{ Mélanger :: to mix }

Don’t think about eating out in Brisbane without your copy of Brisbane’s Budget Bites. Now in its third year, this trusty guide published by Swallow Books, showcases some of the best ethnic eateries, providores and coffee houses around town.

I was honoured when Mei Yen Chua, Editor of Brisbane’s Budget Bites, asked if I was interested in contributing to the next edition of this popular food guide.  A chance to taste, write and share about the topic most close to my heart?  Of course I was!

But now, for the first time, the focus changed.  The predictable international foodie hotspots, and ‘must visit’ addresses for any food loving global trekker, were replaced by more familiar locales.  I was to embark on a bakery odyssey, in my own backyard!  My hometown.

It has been a privilege to share an assessment of some preferred bakeries across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.  So make sure you check out the new 11 page bakery chapter in the 2011 edition written by yours truly.  A round up of 20 of my go-to destinations around Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

A perfect Christmas gift for any foodie!

Purchase direct or at good bookstores including Angus & Robertson, Borders, Dymocks, Mary Ryan, Avid Reader, Riverbend Books. For a full list of stockists, click here.

Title: Brisbane’s Budget Bites 2011
Editor: Mei Yen Chua
Publication date: 25 October 2010
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 978-0-9805426-2-2
Pages: 160
Frequency: Annual

This has been my longest ‘month’ ever.  Not due to an abundance of posts to share on my latest baking theme, but due to the reality of how time has shifted since baby Nina entered my life.  So I hope no one out there is checking calendars?

I have enjoyed creating a month on my blog as a tribute to breast cancer awareness month.  Baking brings people together.  Food is at the core of many celebrations, it is shared over laughter and tears, and is centre stage of many special occasions.  So appropriate that it showcase a tribute to the strength, courage and determination of all the women around the world who have battled breast cancer.

For me there is something quite humbling about baking, and this month especially.  Thank you to everyone who has shared a story, a thought or a comment about someone they know who has battled, or is battling breast cancer.

Here is a round up of my ‘pink’ treats this month, plus a selection from the archive.

{ Fig and raspberry hazelnut cake } A play on a Dorie Greenspan favourite.  This little fig cake is injected with ground hazelnuts, and the figs were matched with a handful of raspberries. The overall result was a very easy to make, moist and flavoursome cake that is perfect not only for autumn, but any day of the year really.  { Read more here … }

{ Strawberry Ice Cream with Lemon Coconut Macaroons } This is a refreshing ice cream with the addition of the sweet fruit of the strawberry.  I wanted to pair this with a little zesty biscuit and it was quite some time until I thought of the simple coconut macaroon.  A little grating of lemon rind cuts some of the sweetness and is a nice little tasty treat with the ice cream. { Read more here … }

{ Almond Berry Slice } This little nutty fruity sweet was the very first thing I baked after bringing Nina home from the hospital.  Chosen for its speed of assembly (only minutes to prepare!), and simplicity of ingredients.  There is nothing fancy or chic about this humble slice but it sure is wholesome and soul feeding – particularly knowing it is very likely to grace the lunchbox my baby daughter in years to come.  { Read more here … }

{ Cherry Macarons } Some kirsch soaked cherries and a heaping of ultra rich chocolate praline mousse fill these macarons shells.  The result?  The nuttiness of the rich chocolate praline mouse paired wonderfully with the almond based macaron shell.  The overall flavour rounded out by the juicy cherries.  An accidental combination, but a delicious outcome.  { Read more here … }

{ Linzer cookies } Savour the flavours of Christmas in one bite?  A light, buttery hazelnut pastry weaved with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon, then sandwiched together with raspberry jam?  This spicy cookie includes all the essential ingredients for Christmas.  And with a healthy sprinkling of confectioners sugar to finish, certainly look the part! { Read more here … }

{ Treacle Jumbles } These happy coloured biscuits are really easy to make.  They are egg free and only use the smallest amounts of butter.  I think they are adorable with the bright coloured icing.  Perfect for little sweet yums at a kid’s party?  Right next to the fairy bread!  { Read more here … }

{ Strawberry sorbet with vanilla tuiles } Little tuiles are the perfect accompaniment to sherbet, ice cream and fruit desserts.  In this case, Philippe Rochat recipe for my Strawberry Sorbet.  Philippe Rochat is famous for his sorbet, and the emphasis on this recipe is high quality, sweet strawberries.  The strawberries provide the beautifully sweet taste, not mountains of sugar.  { Read more here … }

{ Cherry Strudel } Sour cherries are the perfect pick to complement delicate strudel pastry.  Even more complementary is a healthy serve of vanilla ice cream to accompany a warmed slice, or two!  The strudel is a wonderful dessert to showcase seasonal fruits.  Apple, cherry, apricot, peach, berry.  The choice of filling is endless.  { Read more here … }

