Coconut Macaroons

Macaroons have been around for centuries. The original macaroons were meringue-type cookies made with egg whites and ground almonds. This led to the French ‘Macarons’ we know today which are 2 cookies made of ground almonds, egg whites, and icing sugar usually filled with jams, buttercream, or ganache to form little sandwiches. Today’s coconut macaroons are thought to have come from the Scottish macaroon which had a sweet, rich center, was dipped in chocolate, and covered with roasted coconut. There are many variations of the macaroon recipe, some may call for nuts, chocolate, or jam to be placed on the center of the cookies before baking. National Macaroon Day is May 31. Celebrate by making these simple toasted coconut macaroons.

This recipe calls for toasted coconut. If toasted coconut is unavailable, you can easily make your own. Put a thin layer of shredded coconut or coconut flakes down in a cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes. Halfway through the bake time, remove from the oven and turn coconut over. Return to the oven for additional baking. The coconut should be a golden brown color when done.

Toasted Coconut Macaroons

• 3 cups toasted coconut
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond bakery emulsion
• 1/2 pound milk or dark chocolate

Step 1:Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Combine all ingredients and stir until well blended.

Step 2: Using a 35 mm cookie scoop, drop mixture onto lined cookie sheets, leaving 1-2 inches between each cookie.

Step 3: Bake for 15 minutes, or until the macaroons are golden brown. The inside should still be moist. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing.

Step 4: Let macaroons cool completely and melt candy coating or melt and temper real chocolate. Dip bottoms of cookies into the chocolate and set on parchment paper to dry. Store macaroons in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Commercial Pastry Filling

Pastry fillings can be bought ready to use at cake supply shops and some grocery stores. Pre-made fillings come in a variety of flavors including many fruit flavors, cream cheese, and Bavarian cream. Commercial pastry fillings are great for all types of baking. One of the most common uses is as a filling in-between cake layers. Torting and filling your cakes is a great way to add flavor, texture, and professionalism to your cake baking.

Pastry fillings are not just for cakes though, use them in your pies, pastries, tarts, and turnovers. Use a bismark tip to add fillings to cupcakes, éclairs, and much more! Pastry filling makes an easy filling for crepes and mini tarts. Squeeze a dab of filling into a chocolate lined candy mold for a delicious candy center! Add pastry filling to cheesecakes and cookies (see recipe below).

Country Kitchen SweetArt carries a variety of pastry filling flavors, all with bake-ability and freeze-thaw stability, which means that the fillings can be baked, frozen, and thawed without breaking down. Cakes and other baked goods using these fillings do not need to be refrigerated. The filling comes in 2 pound sleeves, about 3 cups each. An unopened sleeve of filling will keep at least 6 months at room temperature. Opened, about 3-6 months in the refrigerator.

This chart lists approximate amounts of pastry filling needed to fill round and sheet cakes as well as the different sizes of cupcakes.

Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Thumbprints:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond bakery emulsion
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup red raspberry, apricot, or blueberry pastry filling

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar together until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond emulsion. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Using a cookie scoop, scoop and roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Using your thumb, make a small hole in the center of each ball. Fill the hole with pasty filling. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

Icing:

• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon almond bakery emulsion
• approximately 1 tablespoon milk

In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioner’s sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond emulsion and enough milk to make a smooth flowing mixture. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Tuile Templates

Tuile is a thin, crunchy cookie that can be either sweet or savory. Tuile cookies originated in France and were made curved to resemble French roof tile. Some tuile recipes call for parmesan, almonds, or citrus zest, while the most basic recipes use just flour, sugar, butter, and egg whites. Tuile batter can be spread thin or piped onto a baking sheet and then molded while the cookies are still hot. Tuiles make great garnishes for desserts or savory dishes and can also be formed into cups for individual servings. Tuiles are best when made the same day as needed, but may be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight container. Tuile batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Tuile templates are hard plastic mats used to make tuile cookies. Various shapes are available for making garnishes or forming into cups. The templates may also be used for molding chocolate pieces. Tuile templates are not oven or dishwasher safe and should be stored flat to prevent warping.

How to make Tuile cookies using Tuile Templates

Tuile batter:

• 7 tbs. butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 3 egg whites

Combine softened butter, powdered sugar and flour in a mixing bowl. Beat with paddle attachment on electric mixer on medium speed until butter is in very fine pieces. Reduce speed to low and slowly add egg whites. Cream until smooth.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the Tuile template onto a silicone baking mat.

Step 2: Using a large icing spatula, spread tuile batter over the mat. Fill every cavity and scrape off the excess.

Step 3: Lift the template away and place the silicone mat onto a baking sheet.

Step 4: Bake for 6 minutes until the edges are just starting to turn golden.

Step 5: Release the cookies from the silicone mat using a small spatula.

