French Chocolate Macarons

There's a reason why Paris is my favorite city in the world. Not for the famous artwork, the Eiffel Tower, or the Champs Elysee. It's because of the food. The wondrous food. Pastries especially. Last summer, as my friends and I were walking through the Jardin de Tuleries on our way to the Louvre, we noticed a pastry shoppe in the park. Its name was Paul. Just glancing in the glass window, my heart stopped and it was love at first sight. I saw a beautiful chocolate confection sitting there looking scrumptious and so tempting. Without thinking twice, I forked over my 4 Euros and they handed me my chocolate goodie. Well this goodie was a chocolate macaron.

Most Americans think of a macaroon as a coconut type cookie dipped in chocolate. French macarons are like a cookie that's crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside. Many pastry shops in Paris are very well known for their Macarons, including Pierre Herme and Laduree. I believe that Laduree was responsible for making all of the delicious looking pastries in the Marie Antoinette movie!

One of my favorite food bloggers would have to be Tartlette. I could honestly spend hours looking at her perfection in baked goods. She is one of the people that have inspired me to take better food pictures and also inspired me to attempt to make these chocolate macaroons. The recipe I used is here and it made about a dozen filled macarons. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

If I didn't have to put this in a baking contest this afternoon, I'd already be eating my 4th slice of this cake. That intoxicating smell of chocolate cake baking, along with a little taste of homemade chocolate buttercream icing has my tastebuds ready to go. Look how pretty it looks! I know it's not perfect, but hey it's supposed to be homemade, not professional!

It's got a little coffee in the batter as well as in the frosting, and it's just enough to enhance that chocolate flavor and send it over the edge. When making it, it's going to look like a REALLY wet batter, but trust me on this it'll be okay. I actually baked it in 3 pans so I can have some great looking layers when it's cut!

If you're looking for the recipe, then please click here! It's pretty easy to do, I promise!

I'll keep you updated if I actually win this contest or not!

Barefoot Blogging: Brownie Pudding

Once again, I must sing praises for my friend Tia at Southern, Eh? for choosing Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding for one of this month's Barefoot Blogging recipies.

Well I tried a bit of it and I think the heavens opened and the angels sang. This pudding is crispy on top and the edges like a brownie, and the inside is gooey like a molten lava cake. Well HELLO lover, this is such an easy recipe to make and so delicious. I need you to make it for the next event you have.

It serves quite a few people, or one with a lonely heart. I can see myself curling up with the entire dish of this and the 6 Hour BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup good cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Add your 2 cups of sugar and 4 eggs into your mixer

Mix these on a medium speed for 5-7 minutes until pale yellow and thick, like this.

While that's mixing, take your Flour and Cocoa and sift together.

Add the sifted mixture to the Egg/Sugar combination.

Mix until just combined and add in your 2 sticks of Melted Butter....mmmmm butter.

And mix again until just combined. It should be a yummy looking batter like this. Without a doubt, I WILL be licking the beaters. Don't watch!

Pour this sinful chocolate mixture into a greased or buttered (I used Baker's Joy) round 9x13x2 pan. Bake this at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve this with vanilla bean ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream if you're being fancy. Please take a moment to grab a napkin because you're about to start drooling....

If you'd like a printable copy of this recipe please click here. I'm off to go jog 4 miles to burn off all of this butter and sugar! :)