{ Strawberry and Pistachio Tart } This tart was melt-in-your-mouth good.  The pâte sablée pastry has a delicate crisp and crumbly texture.  The sweet, buttery-ness of the pastry pairs well with the slightly sharp and tangy crème fraiche filling.  A hint of summer bursts through with a perfect finish of strawberries on top.  { Read more here … }

{ Rose macarons with raspberry cream } These blushing delights are the ideal sweet solution for any baby shower, wedding, special occasion, or simply as an afternoon treat!  The bold pink colour is paid off with a mouthwatering raspberry white chocolate ganache centre.  { Read more here … }

{ Raspberry lemon frangipane slice } The sweet bread dough base is much lighter than its tart dough or biscuit base counterparts, making it a more delicate sweet indulgence.  The flavours of raspberry and lemon are a classic.  The subtle almond flavoured frangipane helps retains a level of richness and moistness.  The arrangement altogether, is one very easy to eat treat.   { Read more here … }

{ Raspberry cream cookies } Sometimes I get the urge to bake something simple.  Mostly because I really want to bake but do not have the time for something overly elaborate.  I think these homemade cookies fall into that category.  They are lovely and simple, but not too complicated.  { Read more here … }

I had visions of watching a happy, bubbly baby entertaining themselves on a play mat in the living room while baking up a storm in the kitchen.  Obviously I had not been exposed to many infants in my life. How wrong I was (LOL)!

Time for baking or blogging, or really anything but 100% care for baby Nina, has been limited.  Do not get me wrong.  It is not a complaint.  Just an observation.

But in saying that, with a few urgent outstanding ‘housekeeping’ tasks growing on my to-do list, I decided to stay awake after bub’s first night feed and get them off my plate, so to speak.  With that now done, and with her next waking imminent, I decided quickly finish the last post of Pink month (now last month’s key theme – whoops, better late than never, right?).

I wanted to end this month with macarons.  For obvious reasons.  I confess I did not bake these macarons fresh.  The bright pink shells were from an extra batch I made just before Nina was born.  However, I did make the filling.  Well, if you can call it filling.

To explain …

It was Mr Mélanger’s birthday two weeks ago.  Each year it is now tradition that I bake him a Black Forest Cake.  Earlier in the year, I had agreed to make the 10 layer Black Forest Cake that featured on Masterchef.  (See first paragraph again for my perhaps ignorance with the time available to do this.)

The task was only accomplished by Mr Mélanger exclusively taking care of baby Nina one weekend morning while I beavered away in the kitchen for what seemed to be hours.

After the final assembly of this cake (which I must recommend!), there was a smattering of components left over.  Some kirsch soaked cherries and a heaping of ultra rich chocolate praline mousse.  My mind quickly ticked over for how I may be able to incorporate these flavours into a macaron.

So the next day I piped a little mousse around a macaron shell and popped a cherry in between, snapped a few photographs, et voilà, here we are!

The result?  The nuttiness of the rich chocolate praline mouse paired wonderfully with the almond based macaron shell.  The overall flavour rounded out by the juicy cherries.  An accidental combination, but a delicious outcome.

A cheat’s petit four?  Yes.  Delicious?  Yes!

{ Cherry macarons }

Pink macaron shells (recipe below)
Chocolate hazelnut praline mousse (recipe below)
Cherry compote (recipe below)

{ Standard macaron recipe }
Italian meringue method

* Ingredients *
100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
Food colour (optional)
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *
Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, add half the egg whites with the egg white powder.  Whip 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 (if using).  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 (depending on size).  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

Depending on your size, the standard macaron recipe should make between 20-25 finished macarons – around 40-50 unfilled shells.

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

{ Chocolate hazelnut praline mousse } recipe by Gary Mehigan, MasterChef

* Ingredients *
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted lightly and skinned
300g chopped dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
300ml thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

* Directions *
Line a baking sheet. In a dry heavy-based saucepan, cook sugar over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Once melted, cook without stirring, swirling pan, until lightly golden. Add hazelnuts, stirring until well coated. Immediately pour mixture onto the baking sheet and cool completely, in blast chiller for 5 minutes. Break praline into pieces. Place into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the egg yolks in a small heatproof bowl. Heat 250ml of the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir through half of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat and stir until thickened. Strain into a clean bowl. Stir the melted chocolate into the hot custard. Add the vanilla and allow to cool. Whisk the remaining cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture with the praline, until just combined. Set aside.

{ Cherry compote } recipe by Gary Mehigan, MasterChef

* Ingredients *
1/3 cup caster sugar
600g pitted fresh cherries, halved
1 tbs kirsch

* Directions *
Add the sugar to a non-stick saucepan and place over medium heat. Once the sugar begins to dissolve add the cherries and cook until they start to release their juices. Add the brandy and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Strain, reserving liquor.