not necessary to do so for this recipe, the butter is added together with the rest of the recipes.
4. The finished loaf has a nice thin crust, with a light and fluffy texture that stays soft for 2 days when stored in an airtight container.
5. Since it is a straightforward recipe, I usually set the machine to run in the late afternoon just before I start preparing dinner. The loaf will be ready in about 3.5hrs, upon cooling for an hour, I would either slice it or store it as a whole loaf. The timing works really well for me as we could have almost fresh loaf of bread the next morning.

The texture of the bread speaks for itself...

The dough rose high and mighty, almost hitting the lid. The resulting loaf is light and airy, similar to those made with kneading by hand or a kitchen mixer. I tend to forget about the machine when it is running, but I will certainly know when the loaf is almost ready as I could smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread coming from the kitchen. It feels really great when it is time to retrieve the loaf from the machine, without much effort, I could have a nicely baked homemade loaf :D

The recipe has never failed me and it is now our everyday bread.




Bread Machine Wholemeal Bread

Ingredients:
(makes 450g/1 lb loaf)

180ml water
30g wholemeal flour
250g bread flour
14g caster sugar
2.5 g (about 1/2 teaspoon) salt
28g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2.5g (about 3/4 teaspoon) instant yeast

Method:

* Place water, wholemeal flour, bread flour, sugar, salt and butter in the pan of the bread machine (according to the sequence as stated in the instruction manual of your bread machine). Make an indentation on the flour with your finger and add in the instant yeast. Select the Basic or Regular function of the bread machine. Select Light crust function and press start. When the cycle completes, lift the pan out of the machine and carefully shake the loaf out of the pan. Leave the loaf to cool for at least an hour before cutting and remove the blade/paddle, if necessary. Store in airtight container.

Recipe source: Carol 自在生活

The Pioneer Woman Food & Friends Latest Posts...

Hey friends! I thought I'd start letting you know when I have a new post up on The Pioneer Woman Food & Friends. Please click the links to read more!

1. Pasteurized Eggs 101

Have you used pasteurized eggs? Have you heard of pasteurized eggs? Should I stop typing pasteurized eggs? ;)


2. Cocoa Powder 101

Just in time for Valentine's Day...the official start of chocolate season. Come learn all about the different cocoa powders and when to use them.

Alright, click the links above and let's head out to Ree's ranch...at least in our dreams.

Cookbook Crush: January 2016

I meant to tell you all about these cookbooks in October. And then in November. And then again in early December so you'd have time to order them for Christmas.

So, yeah.

This might be perfect timing, though, right? If you did not get these books for Christmas, well...it's time to treat yourself. (Or, ask for them for Valentine's Day.)


1. The Cookie Companion by Georganne Bell.


Georganne is the mastermind behind LilaLoa. Georganne is an artist with a fabulous eye for color and design. Her cookies are whimsical, beautiful and fun, and her book is just the same.


Packed with great cookie decorating info, the book contains recipes, tutorials, and tips. The book is organized alphabetically, so you'll find "eyeballs" under E and "Piping bags" and "Pumpkins" under P. Every letter is an adventure. :)


Wait until you see Georganne's vintage technique! So cool!

So, here's where I almost passed out upon seeing the book...the color charts:

Georganne walks through how to make stunning custom colors mixing gel paste food colorings.


Oh, and then there are the color palettes. *faints* I love this part. It makes my heart go pitter-patter.


Love cookie decorating? Interested in cookie decorating? You'll want The Cookie Companion.


2. The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime by Ree Drummond

Just to start, I always love the covers of Ree's books, but this one is particularly beautiful, I think.
Hey, Ree!

Ree's latest book is all about DINNER! (I bet you guessed that!)


The cookbook is filled with Ree's signature...and super helpful...step-by-step photography.


You'll find 16-minute meals, freezer meals, breakfast for dinner...AND dessert. Ree wouldn't forget dessert!


I love how Ree's cookbooks are just a good read in addition to the recipes. And those ranch photos? *sigh*


I've made several recipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime so far. Do I even need to tell you they were delicious? (They were.)


I'd like to send one of these lovely cookbooks to one of you! :)

Leave a comment on this post telling me which one you'd like. US addresses only, please.

Comments accepted through 11:59pm CST January 27th. Good luck!

*this post contains amazon affiliate links. thank you!

matcha yoghurt chiffon cupcakes

These matcha yoghurt chiffon cupcakes are put together with leftover egg whites from making some hollandaise sauce; the ever available low fat plain yoghurt in the fridge, plus a new can of matcha green tea powder.

