MakeCaron

Macaron madness has been sweeping America for some time now. Frankly, it’s been going on for so long now that I’ve sort of forgotten where is began. But, despite the nearly constant presence of macaron recipes on food sites across the web, I have not yet tried to make them myself . . . until now. Well, the truth is, I sort of made macarons. I cheated, just a bit, by using this macaron kit from pastry chef Francois Payard. Usually, when baking, I annoyingly insist on making everything from scratch, but this kit may have actually converted me to the semi-homemade method! The cookies were that good! Slightly chewy, moist, and not too sweet, just as a macaron should be! And they are so quick and easy to make because each MakeCaron kit provides you with the base cookies. All you need to do it make the filling, which takes five minutes, at the most! Sample ganache recipes come with the kit, but the idea is to experiment with your own fillings in order to make your own personal macaron flavors. I had a lot of fun making these and everyone loved them! Several people called them “addictive” and they were!

The MakeCaron kit comes in three flavors, chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla. They are being sold on Francois Payard’s site, right here ($22 each). ~Erin

Matt's - The Chocolate Shop

Okay, let’s talk about minimalism for a second. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for minimalism. I am not a tchotchke kind of gal. That said, minimalist desserts don’t come up that often on this site. I’m not sure why. Maybe because minimalist sweets aren’t as showy, aren’t as “oh, wow,” that I wonder if people will be interested. Well, the minimalism freeze is about the thaw out right now because I am in love with the design concept of Matt’s - The Chocolate Shop! The brown and navy packaging was created by design firm Tofu and features a graphic yet simple theme, while the shop’s interior is sparsely decorated with a clean, contemporary feel. But it’s not only Matt’s branding and style that is pared down to the bone. The menu itself is an effort in simplicity, focusing on one modest chocolate fudge cake. Actually, when the shop first opened in Singapore they only sold chocolate cake. I totally love the idea of a bakery selling only one item. They have added a few things to the menu since their opening in the summer of 2012, but the focus is still on the dark, not too sweet, chocolate cake, as it should be.

Sweet Testing: S'more Nut Bars with Smoked Chocolate Chips

Nothing says summer like grilling. Traditionally a meat centered event, grilling has expanded over the years to include everything from lettuce to pizza to chocolate. Chocolate? Yep, that's right. Autumn Martin from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery in Seattle has created her own line of smoked chocolate chips! The semisweet chips, which are cold smoked over alder wood for ten hours, actually taste and smell like a campfire. After I finally managed to get my hands on some, I couldn't stop opening the jar and inhaling the warm woodsy aroma inside. What was I going to make with my new discovery? S'more bars, of course! There are many creative ways you could use these chips, but I felt that a dessert that is already known for being smoky would be the perfect way to showcase the chocolate.

You can order Smoked Chocolate Chips via the Hot Cakes website, right here. If you would like to try making the chips on your own, check out Autumn's cookbook, Malts and Milkshakes, which contains instructions on how to smoke the chips, along with tons of unusual milkshake recipes, including Smoked Chocolate and Scotch Shake, Salted Black Licorice Shake, Tamarind Shake, Passion Fruit Creamsicle Shake, and Blackberry Lavender Shake.

You can find the complete recipe for the S'more Bars after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Mississippi Mud Pie (aka Mississippi Mud Cake)

I love this cake. I love this cake so, so much. It is, in my opinion, one of the best things I have ever made! That said, I will admit that it’s not a cake for everyone. There are not one, not two, but three layers of chocolate in this cake (crust, cake, pudding) and it probably isn’t the best choice for a person that doesn’t like rich desserts. Frankly, I don’t understand the phrase “too rich,” but everyone has their own limits. At my table, there were people who couldn’t finish one piece, while others ate two. To me, it was all together delicious, a chocolate lovers dream. That said, there are a lot of elements to this cake, so you will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Luckily, each of the elements are fairly simple to make, so the process won’t be stressful, just time consuming. You can find the complete recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie after the jump. ~Erin

jcoco chocolate

It’s hard to imagine a time when chocolate was a luxury. In modern times, chocolate is so readily available that we take it for granted and don’t really savor it or appreciate it the way our ancestors did. It’s not made to be savored, really. It’s mass produced and filled with so many unpronounceable ingredients that we’ve forgotten what quality chocolate really tastes like. Jcoco is not that sort of candy. It’s not average or run of the mill. Instead, it’s the sort of treat that reminds you that, sometimes, a really special chocolate is worth waiting for!

