Playing with Flavors

I was delightfully surprised two weeks ago when a contact of mine sent me flavors I have had a hard time purchasing. My gratefulness soon turned to ideas for macarons and some recipes I am still perfecting. Of course I sent this very generous person pictures of these heavenly pastries.

Pomegranate Macarons with White Chocolate Crème Mousse and

 

Macaron aux Bleuets with White Chocolate Crème Mousse

As any one who has ever read my blog knows I have an obsessions with the French Macaron and love to play with flavoring the shells as well as the filling. So when I received an early Christmas present, the natural, organic flavors, (yes to me this was an early Christmas!) I cracked open a dozen eggs and proceeded to separate the whites. No worries I created more desserts with the yolks, but that is another blog.

Placed them, the egg whites, safely away in the back refrigerator and waited four days. Believe me the wait was excruciating, but I survived by baking with Sydney!  Since I don't want to bore you with the four days of waiting I will just fast forward to Saturday.

We decided to work with the blueberry macarons first, since it is blueberry season, they're more accessible, and I happen to love blueberries. 

Blueberries remind of long summer days were the sun doesn't set till 9:00 p.m. This summer has come and almost gone, life seems to become faster paced as the season changes to fall, the air becomes crisp and cool, schools are back in session. I seem to always go through "end of summer blues"ever year (then I remember I like all the seasons and all the months, except January), but this year it is exceptionally melancholy... as I've mentioned in previous blogs my only child is starting college out of state (at Knox College)

Blueberries..organic of course and washed

Time to put attention to to the development of Macaron aux Bleuets with White Chocolate Crème Mousse. The standing mixer comes up and the Italian Meringue begins.

 

Powder sugar, almonds, water, eggs white, and superfine sugar all are weighed and formulated on the counter top, the assembly begins for easy organized chaos (how we bake best together). Actually it's just chaotic, but it is pretty coordinated.

While the Macaron aux Bleuets wait for their skins to develop, we move on to the Pomegranate Macarons. Pomegranates regretfully are not in season during the summer, but I have PAMA, pomegranate extract, and POM pomegranate juice.

 

As I indicated earlier I tend to become dispirited towards the end of summer till I remember Fall is a pretty "cool" season too. The crispness of the air, apples, cranberries, pumpkins, and of course pomegranates are in season, Halloween, and Thanksgiving are a part of the Fall Festivities (Sydney is back from school for a six week break!)

Same ritual begins all over again, the measuring, formulating, and organized chaos. Now folding the meringue and almond mixture, Sydney clears the decks; piping begins, the Pomegranate macarons are lined up with the Macaron aux Bleuets to develop skins too!

Macaron aux Bleuets are finally ready for the preheated oven and baking, by the time all four trays of Bleuets are done the Pomegranate Macarons will have their skins and go through the same baking process.

 

The early evening is now approaching time to create the White Chocolate Crème Mousse, take the mixer bowl and whisk out of the freezer, whip a cloud crème add the chocolate, match the macarons for size,  pipe the filling on one side and sandwich the top. 

Voila two new and mouthwatering delicious macarons!