OUT OF ORDER at the moment

Gotta get stuff done, but, I guess, eventually i'll be back with the blog.

Love always, Dia

French Macaron

I don't know if I was ever this nervous to bake anything before. 

Macarons, hard to make, easy to mess up, under-mix, over-mix, no feet, breaks, cracks and all this horrid words and, and, and...

Ever since I decided I want to give it a try read and heard so many tips and trick what should you do; leave the batter in the fridge overnight, use cold eggs and so on. So you can understand how overwhelming it can be.... NAH. Just do it and learn from your own experience. So here we go. 

First things first, make sure you read through the whole recipe if you are making macarons for the first time and always. J 

You will need:

For the Macarons:

• 2 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 c. almond flour
• 3 egg whites at room temperature*
• ¼ c. granulated sugar 
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar*
• Pinch of salt
• Food color of your choice and/or 2 Tbs. cocoa powder

*Soak the eggs in warm water for 10 minutes to get them to room temperature.

*You can omit the cream of tartar, it just makes the egg whites whip faster

For the filling:

Blueberry ganache

• 1 c. blueberries
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
• 110 g good quality white chocolate, chopped into small pieces 

Chocolate ganache

• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 350 g good quality dark chocolate*, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

*70% cocoa or higher

Instructions:

For the Macaron:

1.    Gather your ingredients, have everything at hand.

2.    Line your baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.

3.    In a bowl lightly whisk together the almond flour and the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Set aside

4.    In a separate bowl place egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt.

5.    With your electric mixer beat on low- medium speed until egg whites start to break up. Increase speed and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.

6.    Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl and beat on high speed for another 2-3 minutes until it forms stiff peaks. (When you pull the mixer from the bowl the cream holds it shape and doesn’t fall back)

7.    Sift half of your confectioners’ sugar and almond flour mixture on to the egg mixture. Discarding any lumps, don’t “force” the lumps with a spoon to go through the sift.

8.    With a rubber spatula start to mix it with a folding motion. Scraping it from the bottom, moving in a circle. Fold it for 10 times. Count it!

9.    Sift the remaining sugar mixture and fold it together for another 20 times, counting it!

10. It should be homogenized a little bit by now so you can eyeball it and separate your batter into two. Or you can just leave it, if you want one flavor.

10.1.1.               In one bowl add your food color and with a clean rubber spatula fold your mixture for another 10-15 times, counting it!

10.1.2.               In the other bowl sift the 2 Tbs cocoa powder and with a clean rubber spatula fold your mixture for another 10-15 times, counting it!

11. To see if your mixture is ready just pull your spatula out and the drop mixture back to the bowl, it should keep its shape for a second than very slowly fold back to the batter. You can mix it for another 5 times if it folds back fast. Don’t mix it for more than 60 times, that should do.

12. Fill your piping bag(s) with the mixture.

13. Pipe your macarons 2 cm apart from each other.

14. Once you piped one baking tray, tap tray on the counter firmly 5-10 times turning it around, this will help remove bubbles and even out any piping “peaks”.

15. Repeat piping and taping on the second tray.

16. Now comes the fun part. WAITING. (Time to make the ganache) Set your pan aside for 30 minutes, and 30 minute it is no less!

17. Turn on the oven and heat it to 150C°

18. After 30 minutes put your first tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Leave the other tray to set.

19. After 15 minutes switch trays and bake second tray.

20. Let them cool for 10 minutes and gently remove from the tray. Cool them completely.

For the blueberry ganache:

1.    Place the blueberry and the sugar into a pan, on medium heat bring it slowly to boil and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sugar completely dissolves and the berries start to fall apart.

2.    In a separate pan bring the cream to simmer.

3.    Pour hot cream over white chocolate an let it sit for a minute.

4.    Mesh the blueberry through a sift. Set aside.

5.    Stir your chocolate mixture, till completely homogenized add 3Tbs. of the blueberry “jam” and mix it well.

6.    Let it firm up at a cool place

For the chocolate ganache:

1.    In a pan bring the cream and butter to simmer.

2.    Pour hot cream over chocolate an let it sit for a minute.

3.    Stir your chocolate mixture, till completely homogenized.

4.    Let it firm up at a cool place.

Finally:

1.    Fill you ganache into piping bags.

2.    Match up you macaron halves

3.    Pipe the filling and press together with the other half of the macaron.

4.    Let it set in the fridge overnight, Hah, I’m just kidding. You worked soo hard on these little delights, go ahead and enjoy. (though if you have the patience they actually, do taste better the next day, just sayin’)

We made it, it's not perfect, but our own work. This recipe is still in progress to find the way to make perfect French macaron.

