{ Mélanger :: to mix }

In baking, an ingredient in isolation may seem quite unremarkable.  Flour simply as flour is not as spectacular as flour mixed with eggs, butter and sugar.  For me, it is always so captivating how, with just a few simple ingredients, you can create something magnificent.  A triple layer party cake, a rich bread, a melt-in-your-mouth pastry.

I reflect upon the year that has past, and discover my life is somewhat like baking.  It includes fairly simple ingredients.  Loving parents who were always there for me and encouraging me to strive for more, wonderful friends who have been with me through thick and thin, sad times that pull you apart but bring a family together, happy memories that warm your heart even on the coldest day, recollections of destinations travelled, and most importantly, an adoring husband to live, grow and share a future with.

Mix them all together and, like the cake, bread or pastry, you get something quite remarkable.

In my endeavour to share my baking journey with you all, I have been reminded that a cake is not born a cake.  It is created from very basic ingredients.  And it is what you do with those ingredients, the love you give them, the attention you share, the interest you pay them, that creates the magic of baking.  Mix the ingredients of your life up together and you too can get a creation that is pretty outstanding.  One that is deserving of being perched up on a cake stand, too.

This year has taught me that.

It has also been a busy year in the Mélanger kitchen.  I have baked hundreds of macarons, literally hundreds of them, all forms of pastry (short, sweet, puff), layered cakes (2-, 3- and 4-layers!), breads, sweets and confectionery, cold desserts and cookies.  I have tackled regional cuisines from France, Finland and specialties of Australia.  It has been a big year. 

Here are my top 10 favourite recipes, stories and photographs from 2009.  My highlights of the year.

Thank you for sharing them with me.  Best wishes everyone for 2010.

{ Anzac biscuits }  Remembering my father, my grandfathers and my recently departed uncle who fought in our wars.  To all the men and women who have served their countries, with immense gratitude, I thank you all for the simple and uncomplicated life I have now been afforded.  Thank you for your bravery.
 

{ Cardamom macarons with coffee cream }  My tribute to the country of Finland, a diverse land I first visited last year.  With an interest in Finnish baking, I wanted to create a macaron memory of Suomi.  The pairing of cardamom and coffee was an obvious choice to create my “Suomalainen (aka Finnish!) macaron”.

 
{ Pulla :: Finnish cardamom bread }  Pulla was the first item I baked for my (now) husband.  After much searching for the perfect recipe, I took the plunge with my Beatrice Ojakangas baking bible.  When I was told the bread tasted, “just like my mummo used to make”, I knew I had chosen well.

{ Dulce de leche } For a smile so enormous from my friend Ms Contreras, when sharing with her a simple jar of Dulce de leche.  For telling her story of her time in Chile.  For the happy memories she was able to reflect upon.  And for the subsequent tears of happiness, for you, Ms Kati.

{ Lavender honey crème caramel }  This dessert will forever be a reminder of my recent honeymoon to Tasmania.  The flavours of lavender and honey is common in this food state, and the combinations reflects the lush, green terrain that Tasmania proudly boasts.

{ Fruit buns } My very first baking competition.  With much practise, I was overjoyed that one of my entries into the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) Cooking Competition, won a place.  I could not believe it.  I felt like a five year old child excited when I saw my ribbon and certificate.

 
{ Tarte Tatin } I had been avoided puff pastry, Pâte feuilletée, and I finally faced my fear.  The result?  After much kneading, turning and rolling, I turned out a pastry that was lip smackingly flaky with all the characteristic buttery goodness you want.  Worth the six hour effort!

{ Cannelés Bordelais } Anything that requires special moulds, beeswax and strict instructions immediately gets my attention. After a few trials, I am still not 100% happy. As such, the Cannelé may feature strongly in 2010 on Mélanger.  My new macaron?  Perhaps.  Maybe.

{ ’12 days of holiday macarons’ } Not content with simply baking a macaron here, and a macaron there, I finished off 2009 showcasing my love of macarons with my ’12 days of holiday macarons’ feature.  This dedication solidifys my obsession with macarons. For now and always.

{ Champagne macarons :: The Wedding } The most significant milestone took place three months ago.  My wedding.  The champagne macarons I baked for all the guests will forever hold a special memory in my heart.

Happy New Year.

Each Christmas, Mr Mélanger’s mummo (Finnish grandmother) would make a gingerbread house.  Simply decorated with royal icing, it would burst with flavour from the obligatory warm, earthy spices for which Scandinavian baking is renowned.  Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger.  I was excited for this month’s Daring Bakers challenge, as it was my opportunity to carry on this tradition. 

There was no question which recipe I was going to use.  My faithful baking companion, The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, by Beatrice Ojakangas received a bit of a workout earlier this year during Finnish month.  I was very happy that Y selected this recipe as an option.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this, my very first gingerbread house.  Though it was not without a few hiccups.  As such, I title my effort, Ring around the Rosie Gingerbread House.  Why?  Because it all fall down.  Multiple times.  In fact, my little gingerbread house fell apart no fewer than four times.  The third time I almost walked away, but I finished.  I am not sure why it was so temperamental. 

Each time I put the gingerbread house together again, I needed to move the spot where I was going to take my photograph.  It was very overcast and the opportunity for natural light was very limited.  In the end, I managed to snap off a few dark and dirty grey memories.  Given what damage the little house sustained during my assembly (poor little bruised gingerbread house!), I really cannot complain about the outcome. 