Step 6: Immediately transfer cookies to where they will stay to cool. Use cupcake tins, rolling pins, gum paste flower formers, or anything else that  will allow the cookies to hold their shape while cooling.

Use tuiles to garnish cupcakes, cakes or any other dessert or savory dish.

Pipe fillings into cup-shaped tuiles for easy, bite-sized treats!

Use tuile templates to mold chocolate pieces.

Cake Preparation Part 3: Icing the Cake

There are many different methods to ice a cake. Trying different methods is a good way to learn which works best for you. Icing a cake smoothly is not necessarily easy and may take practice to perfect. Below are two different ways to ice a cake, one using a quick icer tip and the other using thinned down icing as a “crumb coat”. If you are new to cake decorating, try both methods and see which you prefer.

Using a Quick Icer

Step 1: Follow the steps in Cake Preparation Part 1: Baking, Cooling, and Leveling and Cake Preparation Part 2: Torting and Filling. Set the cake on a cake board. Brush off the surface with a pastry brush to remove any crumbs before icing. Fit a large pastry bag with a quick icer tip (#789) and fill about 2/3 full with icing.

Step 2: Start at the base of the cake with the tip touching the surface and hold the bag at a 45° angle from the cake. Pipe around the entire base with the quick icer touching the cake the whole time. For double layer cakes or taller, start at the base of the cake and work your way up, slightly overlapping each time until you have completely covered the sides of the cake with bands of icing.

Step 3: Cover the top using the quick icer, again overlapping each strip.

Step 4: Use an icing spatula to smooth out the lines and ridges in the icing. Start on the top and then continue to the sides. Try to smooth the icing as much as you can. After the icing has formed a crust, you can use a smoothing technique to completely smooth the icing.

Using a Crumb Coat

Step 1: Thin your icing by adding a very small amount of water and mix thoroughly. Apply a thin layer of the icing to the cake. It is alright if you can see the cake through the thin layer of icing. Coat the whole cake and allow it to form a crust. This will lock any crumbs in.

Step 2: Add a large amount of regular icing to the top of the cake.

Step 3: Spread icing over the top of the cake to the sides. Hold the spatula perpendicular with the cake board and work the icing back forth all the way around the cake until the sides are covered.

Step 4: Use the spatula to smooth the icing making sure that the cake is covered. Once the icing has crusted, use one of the smoothing techniques to get a completely smooth surface.

Try any of the following techniques to get a completely smooth finish on the cake.

Smoothing technique #1: After the icing has crusted, run a pastry roller over the cake to smooth out any imperfections.

Smoothing technique #2: After the icing has formed a crust, use a paper towel or sheet of parchment paper to smooth the icing. Place the paper on the top of the cake and run a spatula across it. Hold the paper up to the side of the cake and smooth with the spatula, keeping it perpendicular to the board.

Smoothing technique #3: Before the icing has crusted, dip your spatula in hot water and wipe dry. Run the hot blade over the iced cake. The heat will help to melt and smooth as you go.

Autumn Carpenter’s book The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating is a great resource to have on hand when baking and decorating cakes. The book contains detailed instructions along with pictures of different methods on icing cakes.

Silicone Molds

Silicone molds are a great way to add elegant and detailed decorations to any cake. Molds made of flexible silicone can be bought with all kinds of designs for almost anything you would need. Some molds are very detailed while others have just a small amount of detail. Even the most detailed molds can make crisp, clean pieces. Molds can vary in size from large focal pieces down to the tiniest pieces. Use silicone molds to mold beautiful pieces for on the sides of cakes. Or make edible pieces for on top of cupcakes.

Silicone molds can be used with a range of mediums. Fondant and gum paste are often used, but chocolate, hard candy, isomalt, and candy clay may also be used. Some molds may even work well for soap and candle making. Different mediums will work better in some molds than they will in others. The amount of detail in a mold may determine the medium you use in that mold. The molds are flexible to allow for easy release of the molded pieces and most molds are heat-resistant making them safe for melted chocolate and hot isomalt.

Using silicone molds with fondant or gum paste

Knead and soften rolled fondant or gum paste and roll into a ball.

With a soft bristled brush or dusting pouch, dust the mold with cornstarch. Dust the gum paste with cornstarch also.

Press the gumpaste into the cavities in the mold.

Scrape off the extra with a palette knife or thin blade. Use your finger to press the gum paste down into the mold again.

Release the pieces by flexing the mold and pushing on the back with your thumbs.

Brush the gum paste pieces with different colored luster and petal dusts to give them a more realistic look.

Using silicone molds with chocolate and candy coating

Melt candy coating or melt and temper real chocolate. Melted candy coating can be poured into a squeeze bottle and squeezed into the cavities. Real chocolate must be spooned into the mold. Let chocolate set up and release the pieces by twisting and flexing the mold. Luster and petal dusts can be added to the chocolate pieces to give them a more realistic appearance.

