French Macaroons

I've always had a sweet tooth for desserts, and have never been afraid to tackle a new recipe, but I've always been hesitant towards the french macaroon. They have to be made to perfection in order to avoid any cracks, flattening, or a hollow shell. Even in the recipe it warns agains making them in humid temperatures since these treats are so finicky! Macaroons are a special treat in my family being that they are my sister's favorite dessert and are naturally gluten free. They came out so good that I had to make 2 batches in 2 days to keep up with the demand! The best compliment was when I shared some with my friend who just returned from Paris and compared them from the famous macaroon shop Ladurée! These desserts are so gourmet and adorably petite that you will impress anyone you share these treats with.

You'll need:
2 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup of superfine sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
pinch of cream of tartar
piping bag
parchment paper

How to:
Sift together the almond flour and confectioners sugar twice to make sure its superfine. Preheat your oven to 375. Whisk the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce the mixing speed to low and add the superfine sugar. Increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form (approximately 8 minutes). Add the flour mixture to the whites and fold in until the mixture is shiny and smooth. *tip* if you like the flavor of almonds add a splash of almond extract to your batter to really bring out the almond flavor in the batter!

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag and pipe out 3/4 inch circles about an inch apart on a baking sheet (make sure you line your baking sheet with parchment paper otherwise your macaroons will stick!) When finished tap the bottom of the baking sheet to release trapped air. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake the macaroons for 10 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through.

Sandwich 2 same-size macaroons with 1 teaspoon of filling. I used raspberry jam which added a nice contrast to the almond crusts.

Petite Apple Pies

Sorry for the delay in posts, this weekend has been crazy with ending my last week of work and getting in the mindset for back to school. To de-stress I went into a baking frenzy whipping up all sorts of treats. There was a dessert on pinterest that caught my eye that I was dying to replicate and its the perfect fall dessert. Its a pie crusted apple-stuffed apple. Sounds impressive, right? I first started out by making my own homemade gluten free pie crust (I just substituted gluten free flour) in my pie crust recipe, but you can just use store bought to make things easier.

You'll need:
6 apples
1/2 cup of sugar (I used nustavia for a healthier version)
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
pie crust
melon ball scooper
apple peeler

How to:

Cut the top off of 4 apples and scoop out the insides with a melon ball scooper. Be careful not to pierce the skin of the apple!

The hollowed apples

Next peel the skins off the 2 extra apples. When all peeled chop up the apples into small pieces. In a large bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add the apples and mix until all the apple pieces are covered in the sugared mixture. Scoop the apple mixture into your hollowed out apples

Fill your apple shell to the brim, but not so that its overflowing

Finally cut your pie crust into 1/4 inch strips and lattice over the apples. Place the finished apples in a glass pan and fill with just enough water to cover the bottom of the apples. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes on 350. I put my oven on broil (425) for the last minute or two to get that gorgeous brown colored crust. Enjoy and happy fall feasting!

Add some powdered sugar for some extra sweetness!

Comfy Fall Sweater

When I was shopping in Bloomingdale's with friends a few weeks ago, I saw an amazing fall outfit that I haven't been able to get out of my head. When fall and winter approaches I am all about sweaters and knits. I'm perpetually cold and nothing is as warm and cozy as an oversized sweater. I love pairing a large oversized sweater with a pair of skinny jeans or leggings for a nice contrast in shapes. I specifically fell in love with a Marc by Marc Jacobs oversized sweater that would go nicely with any pair of tight fitting pants. 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Geraldine Cable-Knit Sweater
Helmut Lang Gloss Wash 5 Pocket Skinny Jeans
Madison Harding Miller Booties



 



Marc by Marc Jacobs Geraldine Long Sleeve Sweater
Helmut Lang Black Leather Black Skinny Stretch Pants

Giuseppe Zanotti Leather Platform Bootie





Marc by Marc Jacobs Geraldine Cable-Knit Sweater
7 for All Mankind Roxanne Classic Skinny Jean
Tory Burch Calista Riding Boots
Michael Kors Large Gold Runway Watch

(All outfits my creation via Polyvore)

Watermelon Jello Shots

Since summer is wrapping up and to me summer and watermelon go hand in hand, I wanted to come up with a fun twist to the college frat party staple: jello shots. I've seen some gourmet versions where the jello is poured into orange rinds rather than dixie cups, but I decided to "summer-ize" it by making the jello shots look like mini slices of watermelon.

Watermelon Jello Shots:

(makes 40)

You'll need: 

1 box of watermlon jello (or any other red flavor)

10 limes

1 cup boiling water

1 cup vodka
chocolate sprinkles as "seeds" (optional)

How to:

First cut all the limes in half and hollow out the peel. You can use a melon scooper or take a knice and cut the insides carefully to loosen the lime from the peel. Spoon out the lime.

Next add the boiled water to the jello mix and stir until the mixture dissolves. Slowly mix in the one cup of vodka. Pour the mixture into the lime shells and refrigerate overnight (add a few chocolate sprinkles on top if you want!)

Carefully cut each lime shell in half and cheers!