If you have any question about this post, please, do ask, I mean it ;)

WIP. How to: Mess it up and correct it, a.k.a painted wallpaper

Let's start it all over again, ok? 
Why did I even stop blogging? Who knows, but I am back, yay.

Let's paint a little bit, shall we!
It all started when I get a little bored. I decided to do something with that big empty wall space behind my bed and this is what I ended up with....

 This was mainly a test, to see how it looks. The colors, not sure; pattern pretty good. We live and learn.
 Let me tell you a secret, I messed it up. Can you tell? I found a way to save it and turned out quite well, what do you think?
So this is how this all happened. 

You need:
- Template
- Pencil (light, "F" or "H")
- Paint
- Good, synthetic brushes
- Some good music

 1st.

You need the template.

I recommend make it out of cardboard paper, you will use it a lot, so the sturdier the better.

I used masking tape on the sides, again just to make it sturdier.

 

2nd.
You will need paint.
I used acrylic paint. 
Added a hint of blue to my gray mixture, just looks better.
I added a little bit of water to the paint to make it watery, not necessary, you'll end up with a lighter color hue.

 

3rd.

Trace and paint.

I waited a day before painting with the second color.

Paint, paint and paint a little more.

The trick to mess it up is to do single lines, instead of double line. Paint the inside of the lines. You use the lighter color in the bigger space. I will add soon more picture to explain it. 

The final look.

 

I hope you enjoyed it. Worth a try. It takes a lot of time but, it looks good and unique.

For the template go here, and see how beautiful is what she made.

Fűszeres kávé szirup - Spicy coffee syrup

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Sziasztok, a nevem Dia, 22 éves vagyok és már 8 éve vagyok függő. Sosem tudtam leszokni… és nem is fogok. Ahogy azt egy kis mondás mondja: „A kávénak olyan az illata, mint a frissen őrölt mennyország.” Mennyire igaz, képes vagyok egy boltban végigszagolgatni az összes kávét és merengeni az illatok felett. Mhmmm.

Szeretem a kávé ízesítő szirupokat.  Nagyon szeretem őket házilag elkészíteni, hisz nincs benne tartósítószer vagy színezék.

Amire szükséged lesz:

200g cukor

100ml víz

1 teáskanál őrölt fahéj

1 teáskanál őrölt gyömbér

2 csipet őrölt szegfűszeg

1 csipet őrölt szerecsendió

fél rúd vanillia és kikapart magja

Egy lábasban közepes lángon a cukrot feloldjuk a vízben majd hozzáadjuk a fűszereket és közepes lángon elkezdjük összeforralni.

FONTOS: Ne forrjon örült módon, csak szépen lassan, körülbelül 5 percig.

Ami már nehezebb várjuk meg míg lehűl és utána jöhet a  kávé minden mennyiségben.

Jó kávézást !

Hello, my name is Dia, I’m 22, I have been addicted for 8 years now. I was never able to quit… and I don’t want to! As a very wise saying says:  “Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven.” So true,  sometimes you can find me in the store standing in the coffee easel and  squeezing coffee bags to smell the scent of heaven. Insane right ?!? J

I really like coffee syrups, specially homemade ones, no artificial flavours  and such.

All you need:

200g sugar

100ml water

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 pinch of ground cloves

1 pinch of nutmeg

half of a vanilla bean

Dissolve sugar on low heat than ad the spices, cook for 5 minutes. 
IMPORTANT: do not boil, just let it simmer.

Here comes the hardest part, wait until it’s cool, than drink, drink all the coffee.

Now go end drink a good cup of coffee!

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Kék hajpánt – Blue hair band

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Amikor megláttam ezt a csokor masni nyakkendőt a turiban rögön tudtam milyen sors vár rá.  Egyszerű hajpánt, de kényelmes és végre valami ami nem „pattan” le a fejemről, a bőr miatt nem csúszkál. juhéé.

