How to clean a Vanilla Bean

Whether they are from Madagascar, Tahiti or Mexico, I love adding vanilla seeds to my recipes. The tiny seeds give flavour and texture to my desserts. 

How to clean a vanilla bean:

• Place the vanilla bean onto a cutting board.
• Start by cutting both ends off of the vanilla bean.
• Carefully slice down the center of the bean.
• With the tip of the knife, scrape off the seeds.

You can add vanilla seeds in cakes, cookies, buttercream, panna cotta, crème brulée you name it! Talking about crème brûlée, stay tuned for a very easy crème brûlée recipe that I will be sharing with you soon. Something different for the upcoming Holidays:)  

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza 

Delicious Apple Cinnamon Macarons

This year for Halloween, I made friendly monster cupcakes for the kids and apple cinnamon macarons for the adults. Although the cupcakes were as popular as the macarons, I was pleasantly surprised how tasty the macarons turned out to be. 

  

Cinnamon Macaron
Ingredients:

100 ml/4 larges egg whites, room temperature. 

90 g granulated sugar

120 g powdered sugar

120 g  finely ground almond powder

10g of cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 300 ºF

2. In a clean bowl, sift together the almond powder, cocoa powder and powdered sugar  through a mesh sieve.

3. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high. Once they are firm, add gradually the granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time and gel food coloring (not liquid). Continue beating the mixture until glossy, and stiff peaks form when you lift the beater. Be careful to not overbeat the meringue! 

4. This step is the most delicate one of the preparation. Add the sifted almond mixture into the meringue like falling snow and gently fold the mass using a flexible silicone spatula. Mix the meringue towards the center until the almond is well incorporated. Make sure the batter is not too runny or the macarons won't rise as they should.

5. Pour batter into a pastry bag and pipe out 1,5 inch rounds onto a  baking sheets. Leave spaces between them while piping to allow them to spread. You can draw cercles on the back side of your parchment paper to have perfect circles.    

6. After piping the mixture, sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the macarons and let the tray sit out for at least 30 minutes. The top of the macarons will look dried out. 

7. Bake for 12 minutes. Do not open the oven during the baking.

Vanilla-apple butter filling
I love being creative when I bake. I strictly follow the macaron recipe, but I always improvise when it comes to the filling. I had bought a delicious apple butter from the local farm when I went apple picking couple of weeks ago. I decided to incorporate the apple butter in the filling as well as vanilla buttercream.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting:
Very quick to make with just 3 ingredients, you can use this frosting to fill macarons, to top cupcakes or cover cakes. 
You will need:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pound(4cups)confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.

2. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioner's sugar, half a cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. 

3. Add vanilla and beat until frosting is smooth and fluffy. Makes 4 cups.

Assembling the macarons:
Pipe 1 teaspoons of the vanilla filling onto one macaron and 1 teaspoons of apple butter on another. Top the filled halves with their partners and enjoy! 

Happy baking!

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza

What to do with Apples...

Last week-end, we went apple picking with the whole family. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm. 

Apple picking is a popular fall activity in Montreal. You can easily get carried away, filling more bags then expected! 

There are many things you can do with apples: apple pie, jelly, butter, cider, pancakes, strudels... My all time favourite is apple crumble. This sweet and crunchy dessert is easy to make and is sure to please many.  

Sara's Apple Crumble Recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup oats

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place sliced apples in a nonstick baking pan and sprinkle the  desired amount of white sugar on top. You can pre-bake the apples in the oven to soften them.
3. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, spices and the melted butter together. Mix until crumbles form. 
4. Spread mixture evenly over the apples.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. 

Simple, easy and quick! Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza 

Friendly Monster Cupcakes

I made these little monster cupcakes for my nieces and nephews. All you need is candy, cupcakes and a lot of imagination!

I got inspired from my cooking books and the internet of course. Sure it took time and effort, but it payed off at the end. The kids as well as the adults were thrilled! 

You will need:

• Cupcakes
• Icing
• Smarties
• Halloween candy
• Regular candy tubes
• Fondant filled candy tubes
• Black gel food coloring
• Soft red candy for the lips
• Big and small marshmallow 

These monster cupcakes can be a fun idea for Halloween!  

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza 

Macaron anyone?

Who hasn't tried a macaron yet? Not many, I'm sure. These little meringue-based pastries have won over the world. They are dense, colourful and irresistable. 

Rose pistachio macaron with chocolate ganache

Many are those who haven't tried making macaron. They are technique sensitive and can be challenging to make. It took me many, many attempts, but once you get a hang of it, it's a fun dessert to make and to eat. 

I'm not a pastry chef, nor do I have a culinary art degree, but I have some experience in baking. I would like to share a basic recipe with you, one that made very successful macarons...This recipe uses the French meringue technique, great for unexperienced bakers! 

Tips before baking:

1. Always use clean and dry bowls and utensils
2. Avoid making macarons on a rainy and humid day.
3. Use gel food coloring instead of liquid.
4. Egg whites at room temperature whip best.
5. Draw circles on the back side of your parchment to have perfect circles. 

Ingredients:
100 ml egg whites,  room temperature. 
90 g granulated sugar
120 g powdered sugar
120 g  finely ground  almonds powder
Gel food coloring

1. Preheat the oven to 300 ºF

2. In a clean bowl, sift together the almond powder and powdered sugar  through a mesh sieve.

3. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high. Once they are firm, add gradually the granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time and gel food coloring (not liquid). Beat mixture until glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the beater. Be careful to not overbeat the meringue! 

4. This step is the most delicate one of the preparation. Add the sifted almond mixture into the meringue like falling snow and gently fold the mass using a flexible silicone spatula. Mix the meringue towards the center until the almond is well incorporated. Make sure the batter is not too runny or the macarons won't rise as they should.

5. Pour batter into a pastry bag and pipe out 1,5 inch rounds onto a  baking sheets. Leave spaces between them while piping to allow them to spread. You can draw cercles on the back side of your parchment paper to have perfect circles.  
  

6. After piping the mixture, let the tray sit out for at least 30 minutes, the top of the macarons will look dried out. 

7. Bake for 12 minutes. Do not open the oven during the baking.

The possibilities for fillings are endless, but the most difficult part is achieving the right consistency and presentation of the macaron shells.

Chocolate macaron with white chocolate filling

Don't get discouraged if you don't succeed, try try again. Macarons are worth the effort! 





Recipe translated from Macaron by Gaëlle and Johan Crop, two trained Parisien pastry chefs established in Montreal, Canada. 

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza