Monday, October 14, 2013

Wannabe Macaroons

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta love to eat...

Isn't how goes that pop song?, well it is true. If you dont love eating you cant be with me. I mean, food for me is important but dessert is even important for me. Dessert can make that 2 persons falls in love, can make kids smile, makes someone feel special. It is the reason that i love to cook sweet dishes. Create instant happiness for others. Except for me! This bring instant unhappiness to me. Well at least my latest dessert project  Macaroons does.



The very first time i saw those little cookies called "Macaroons" was on a cookbook 3 years ago. In that book i saw those adorable mini cookies, with different flavours and fillings and an endless posibilities to add flavours on it. I though "Javi, You really needs to learn how to make Macaroons"

Later, when i start to writte on this blog i said to myself "What a great way to start my blog by doing macaroons, dont you think?" So i spend half of my salary on ingredients to make distintic macaroons like, french vanilla, chocolate with Limoncello, Brandy, Cardamom, Brazilians nuts, and other very expensive things. I study like a mad man looking recipes from all the web to make the "Perfect Macaroons" and well the result wasn't how i expected. It is SO FREAKING HARD!!!



My first batch, Burned! Problem? Oven too high. The second Batch went Dry, WAY dry. Sahara desert Dry. The third batch it looked good at sight but the i realize that all of them were hollow on the inside and that's how i decides to quit on them. Until yesterday when i try to get back to the horse and see what i can do.


I try to make it simple, so i choose a classic chocolate macaroon. I measure, follow exactly the recipe until my worst fear "the macaronage" in that step is when i try to be the most methodic person on the planet! Well as you can see i failed again. It doesn't form that little distintic "foot" on the macaroon it also they are flat. as you can see but the taste went perfect (at least) that's why i named "Wannabe Macaroons" (Also because i was listening the Spice girls)




Hope the next time i can actually bake some Perfect Macaroons...Tell me, have you done macaroons before? what is your secret?

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles VI: Marius Truffles

Last but not Least Marius, The last Vampire on my "Vampire Chronicles Truffles Challenge". Marius was one of the oldest vampires on the book (until now) The keeper of the most important secrets on the Vampire world, It's also Armand's Maker. On his human life he was a 40 years old Italian man, book lover, Amazing Artist, very methodic, Sweet...


For the Truffle i choose some Italian Flavours, almost like a Mockaccino Truffle. a Creammy filling that combines perfectly with the Chocolate.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles V: Armand Truffles

Armand was a Tricky one, On "Interview with the vampire" Book was a Renaissance Young man who was enchanted with Louis, the New World Vampire, and they were happy for a couple of centuries. On the second book "The Vampire Lestat" Armand was an old vampire who couldn't get adaptted to the new era until Lestat show him the way, also was a jealous and vengeful Vampire. A dark soul with a sweet charm, i think this is a dangerous mix.



For this character i decide to use really dark chocolate, 70% Cocoa chocolate. A way to celebrate his real dark side and combine with something sweet, bit sour and Spicy. It's a Complicated mix? Yes, it is however the flavour is so simple, a Culinary Orgasm just like my friend Rux said.


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles IV: Nicolas Truffles

Nicolas, The lover, The mad Violinist, The dark soul. Nicolas Plays vital importance on the book. I mean, it was the first love of our Protagonist Lestat, It make a HUGE impact on Lestat life so Nicolas need his own Truffle. For this Truffle i choose Milk chocolate. It can be real overwhelming if you dont know how to combine it, My friend and co-worker Rux thinks that Milk chocolate is the cheapest of the chocolates, she is a Black Chocolate lover just like me.. Darker, Richer, Better.



I made a Simple Truffle, something classic, versatile and not so invasive that you can eats one by one on your soirees. It's a Milk chocolate and Cinnamon Truffle. I think that Cinnamon goes so well with the Milk chocolate dont you think? it like Nicolas and Lestat, Soft, creamy, divine. Somethimes, in my head i can picture them playing Mozart Sonatas, Lestat in his clavichord and Nicolas on his violin together, apart.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles III: Gabrielle Truffles

Now is the Turn of Madame Gabrielle Du Lioncurt, Lestat's Mother. This is a Beautiful Woman who was a little unsatisfied with her life. The Marquese Du Lioncurt is a woman with pale skin and long blond hair like her son, Cobalt Blue eyes and a very intriguin personality. Gabrielle was the first Vampire that Lestat made, saving her mother pain from her illness and gaining an strong partner on his wild life. She was his Mother, His friend, his partner and his lover.



