Today a bunch of old high school friends and I gathered at the park for a potluck reunion, so I made macarons :) It was pretty frustrating. I don't know if it's because of the fluctuating weather and all but I had to wait 24 hours--yeah, a WHOLE day, LITERALLY--until my macarons were finally set and ready to bake. I was skeptical about waiting so long since they usually only take 1 to 2 hours to set. But the long, long wait was worth it. My macarons still had the signature ruffled feet and the smooth shell, and pumpkin flavor! Nutty with a hint of spice that pairs all too well with plain almond butter :)
I wanted to make a pumpkin buttercream to sandwich in between the cookies, but I liked how the almond butter tasted better. Plus no need for more powdered sugar or butter in the end product :) I had another batch this morning that wasn't set to bake yet, but I was afraid there wouldn't be enough macarons to go around, so I baked them anyway.
The meringues looked like flattened, bubbly blobs but the cinnamon and nutmeg flavor prevailed. They turned out to be kind of like spice cookies, just without the traditional macaron texture.
To make up for the probable lack of macarons at the potluck, I baked honey kabocha bars. More like mini cake bites. I would imagine a bar to be denser and creamier, more brownie-like. These kabocha bars were more cake-like, spongey, light, and airy, sweetened with natural honey :) I ate almost half the pan for breakfast, and basically finished the rest off at the reunion.
Fall's almost over and here I am compiling all these pumpkin/kabocha recipes in honor of it. Now just have to wait for WINTER--the bright Christmas decorations, jolly holiday feel, and PEPPERMINT :)
But before that, I hope you enjoy these pumpkin/kabocha recipes!
Pumpkin Macarons
yields 20 shells (10 macarons)
Ingredients:
1 large egg white (room temperature)
1 tbs granulated sugar (I tend to use a little less than a full tablespoon)
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds (almond flour is pricey)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger (I omitted since I don't own any)
orange food coloring paste
* You can substitute the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger with 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Directions:
- Preheat the oven 300° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Have one large egg white at room temperature ready in medium/large bowl.
- Pulse the slivered blanched almonds in a food processor or blender until it becomes fine almond meal. Sift the almond meal with the confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix until incorporated.
- Using an electric handheld whisk, whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Add the granulated sugar and continue whisking. Once the egg whites begin to hold soft peaks, add in a tiny bit of the orange food coloring paste (add more until you get desired color) and continue whisking until they hold stiff peaks.
Tip: if you hold the bowl upside-down over your head and the egg white should stay in place
- Use a rubber spatula and gently fold in the almond mixture in tablespoons until incorporated. Be sure not to mix it as it will deflate the egg whites.
- Fill a piping bag with the mixture and use a 1-cm wide tip to pipe circles onto the parchment sheet or silicone mat. Leave enough room between each circle so the edges do not spread and touch.
- Let the batter set about 30 minutes up to 1 or 2 hours. (The macarons should not look shiny when you place it under the light and when you touch it the shell feels somewhat hardened. Once you get the hang of it you'll know when the macarons are ready to bake.)
- Bake 9-10 minutes. You usually see the macaron "feet" start to form about 5-6 minutes into baking.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool, match up the cookies to form sandwiches, then fill with your favorite filling (chocolate ganache, peanut butter, jam, caramel, etc.) and serve and enjoy!
adapted from Elana's Pantry
yields 1 8x8 inch pan
Ingredients:
1/2 cup kabocha (pumpkin, other squash) puree
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
* You can substitute the spices with 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare an 8x8 inch pan (or spray nonstick cooking spray and grease a baking dish)
- In a small or medium bowl, combine the puree, honey, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine the almond meal, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves until well incorporated. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix well making sure there are no lumps.
- Pour mixture into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes (or 30-35 minutes depending on your oven) until golden brown and until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove, cut into equal size bars, cool and serve!
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| photo credits: C Matsumoto |
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