Happy Holidays everyone!

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

{ Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga) }
from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas

* Ingredients *
1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]
1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup boiling water
5 cups all-purpose flour [875g]

* Directions *
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight.
2. Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, gabled walls, chimney and door out of cardboard.
3. Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife, but leave the pieces in place.
4. [I rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8 inch thick (which allows for fact that the dough puffs a little when baked), cut required shapes and transferred these to the baking sheet. Any scraps I saved and rerolled at the end.]
5. Preheat the oven to 375′F (190′C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Royal Icing
1 large egg white
3 cups (330g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe on pieces and allow to dry before assembling. If you aren’t using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. Piped on the house, this will set up hard over time.

Simple Syrup
2 cups (400g) sugar

Place in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling and the sugar dissolves. Dredge or brush the edges of the pieces to glue them together. If the syrup crystallizes, remake it.

This month on Mélanger has been my most fun yet.  From the idea of celebrating the ’12 days of Christmas’ with holiday inspired macarons, to the selection of flavours (borrowing ideas from traditional Christmas desserts, cookies and breads), to the festive and quirky photographs, it has been a joy to share these creations with you.

Here is a re-cap of the holiday macarons.  I hope you enjoyed the series and discovered a few new tastes and flavours from around the world.

Day 1 :: White Christmas macarons
Day 2 :: Pfeffernussen macarons
Day 3 :: Candy cane macarons
Day 4 :: Coconut praline macarons
Day 5 :: Rugelach macarons
Day 6 :: Maple date macarons
Day 7 :: Melomakarona macarons
Day 8 :: Cucidati macarons
Day 9 :: Eggnog macarons
Day 10 :: Cranberry macarons
Day 11 :: Chestnut macarons
Day 12 :: Joululimppu macarons

Day 12.  The inspiration?  Joululimppu.  This light rye bread, studded with orange and flavoured with anise and fennel, is festively traditional in Finland at Christmas time.  For the grand finale of the ’12 days of holiday macarons’ - and now that I boast half a dozen vowels in my last name - here is a tribute to my new Finnish husband, and to Finland.

Hauskaa Joulua!

{ Joululimppu macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
Orange food colouring
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Joululimppu Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
2 tsp dried ground orange peel
1 teaspoons each of crushed anise seeds and fennel seeds
2 tablespoons of unsulfured molasses or treacle

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the orange, spices and molasses.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.

Day 13.  The inspiration?  Chestnuts.  Chestnuts are used abundantly in French cooking and especially at Christmas.  They feature in a range of dishes including the famous Bûche de Noël – a seasonal chestnut log traditional in France.  Here is my salute to France.

{ Chestnut macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
Brown food colouring
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  At the final changes of whipping the meringue, add the food colouring.  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Chestnut Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup pureed chestnuts

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the chestnuts.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.

Day 10.  The inspiration?  A fruit native to North America.  The cranberry.  This tart and sharp berry is a regular guest at Christmas tables across America – and is one of my strongest food memories from living in Boston.  Here is my tribute to the USA.

{ Cranberry macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
Red food colouring
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  At the final changes of whipping the meringue, add the food colouring.  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Cranberry Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup cranberry sauce

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the cranberry sauce.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.

Day 9.  The inspiration?  The creamy and sweet drink, flavoured with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg, popular at Christmas time.  Eggnog.  Here is my tribute to this rich, and decadent beverage.

{ Eggnog macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
Grated nutmeg
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  At the final changes of whipping the meringue, add the food colouring.  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Eggnog Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the spices.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.

Day 8.  The inspiration?  The Sicilian fig cookie, Cucidati. Tender cookie dough is packed with figs and a combination of fruits, nuts and spices.  There are quite a number of variations on this cookie,  and I have limited the focus to figs, with a few complementary flavours within the buttercream.  Here is my nod to Italy.

{ Cucidati macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
Coloured spinkles / Nonpareils
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle with nonpareils.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Cucidati Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and cloves
1/4 cup chopped figs, or fig jam
2 tablespoons of mixed orange peel, chopped almonds, and raisins

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the spices, figs, dried fruit and nuts.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.

Day 7.  The inspiration?  The honey and spice of Melomakarona, a traditional Christmas cookie in Greece.  Walnuts sprinkled on the macaron shell, and buttercream infused with cinnamon, cloves and honey is my spin on this honey dipped cookie.  Here is my salute to Greece.

{ Melomakarona macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  At the final changes of whipping the meringue, add the food colouring.  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Melomakarona Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and cloves
2 tablespoons honey, to taste

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the spices and honey.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.

Day 6.  The inspiration?  Quebec Maple Date Cookies.  This little cookie showcases the deliciously sweet syrup most often associated with Canada.  Dates and pecans combine to perfectly highlight the maple syrup in this cookie.  Here is my tribute to Canada.

{ Maple date macarons }

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
2 tablespoons chopped dates
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.

Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle with chopped dates.  Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Maple date Buttercream }

* Ingredients *
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup of chopped mixed dates and pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste

* Directions *
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in the syrup and chopped fruit and nuts.  Makes 2 cups.

Makes 40-50 shells, and 20-25 finished macarons.

New to making macarons? French macarons :: my ‘how to’ will get you started.