After having tried the Plaster Blaster prata (prata served with ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce) at the Springleaf prata place, my elder son has been pestering me to try our hands at making our own hollandaise sauce. He even picked up this cookbook 'Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman' which I borrowed from the library to learn how to prepare the sauce. This is probably the very first cookbook he has read. I suspect the title must have caught his eyes when I left the book on the coffee table. You see, he likes or rather love mathematics, and of course he enjoys good food...it doesn't have to be an expensive gourmet dish as long as it tastes good or suits his delicate palate. I won't elaborate on our hollandaise sauce experiment here but he did manage to pull together his own version of plaster blaster prata with frozen pre-made prata, his newly acquired skill on poaching eggs with cling wraps, and the resulting not too bad (but still lacking something?) hollandaise sauce.

Okay, back to the green tea part...


the matcha powder which my baking friend bought from Kyoto must be of very good quality. It is very fragrant as it gives off a nice sweet aroma when I left it on the counter before sieving with the flour. The cupcakes came out of the oven in a nice shade of green too.

The cupcakes were tender and moist with a delightful matcha flavour and just a hint of tang from the yoghurt. The only problem with these cute cuppies is that it takes a lot of self restraint to refrain from reaching out for more ;)



Matcha Yoghurt Chiffon Cupcakes

Ingredients:
(makes 12 cupcakes)

3 egg yolks (use large eggs)
25g caster sugar
40ml vegetable oil (I used extra light olive oil)
80g plain yoghurt (I used low fat yoghurt)
80g cake flour
10g matcha green tea powder

4 egg whites (use large eggs)
55g caster sugar


Method:

• Sieve together matcha green tea powder and flour, set aside.
• Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual balloon whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine.
• Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisk to combine.
• Add in yoghurt. Whisk to combine. Sieve over the matcha and flour mixture. Whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. The batter will be very thick. Set aside.
• In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy. (Do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter.)
• Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended (I prefer to use a balloon whisk to do the folding). The yolk batter will be very thick, fold gently without deflating the beaten egg whites. The finished batter should be thick and voluminous, not thin and runny.
• Spoon batter into paper muffin cups till 90% full. Arrange filled muffin cups on a baking tray. Tap the tray lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 15~20 mins, till the top is slightly browned or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove tray from oven and immediately bang the tray together with the cupcakes on the table top 2 to 3 times. This helps to prevent the cupcakes from shrinking. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手, 福田淳子

Hearts and Stripes Forever...

Picking a favorite cookie is like picking a favorite child. Well, that one is actually easy for me since we only have the one, BUT...I can imagine.


I was talking with a 4H group last week (why did I now know about 4H when I was in school...and is it too late for me to join now?); one of the students asked what my favorite decorated cookie is. This one popped into my head.

I have lots of other favorite cookies, but this one I love for its simplicity, I love for its stripes, I love for the colors. I love it.


Time to revisit the Double-Decker, Stripey Valentine Cookie!
*portions of the post were originally published in 2012

I have a deep love for the horizontal stripe.  I know, I know, they are not figure-flattering.  So, how about if we EAT the horizontal stripes, instead of wear them?  That won't make us look fat, will it?

{Don't answer that.}



These are some of the simplest cookies to make.  And what makes them extra special is that they're double-decker!  The cookies are just attached with a bit of royal icing...it's like yummy, yummy glue.


To make the cookies, you'll need:

• square and small heart cookies
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Super Red, Bright White and your choice of stripe color (I used turquoise, egg yellow, regal purple, and super black.)
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and icing tips (#3 & #2)
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks

First, use a #3 tip to outline the square cookie.  I used a #3 here because I really wanted the outline to show.  Switch the tip to a #2 and outline the hearts in red.

Go ahead and save some of this piping consistency red icing.  You won't need it until the next day.  You can just plop the icing bag right in your fridge.

Thin the red icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any air bubbles that might have formed.  Pour into a squeeze bottle.


Fill the hearts with the flood icing, using a toothpick to guide to edges and pop large air bubbles.  Set aside to dry overnight.

Thin the white icing and the colors for the stripes, using the method described above.  Transfer to squeeze bottles.


Working 6 cookies at a time, flood the square cookies with the white icing.  Guide to the edges and spread with a toothpick; pop large air bubbles.