How-to Use Edible Frosting Sheets

Edible Frosting Sheets

Edible frosting sheets are an easy and quick way to decorate a cake. They are simple to use and add a wow factor to the cake with little effort. Pre-designed images such as sports logos, licensed characters, birthday messages, and much more can be purchased to fit almost any party theme. To make a cake extra special,  you can have a photograph turned into an edible design at some cake supply stores. Smaller edible images can fit nicely on top an iced cookie or cupcake. Send party guests home with a personalized treat for a memorable party favor. However you choose to use these edible sheets, they are sure to impress.

Using frosting sheets- Apply the image to the cake before the icing has formed a crust. If the icing has already crusted, lightly mist icing with water before adhering image. If the cake is covered in rolled fondant, brush a thin layer of piping gel onto the back of the image sheet.

Step 1: Bake and ice the cake. Remove the image from the backing by dragging downward across a sharp edge. With both hands, lift the image away from the backing paper.

Step 2: Place edible image picture side up on top of the cake. Be sure to position the image where you would like it to be before placing it on the cake. Once the image is placed on the icing, it can not be removed.

Step 3: Use fingers to adhere the edges of the image to the icing.

Edible Frosting Strips

Edible frosting strips can be used to dress up the sides of a cake. The strips come in different designs and patterns to go with almost any theme. Also available are ribbon strips that can be used in place of real ribbon on a cake. In most cases, it takes more than one strip to wrap around a cake, so strips should be pieced together accordingly (see chart below). Edible frosting strips can be cut to fit the tops of cookies and cupcakes. The designs may also be cut out and added to the cake as an embellishment.

Using frosting strips- Apply to the side of a cake before the icing has formed a crust. If the icing has already crusted, lightly spray with water before attaching frosting strip. If the cake is covered in rolled fondant, brush a thin layer of piping gel onto the back of the strip.

Step 1: Bake and ice the cake. Remove the image strips from the backing by dragging downward across a sharp edge.

Step 2: Using a pastry brush, brush the back of the image strip with a thin layer of piping gel.

Step 3: Align the strips where you want them to be on the cake. Gently press to adhere to the cake.

Step 4: Carefully cut designs out with scissors. Lightly brush the back with piping gel and attach to the cake.

Step 5: Add a piped border.

Here is a chart for the number of edible frosting strips it takes to wrap around a round cake. For square or rectangular cakes, add up all sides and divide by 10 (strips are usually 10″ long) then round up to the nearest whole number. For example: A 12″ square cake would be 12 + 12 + 12 + 12 = 48 ÷ 10 = 4.8. So you would need 5 strips to completely wrap around the cake.

How-to Make a Cupcake Bouquet

Just in time for Mother’s Day, cupcake bouquets make excellent centerpieces as well as gifts. They are fun, simple to make, and require just a few easy-to-find materials. You can make a bouquet as large or as small as you want and use standard, jumbo, or mini cupcakes. Make cupcake bouquets for weddings, baby or bridal showers, or any other occasion!

You will need:

metal or clay pot

piece of styrofoam

wooden sucker sticks or dowels (longer sticks can be cut into different lengths)

cupcakes decorated as flowers

green food grade tissue paper

To make a cupcake bouquet:

Bake and cool your cupcakes. Denser cupcakes will work best. Base the amount of cupcakes you make on the size of pot you will be using to display them in. We used 6 cupcakes in a pot that had an opening of about 5″. While the cupcakes are cooling, cut a piece of styrofoam to fit down into the pot. Cut wooden sticks if needed and stick them into the styrofoam. Place one in the center and then arrange the rest at an angle around the center stick leaving a 1.5″-2″ inbetween each stick.

Decorate your cupcakes as an assortment of flowers. Let the icing crust.

Use a cake tester to poke holes through the bottom of each cupcake. This will help them to fit onto the wooden sticks easier.

Arrange the cupcakes onto the wooden sucker sticks. Be careful not to let the cupcakes touch one another.

Cut pieces of food grade tissue paper in half and tuck into the empty spaces of the arrangement.

You’re finished!

Cake Preparation Part 2: Torting and Filling

Torting and filling a cake is a great way to enhance its flavor and look. Taller cakes can be made by cutting cake layers in half and then filling and stacking them one on top of another. Pastry fillings or icings work well and are easy to use as cake fillings but ganaches and real fruit can also be used.  Filling a cake can add a nice surprise for those who will be enjoying it.