Elkészítés:

Ha van valami kapocs vagy tépőzár azt távolítsuk el ha máshogy nem megy vágjuk le. Két , lehetőleg fém nélküli hajgumit összekötünk(képen láthatod hogyan a legegyszerűbb).  Két ruhacsipesz vagy valami hasonló segítségével fogjuk a hajgumit a pántba és mérjük a fejünk köré, hogy ne szorítson, használjunk kisebb vagy nagyobb hajgumikat. Amikor a méret megfelelő akkor ragasszuk meg és használjuk újra a csipeszt, hogy összetartsa amíg megszárad.  Készen vagyunk. J

* Azért a cipőragasztót javaslom, mert flexibilis marad száradás után is, nem úgy mintha ragasztópisztolyt használnánk. *

When I saw this bow tie in the second hand store I already know what am I going to do with it. It’s a simple hair band, but really comfy  and finally something that doesn’t  ‘pops’ off of my head.

Making:

First remove  any kind  of buckle or Velcro if there is no other way just cut them away. Bound two rubber hair thingy (possible non-metal one ) see the picture how is the easiest. With two binder clips put together the parts and try it on to see if it’s not to tight, use smaller or bigger rubber thingy (I really have no clue what are  these called and funny but the dictionary doesn’t help either J). Only glue it if it’s the right size. Use the binder clips to hold it together while it dries.  You are done. J

* I really recommend the shou glue , or any stiff glue that stays flexible after drying, glue guns doesn’t really work whit this.*

* Enjoy, Dia *

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Fahéjas finomság - Cinnamon rolls

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Amikor ma reggel felkeltem eszembe jutott, hogy  van még egy kis leveles tészta a hűtőben és valamit csinálni kellene vele.  Minthogy azt ígértem, hogy ma elkezdem a blogom, nos kezdjük valami frissen sülttel. Fahéjas csiga így is úgy is.

Két ünnep között kaptunk rá eme egyszerű reggeli csemegére,ami könnyű és gyors.  Megjegyzem ez a „lusta” módszer félkésztésztából.     A házkészítésű verziót majd később.

Azért is nagyon szeretem mert ahogy sül vagy a sütőben, vagy a gofri/szendvics sütőben a vaj miatt a cukor elkezd karamellizálódni és amikor egy kicsit meghűl ragyogó fényes lesz és persze ropog, mhmmm.

Amire szükségünk lesz:

1 csomag leveles tészta

113 g. vaj v. margarin

7-8 evők.  barnacukor

2 teásk. fahéj

Elkészítés:

A leveles tésztát téglalapra  kinyújtjuk, majd a megolvasztott vajjal bekenjük az egész felületet. Barnacukrot a fahéjjal összekeverjék és elterítjük a vajas tésztán. Feltekerjük, késsel vagy damillal felvágjuk.  

• ·         Amikor muffin formában sütjük, akkor 3-4 centis   csigákat vágjunk. kb 10-15 percig süssük 200 fokon .
• ·         Ha a gofri sütőhöz csak 1- 1,5 centis szeleteket vágjunk, 2-3 perc alatt megsül max hőfokon.

Valami könnyű és gyors. Valami amit ki kell próbálni.

When I woke up this morning, remember that there are some store bought dough left in the fridge, and I should do something whit it. Since I promised, I will start a blog, lets start it whit something freshly baked.  Cinnamon rolls, made 2 ways.

I found this “morning treat” after Christmas, it’s simple and quick. Of course this is the “lazy” version, made with store bought dough. The homemade version will come later.

I really like how the butter and the brown sugar starts to melt and as the rolls cool down it’s turn into caramel, shiny and crispy, mhmmm .

What you will need:

1pck. dough (like croissant dough)

½ cup butter or margarine

7-8 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

How to make them:

Roll dough into a rectangle, spared melted butter on the dough than sprinkle with the brow sugar/ cinnamon mixture. Roll it up, and cut.

• ·         To bake it in muffin pans, cut 1,5 inches slices. Bake for 10-15 minutes on 400F
• ·         To bake it with waffle maker, cut 0,5 inch slices. Bake for 2-3 minutes on max temperature.

Something  fast and easy. A must try.

( Ennek a bejegyzésnek az elkészítése egy egész napig tartott, megjegyzem közben megsütöttem két tortát, később azok is felkerülnek majd ;)  This post took me forever although I baked two cakes at the same time, will post them later ;) )

Eredeti ötlet / original idea from: ahensnest.com

Bármi kérdésetek észrevételetek van csak kommenteljetek :) Feel free to write a comment :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Hugs Dia  --------------------------------------------

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Visszaszámlálás - Countdown

Hamarosan ... 2012.01.30


Coming soon ... 2012.01.30