{We're working 6 cookies at a time here to give the white a few minutes to set.  It helps prevent bleeding. If you wait too long, though, the icing won't lie flat on the base color and will be raised up.}

Starting with the first cookie flooded, add stripes in the colored icing.

Let the cookies dry overnight.

The next day, remove the reserved piping icing from the fridge.  I like to let it come to room temperature, but you don't have to.  You may need to remove the tip and push a toothpick through if the tip is clogged.


Squeeze a little of the icing on the back of the small heart cookie.  You don't need much, and you don't want it to ooze out the sides.


Gently press it onto the square cookie.  Let dry for about 30 minutes to an hour to set.


I'm definitely partial to the black stripes, but the other colors are fun, too! Hello, yellow!

Are you dreaming of decorating Valentine cookies, yet? 

Sweet on Trader Joe's Saturday: Mini Heart Cookies

It's the most wonderful time of the year! OK...I say that about Christmastime, and pumpkin season, and when all of the tulips start blooming, BUT it's heart season. Oh, I love heart season! ♥


So, today's review is for Trader Joe's Mini Heart Cookies. Trader Joe's describes these as "dark chocolate covered shortbread cookies." A 10-ounce box will set you back $2.99.


A mom's (my) review: Well, I never should have opened this box before breakfast. The crumbly shortbread cookie, the delicious dark chocolate coating, the little crunch of the nonpareils...good thing Jack is awake too, or I would have finished off the box without him. Perfection, addicting, grab a few boxes while you can!
Overall rating: 5 of 5 stars

A teenager's (Jack's) review: I LOVE (no pun intended) these little guys! Even though the box says "dark chocolate", which I'm usually not a huge fan of, it's not really that dark and is a nice balance between milk chocolate and truly dark chocolate. These are very reminiscent of Trader Joe's Mint Chocolate Stars, and I could easily find myself eating a whole box of these.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Trader Joe's Mini Heart Cookies: Yep, we're going back for more! 

[note: We have no affiliation with Trader Joe's. I'm sure they have never read this blog and have no idea who we are. Hey, we like being incognito, although we never wear sunglasses indoors. ;)]

Read all of our Trader Joe's sweet treats and dessert reviews! 

Here's what else we're loving this week:

• oh gosh, Alan Rickman. You'll be so missed. We started with Die Hard last night and are revisiting all of his movies. ♥
• don't miss the lemon coconut quick bread! 
• this is brilliant > cook chicken breasts in the crockpot so you'll have some for recipes for several days! So smart, from Joanne of Fifteen Spatulas. 
• another brilliant idea > flash fry herbs for pretty garnishes. The details are on PW Food & Friends. 
• Kate Spade workout wear!!! Ohmygosh. I don't know if this will make me want to workout, but I want to look like I do! ;) 

Lemon Coconut Quick Bread

I'm not even sure where to start on this post. Should I start with my love for quick breads or my January cravings for all things lemon?


OK...let's start with quick breads. Banana bread, lemon poppy seed bread, pumpkin bread, carrot bread, gingerbread. I am 100% #teamquickbread. Making them, eating them...snacks, breakfast, dessert. I'm in.

When we were newlyweds, we had a group of friends to our house for the weekend. I remember I made several different quick breads and served them for breakfast with all kinds of spreads and butters. The thing was, though, I was VERY into low-fat cooking at the time. I made one of those recipes a few years ago. Ugh. Not so great. I was very proud of myself at the time though. Ah, youth.
I'm older and wiser (and chubbier) now.


Lemon. Lemon, lemon, lemon. Do you crave lemon in January, too? I guess after months of pumpkin spice and gingerbread, lemon just tastes...fresh.

Actually, just the sight of lemons makes me happy. Growing up, the wallpaper in our kitchen was printed with lemon trees. Our breakfast room had a coordinating wallpaper with lemons. (Our kitchen countertops were leaf, not olive, green.) I still love that my mom gave us a great love for color and pattern. And lemons.


Now that I've blabbed on an on, let's talk about THIS bread. It's bright, tangy, sweet, with the coconut adding a little bit of magic. A slice of this bread is a little like sunshine on a dreary January day.

You could make the bread without the glaze...it would be so yummy toasted with a bit of cream cheese or lemon butter. I'm a sucker for glaze, though, so...

You can literally whip up this batter in about 10 minutes and have yourself a merry little quick bread in about an hour. How's that for (almost) instant gratification?

I'm sharing this recipe over on Imperial Sugar.
Satisfy your quick bread and lemon cravings all in one recipe!