Step 1: Follow the steps in Cake Preparation Part 1: Baking, Cooling, and Leveling. Set the cake on a level surface and adjust the cake leveler to the right height. Begin cutting by sliding the leveler back and forth through the cake, being sure to keep the feet on the work surface. If needed, you can put one hand on top of the cake to help brace it while you are cutting. Once you have cut through the cake, use a cake lifter or a flat cookie sheet to remove the top layer.

Step 1

Step 2: Put icing in a piping bag fit with a coupler and pipe a rim of icing around the outer edge of the bottom cake layer. This will serve as a barrier to keep the filling from oozing out from in-between the cake layers.

Step 2

Step 3: Squeeze filling inside the icing barrier and spread out evenly. If too much filling is used it can ooze out the sides. Click this link for amounts of filling needed for round and sheet cakes.

Step 3

Step 4: Replace the top layer cut side down, by using a cake lifter or flat cookie sheet. Align it so the top is even with the bottom layer and slide off of the lifter. (this cake was small enough that using a cake lifter wasn’t necessary)

Step 4

Step 5: Your cake is ready to be iced and decorated.

Step 5

Autumn Carpenter’s book The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating is a great resource to have on hand when baking and decorating cakes. The book contains detailed instructions along with pictures on how to properly torte and level a cake.

Candied Orange Peel

Friday, May 4 is National Candied Orange Peel Day. While it is unclear when or how this holiday originated, candied orange peel has been made and enjoyed since the 14th century. You can buy this classic treat at specialty and gourmet stores or make your own at home. Making your own candied orange peel is easy and a great way to use the peel instead of throwing it away. Candied orange peel can be eaten on its own, used in recipes like cakes or cookies, as a garnish on top a dessert, or dipped in chocolate.

To make Candied Orange Peel at home, follow this recipe. (taken with permission from Autumn Carpenter’s All About Candy Making)

You will need:

• 4 oranges
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 pound dark chocolate

Step 1: Quarter oranges and remove the peels from each quarter.

Step 2: Put the orange peels in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Drain the water and rinse the saucepan. Add more water and repeat the boiling process 2 more times.

Step 3: Let the peels cool slightly and using a spoon, scrape off the white pith from the orange peels.

Step 4: Cut each quartered orange peel in half and then cut into thin strips.

Step 5: Bring the sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and add orange peel strips. Simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally to keep the orange peel from burning.

Step 6: Remove orange peel from the pan and let dry on a cooling rack.

Step 7: Melt dark chocolate candy coating or melt and temper real chocolate. Dip candied orange peels in the dark chocolate. Set on a parchment sheet or a silicone mat to dry.

Cake Preparation Part 1: Baking, Cooling, and Leveling

Decorating great looking cakes starts by first knowing the basics of cake baking. Properly prepared pans, cake batter, baking, and timing all factor in the quality of your baked cakes. Having well-baked and assembled cakes will make the decorating process easier and more enjoyable. While the overall appearance of the cake is important, it’s the taste that is key!

Step 1: Prepare pan by brushing in pan grease using a pastry brush. If pan grease is not available, brush inside of pan with shortening and dust with flour. Be sure to apply a thick and even layer.

Step 1

Step 2: Prepare cake batter according to recipe and fill greased pan 2/3 full. Try experimenting with different recipes or box mixes until you find one you enjoy using the most.

Step 2

Step 3: Bake cake according to directions. Test the cake to be sure it is done by inserting a cake tester into the center of the cake. If the tester comes out clean, the cake is done. The cake should be just golden brown on top and the sides should begin to pull away from the pan. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Step 4: Remove the dome on the top of the cake with a large bread knife or cake slicer. Resting the knife on the pan edge will help to make a level cut.

Step 4

Step 5: When the pan has cooled enough to touch, slide a knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Put a cooling rack or cookie sheet over the top of the pan and holding the two together, flip over. If you use a cookie sheet, you will need to slide the cake onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Step 5

Step 6: The cake needs to be removed from the pan at the right time, otherwise, the cake may break or crumble. When the pan has cooled, still warm to the touch but no longer hot, then the cake is ready to be removed from the pan. If the cake is too warm when it’s removed it may crack and if it is left in the pan too long, it can stick to the pan. Leave the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes after it is removed from the oven. Lift the pan away from the cake slowly and allow the cake to finish cooling.

Step 6

*If the top of the cake is still domed, you can use a cake leveler to even the top after the cake has completely cooled. Having a level cake will help when you go to ice it. Cakes that are uneven on top may split or crack when turned over. Insulated cake strips may be used to help ensure even baking. The strips can be found in different sizes and are easy to use. Wet strips, remove excess water, then wrap around outside of the cake pan. Cake strips also help to cut back on the amount of cake that is wasted when it is trimmed and leveled.

Autumn Carpenter’s book The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating is a great resource to have on hand when baking and decorating cakes. The book contains detailed instructions along with pictures on how to properly bake and cool a cake for decorating.