Let’s start with the packaging, which I absolutely love! It’s not the most important part of the puzzle, but I’m a sucker for a cute wrapper and jcoco certainly knows a thing or two about making their product visually exciting. The exterior box, which resembles a clutch or a wallet, is made out of a really lovely paper that is quite soft to the touch. I pretty much forced everyone I know to run their fingers up and down the cover! It was sooo smooth and silky! Once the box is opened, you will find three separate bars each one featuring a different fashion photograph. So cute!

The candy itself is delicious! I am, honestly, very reluctant about doing reviews because I worry that I won’t like the product, but I truly, truly loved these bars! I didn’t want to share them with anyone! Here’s the breakdown on the three flavored bars.

Edamame Sea Salt: This one was perhaps my favorite. The toasted edaname beans provide a nice crunch and you can never go wrong with a salt/chocolate combo. This bar is made with milk chocolate, and I’m normally a dark chocolate type of gal, but I didn’t miss it at all in this case. Often I associate milk chocolate with cheap candy, but when it’s done right, as it is with this bar, it can be quite good!

Black Fig Pistachio:  This one was a big hit, too. Several people named it as their favorite. This is a dark chocolate bar, so bonus points there. Also, pistachios and figs are two of my all-time favorite foods, making it pretty hard for me to resist.

Veracruz Orange: I didn’t think I would like this one. Normally, I’m not a fan of chocolate and orange, but, I have to say, I loved it!! The combination of orange and white chocolate is really nice. I much prefer it over dark chocolate and citrus. The bar is creamy and sweet and downright delightful.  

In addition, I’m happy to report that jcoco does not use genetically modified ingredients in their bars and prints all of their boxes on recycled boxes. Woo hoo! You can find more info on jcoco, and shop online, on their website. ~Erin

Olive & Sinclair

I love every aspect of these chocolate bars by Nashville company Olive & Sinclair. The first and most obvious attraction is the packaging. You can’t help but be won over by the graphic, vintage-inspired wrapper. Next there are the unique flavors: salt and pepper, Mexican style cinn-chili, buttermilk white. (Don’t even get me started on the bourbon nib brittle.) I want to try them all! But the best part of all, tops on the “why I love this company” list, is the fact that the chocolate at Olive & Sinclair is handcrafted, slow-roasted and stone ground in small batches, using both new and vintage machinery. Owner, chef, and visionary Scott Witherow is a firm believer in the bean-to-bar process and uses single origin cacao beans to create a chocolate bar that feels so much more special and one of a kind, than your average ol’ candy bar. Check out the video above to find out more about their process. It’s a great combination of old and new chocolate making. Click here to check out all of the Olive & Sinclair products and to shop online.

The Mixing Bowl: Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Buns by Mountain Bakery

One of the best things about having a website, is that it gives you the opportunity to interact with all different types of people, from all over the world, that you would have otherwise never know. For me, Rose Kemmy is one of those people. A couple of years ago, Rose sent me a very kind email about how much she enjoyed and was inspired by this site. It was such a sweet note and I never forgot it! Then, just last week, I heard from her again, and guess what Rose has been doing over the past two years?? She's opened her very own home-run, micro bakery! Based in Norwich, England, Mountain Bakery is all about homemade baking, using only high quality ingredients and free range eggs. How cool is that?

Chipotle, parmesan and rock salt biscuits

Raspberry & vanilla butterfly cupcakes

Sourdough bread

Poppy and sesame seed buns

So, as you might expect, this is an extra special Mixing Bowl post. Not only because we're celebrating Rose's new bakery, but because this is the very first Mixing Bowl video!!! Hooray!!! I'm been longing for someone to do a video for years now and I couldn't be more thrilled with the one that Rose has produced! Not only is the video super cute, but the recipe, for Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Buns, is a great winter treat! Perfect for lazy Sunday mornings when it's just too cold to leave the house! I can just imagine myself snuggled up in a comfy chair with a cup of tea, a good book, and one of these buns. Heaven! Thanks, Rose! (The recipe video featured in this post was produced in collaboration with MakeMeMakeMe and Spindle Productions.)