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Vampire Truffles Chronicles II: Lestat Truffles

Lestat du Lioncurt, on his human life was the younger member of his family. His father never was able to encourage his decisions but Lestat's Mother she spoil him a lot and the relationship between this two were special and even more on his Vampire life. White skin, long blond hair, and Pierce gray eyes. Our Lestat is the main Character on this book and it trully deserve a sweet treat on his honor.


Monday, October 7, 2013

Vampire Truffle Chronicles I: The Making

If you follow me, (I have the idea that's no one actually follows me) in my last publication i made the following question.. I you were a Dessert, What would you be? Well, i would be a Belgian Chocolate Eclaire with little chocolate chips and Pink Pepper on the filling. I am kind of a Gatsby meets Nirvana Boy. Dont know how to define my style because i have like 6 differents personalities who coexists on my head. Well, i do this little exercise when i read, i start making a list with with the physical characteristics of the protagonist and the main characters who appears on the book, After that i make another list but now with their personality traits And then i begin to associate their different features to Flavours and textures that goes well together.



The Last book i've read was "The Vampire Lestat" so i decides to make truffles inspired on the characters of that book.. Bloody vampires with hints of humanity. So, i Planned to make 5 types of Chocolate truffles inspired on Lestat (the main character) and the most important persons on his life: Gabrielle, Nicolas, Armand and Marius. The Lestat Truffle is a White chocolate Truffle (Inspired by his white skin) filled with floral honey and an almond. The Gabrielle Truffle it's also a white Truffle, I took this idea because  Gabrielle was Lestat's Mother and it's filled with almond PralinĂ©.


For the Nicolas Truffles was Tricky, Nicolas is the first love of our protagonist, Nicky was a french violinist, very down to earth, Agnostic person. So i choose Milk chocolate for the Nicolas Truffles filled with a Milk chocolate ganache mixed with nutmeg and Cinnamon, a clasic truffle but a little upgraded. The Armand Truffles are made with really dark chocolate and Filled with homemade Pepper strawberries marmalade.


Last but not least, the Marius Truffles. Marius is an italian vampire, really old vampire.. it has about 1000 years and knows everything about the Vampires, Their creation, their Purpose, he is the keeper of loads of secrets. I wanna have something that embrace the italian and the "Secret" part. So this Truffle is a Dark chocolate ganache truffle filled with a Tiramisu cream and covered on white chocolate.



Are 5 different Truffle Recipes that you must do, it's a sophisticated treat to have on this upcoming Halloween. This Week i'm going to share the recipes of the truffles one by one. Let me know wich is your Favorite.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

If you were a dessert, what would you be?

Hello there, It's the midddle of the week and here i am waiting... (Wait, isn't That a song?) I'm waiting my payday, again. I trully need to fix my oven to keep going with the blog and the tasty treats. Lately i've been doing a lot of thinking about my regular days, i've been daydreaming about cooking macaroons while i'm working on the computer making the montly accounting books. I'm constantly thinking on what kind of dessert i'm going to do for the sunday, what kind of ingredients goes well with other or how i'm going to decorate the dishes. Even when i'm reading i have a "thing". I picture the characters of the book as sweet treats. No, I'm not a cannibal is just that i feel inspired to create dessert by them. Have someone has ask you before something like "If you were a dessert, what would you be?" Well something like that happens when i'm reading.



Yesterday night, after arrive to my comfy home from work and taking a shower i decided to finish to read my "The vampire Lestat" book. Oh wow, reading 200 years of life from this enigmatic vampire was something magical, i would love to find the real Lestat, shake his cold hand and ask him a lot of things like my mythical question  "If you were a dessert, what would you be?. Well i think Lestat would be a Truffle, it would be a White chocolate Truffle filled with fresh floral honey and almonds. Sounds Amazing right? well i'm going to make that happen. As a Tribute to that book i'm going to make for this sunday truffles inspired by the characters of thet book. Could you wonder how is going to taste an Armand Truffle?

So Well, now i ask you my lovely readers.. If you were a dessert, what would you be?

PS: That Beautiful picture comes from this blog, I dont own the picture just wanna add something Special to this post.