First ever successful MACARONS!!!! (Attempt no 7!)

At last I've managed to make something that resembles a proper macaron!!!!!  For some reason these little meringues have been my baking nemesis but with the help of a shiny new KitchenAid mixer I've almost cracked it.  These were by no means perfect, the shells were very irregular in size as I didn't use a template and some were underbaked but they tasted great nonetheless!

I used the Italian meringue method for these which involves heating a sugar syrup to 118 degrees and pouring it onto whisking egg whites.  The first time I did this the syrup solidified as soon as it hit the eggs leaving me with a great big lump of crystalised sugar and an unhappy sounding mixer.  Undeterred I boiled up a second sugar syrup, whisked fresh egg whites and all went well second time around.

I didn't flavour these shells and filled them with a simple white chocolate ganache leftover from the damask cake I made previously.  Next time I'm going to try chocolate shells with a hazlenut filling and maybe some lemon ones with a sharp lemon curd.  The shells are very sweet so I'm not keen on the idea of a sugary buttercream filling, I think you need something tangy to stop them becoming sickly,

I've heard the French meringue method is more reliable so I think I'll give it a go to compare next time too.  Be prepared for lots of macaron posts coming up!!!

Giant White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies

My other half is a massive fan of Tesco Finest White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies, often devouring all 5 in the packet before anyone else gets a look in!     In an attempt to recreate them i've tried several recipes but they've always come out slightly too dry and cakey or so underbaked they're raw in the middle .  With this recipe I've finally cracked it, these cookies are soft and chewy without that raw doughiness.  You can add whatever you like to the basic cookie dough, I'm going to try salted caramel and pecan nuts next!

For the Cookie Dough :
 125g soft butter
100g baking spread (I always use Stork)
100g caster sugar
125g brown sugar
200g condensed milk
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp strawberry flavouring (optional)
325g plain flour
15g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
75g raspberry dried fruit pieces (I used Fruit Flakes or you could also use raspberry flavoured cranberries although these are harder to find!)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.
Cream together the butter, baking spread and both types of sugar til just combined.  You don't need to beat in lots of air as you do when making a cake as these cookies don't need to rise, overbeating can give a more cakey texture rather than chewiness.
Beat in the condensed milk, vanilla extract and strawberry flavouring (if using) followed by the flour, cornflour and baking powder.
Gently fold in the white chocolate chunks and raspberry pieces so they are evenly distributed.
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls and place 6 on each baking sheet.  I used an ice cream scoop to do this as it makes it very easy to ensure each cookie is the same size.  You don't need to flatten them as they will spread during baking, just ensure they are spaced well apart.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until baked to your liking.  10 minutes gives very soft, doughy cookies.  15 minutes will give you much firmer cookies with crispy edges and just a little bit of chewiness in the centre.  My personal preference is 13 minutes, just cooked enough to not fall apart but still super gooey and yummy in the middle!
Allow the cookies to cool on the tray before removing by sliding a palette knife underneath them.