For more info on Mountain Bakery, visit their website, right here. You can find the complete recipe for Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Buns after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Whiskey Tart with Whiskey Whipped Cream

I know that I’ve mentioned before on this site that I love Baked, the New York—based bakery that has spawned a series of amazing dessert cookbooks, but I don’t know if I ever talked about my love of whiskey. Yep, that’s right, whiskey. I’m not a big drinker and, honestly, I didn’t even start consuming alcohol until a few years ago, but it was whiskey, friend of the Irish for centuries, that ended up converting me. I think it tastes a bit like ginger ale, but, really, I’m still pretty much a lightweight, so what do I know? I just like it. And whiskey and chocolate…even better! To further entice you into my whiskey world, I will add that this tart is not only delicious, but a cinch to make, so you can impress your friends and family with very little time and effort. Always a good thing! ~Erin

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Seattle Chocolates: Holiday Collection

In honor of holiday season, which is now officially upon us, I wanted to share these fun new truffle bars from Seattle Chocolates. I’ll admit that it was the cute, retro-inspired wrapper that originally caught my eye, but it was the unusual flavors that really reeled me in! The collection, which is titled Baby It's Cold Outside, was inspired by song titles and lyrics of the 1950’s, and comes in five different flavors: Hot Buttered Rum, Mom’s Hot Cocoa, Candy Cane Crunch, Holiday Cheer Eggnog, and Christmas Cookie.

I shared my bars with my friends and family and they all disappeared fairy quickly, but there were two clear winners: Hot Buttered Rum, which combines toffee and a hint of rum to recreate that warm cozy feeling that you would normally get from the drink, and Candy Cane Crunch, a delightful blend of chocolate and peppermint that also has the distinct advantage of being the only dark chocolate bar in the bunch. These two also happen to be my favorites visually speaking, especially the Hot Buttered Rum, which features an old-school skier against an aqua background. You can check out the full line of holiday truffle bars, and shop online, right here. You can also click here to find a store near you.

Sweet Testing: Bananas Cake

About a month ago, I predicted that I would soon be making this cake, and, like a well-trained Kreskin, my prediction became manifest when I baked this mound of banana chocolate deliciousness for my very own birthday! Well, really it was a co-creation between me and my mom, due to it's complex nature. It is, by all accounts, mine included, a damn fine cake, but it is time consuming. (Just time consuming, not difficult.) It comes from the new Baked cookbook Baked Elements and it contains not one, not two, not three, by four different parts (cake, filling, icing, glaze). I recommend splitting it into two days or getting a co-baker/sous chef to help you out. I promise; It will be worth the effort. I mean, come on, it's banana + peanut butter + chocolate (squared). What's not to love??? Actually, it reminds me a lot of the peanut butter and banana sandwiches that I used to have as a kid (and sometimes as an adult), but, you know, with chocolate added. So good!

You can find the complete Bananas Cake recipe after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Mississippi Mud Pie (aka Coffee Ice Cream Tart)

Baked has done it again! I made this tart for my sister’s bday, and, like everything I make from Baked, it was a huge success! I really loved it and I don’t even like coffee or coffee-flavored things! I actually thought about switching out the coffee for vanilla, but, because this was for my sister, and not for me, I went ahead and used the coffee flavor. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think the ice cream had an overly strong coffee flavor (I used Trader Joe’s brand), and it didn’t offend my palate in the least! So, even though you could swap the coffee ice cream for some other flavor, I would give the coffee a chance. It might not be as bad as it sounds!

2) There were some ice crystals in my finished product. I think this was either from the ice cream melting and then freezing again or from the fact that I neglected to cover the tart at one point when it was in the freezer. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that you shouldn’t let the ice cream thaw too much and be sure to follow the directions and cover it while it’s in the freezer!

But, despite the tiny bit of ice crystal crunchiness, everyone really loved this tart. I’m sure your friends and family will too! You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Fujisan: Molten Chocolate Cake

I really love a good molten chocolate cake (or molten chocolate lava cake or fondant au chocolat for fancy people ). I know, to some people, it’s an overdone, passé, and almost retro dessert, but I LOVE it. It is, quite simply, warm chocolaty goodness defined, and, when done right, it is simply wonderful. So, it’s no surprise that I can’t get enough of this awesome molten chocolate cake created for the Salon du Chocolate by designer Stéphane Bureaux and his design group. It is practical and artistic and fun, all at once! Simply place a chocolate candle inside the cake, then watch as  it slowly burns, filling the interior of the cake with warm liquid chocolate. Voilà! Molten Chocolate Cake! To see more yummy creations by Stéphane’s Bureaux, check out his website, right here. For more on the molten chocolate cake, click here.

Sweet Testing: Dark Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust

I make a lot of desserts that are incredibly time consuming. It is, most of the time, worth the extra time and effort, but, there are times, when I don’t really want to spend five hours in the kitchen. That is where this tart comes in. It is not only incredibly delicious, but also fast and easy to make. Delicious and easy. You can’t really beat that! It’s only downfall is that it may be too rich for some people. Personally, I don’t know the meaning of the words “too rich,” but, you know, some people just can’t handle it. I call those people “wimps.” As far as the recipe itself is concerned, I think the addition of the candied ginger on the top is a must. If you eat a little bit of the candied ginger with each bite, it’ll bring a whole new level of flavor to the cake. If you hate candied ginger, have no fear, the tart will still be super good. I also increased the pepper from ¼ to an 1/8 and added a bit of cinnamon to the base, which I think helps to balance out the chocolaty goodness. You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Vegan, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Just Like Mom Used to Make

No, my mom didn't make vegan or gluten-free cookies when I was growing up, let alone a cookie that was both free of dairy AND gluten, but, if she did, they would have tasted like these cookies! Vegan and/or gluten-free baking isn't always easy. Not every dessert holds up to the conversion, but the classic, hard to screw up, chocolate chip cookies, seems to have survived the transition effortlessly. Okay, there was some effort involved, on the part of BabyCakes, who created this recipe, but believe me when I tell you that you will not be able to tell the difference between this cookie and the white flour/dairy version.

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

The Mixing Bowl: Black Bottom Cupcakes by Alyssa Nassner

This afternoon was so happy and sun shiny that it seemed like a great time to post this awesome recipe from illustrator Alyssa Nassner. Colorful and cheery, Alyssa's work goes perfectly with the spring season. Flowers, bike rides, animals . . . her work has spring written all over it! And the Black Bottom Cupcake illustration that she created for her Mixing Bowl recipe is equally adorable. Not to mention, that it looks mighty delicious!  Who doesn't love a rich and chewy, multicolored cupcake? Really who?  

A recent graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Alyssa Nassner has already worked with clients such as Chronicle Books, Dwell Studio, and UPPERCASE Magazine. In addition, Alyssa also runs Small Talk Studio, an online store that specializes in fun home goods and paper products. I took one look at her bicycling raccoons print and was instantly smitten. To check out more of Alyssa's work, you can visit her website, right here, as well as the Small Talk Studio Etsy page, right here. 

To see a larger version of the Black Bottom Cupcake recipe, simply click on the image at the top of this post.

Patrick Roger: Chocolate Feathers

Patrick Roger, one of the most creative chocolatiers in France, has just released his spring 2011 line, and it includes an Easter collection of beautifully rendered chocolate fowl, hens, and cockerels. Like everything he does, Roger created these lovelies with both humor and skill. I love all the feather details and the hen with the necklace is fantastic! You can purchase your very own chocolate bird by visiting one of Roger's Paris shops, prices begin at 49 euros. Click here for locations. If you'd like to try Roger's sweets on a much smaller scale, his boxed candies are available for international delivery via his Web site, right here.

The Mixing Bowl: Tiramisu by Zara Picken

I love learning interesting tidbits about food, like why there isn’t flour in flourless chocolate cake or how and when chocolate and peanut butter first hooked up, so when illustrator Zara Picken sent me her recipe for Tiramisu, along with an explanation of the dessert's name, I was instantly smitten.

From Zara: I wanted to evoke the colours of the dessert and the meaning –"tira mi su" loosely means “pick me up” or “lift me up” in Italian and the dessert was intended as a cheering dish to be eaten when feeling low. I also referenced the Italian origin of the dessert by imagining the illustration in the context of a 1930s Italian Art Deco poster, the sort you might see in a café.

Pretty neat, huh? I love that Zara put so much thought behind her recipe/illustration!

Zara Picken is an illustrator based in Bristol, England whose work combines mid-century modern design, muted colors, and surreal elements to create something totally unique. Given the fact that Zara is influenced by things like the writing of Haruki Murakami and the film Inception (both of which I love), it's not really surprising that I've developed a fairly major crush on her work. I'm especially fond of her series of people with electronic devices instead of heads. Those may be my favorite pieces. You can check out more of Zara's marvelous work, including the electronic head people via her Etsy shop, Web site, and Flickr page.

You can find the tiramisu recipe and more pics after the jump.