Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round (base measurement) cake pan with baking paper.
Make the vanilla butter cake following packet directions. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Use a serrated knife to trim the crusts of the cake. Break the cake into small pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. Add the vanilla frosting and m&m’s minis and stir to combine.
Line an oven tray with baking paper. Roll tablespoonsful of cake mixture into balls and place on the lined tray. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.
Place the white chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts. Place the 100 & 1000’s in a small bowl.
Dip the end of 1 lollypop stick in chocolate then insert into a cake ball. Return to the tray. Repeat with remaining cake balls.
Dip 1 cake ball into the melted chocolate, turning to coat. Gently tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Roll the cake ball in 100 & 1000’s to coat. Insert the cake pop in the polystyrene to stand upright. Repeat with remaining cake balls, chocolate and 100 & 1000’s. Set aside for 30 minutes or until chocolate is completely set.
This is the basic recipe for macarons. You can make coloured macarons by (sparingly) using a food colouring paste rather than liquid food colouring. The colour should be added to the egg whites before whisking. However, If you would like chocolate macarons - Chocolate Macaron Recipe
Macarons need a steady, lowish temperature to cook properly, too high and they easily burn, too low and they don't cook through. These temperatures are a guideline, adjust to suit your oven.
Preheat the oven to 140°C/ 300°F no fan.
Sieve the icing sugar and ground almonds into a large mixing bowl. Throw any lumps left behind away. Mix the two together.
In a separate, scrupulously clean bowl whisk the egg whites and salt until they form soft peaks. Add the caster / fine sugar, a little at a time and continue to whisk until the whites are very thick and glossy (ideally, you should be able to hold the bowl upside down without the whites falling out - go on, I dare you !) Gently stir in the icing sugar and almond mix. The mixture will lose some air and become quite loose, don't worry, this is the way it should be.
Using a piping bag with a 1cm / 1/3" nozzle, fill with the macaron mixture. Place the silicon mat (see note in the introduction) or paper template onto a baking sheet. Pipe small blobs onto the sheet remembering that less is more at this stage because the mixture will settle and form into the allotted spaces.
Gently tap the baking sheet a few times on the work surface to help the macaron mixture to settle and to break any air bubbles, then leave to dry for 20 minutes - the surface of the macaron will become smooth and shiny
Bake the macarons in the preheated for 7 - 8 minutes minutes, open the door to release any steam, close the oven door and cook for a further 7 - 8 minutes. The macarons are cooked when they feel firm and are slightly risen.
Slide the mat or greaseproof paper onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely Do not be tempted to remove the macarons from the mat until they are cold or you will break them.
Make the Filling
Beat the softened butter until it is fluffy, then gradually beat in the icing sugar. At this point you can beat in any flavourings you may choose. See examples below.
Place approx 1/2 a tsp of the filling to the flat side of one macaroon and sandwich together with another then twist ever so slightly to create a bond. Continue with the remaining macarons.
The macarons can be eaten immediately but will benefit from being refrigerated for 24 hours (that's if you can resist them for that long) as this will make them even more chewy and tasty.
Filling Variations for Macarons
For pink macarons: raspberry, strawberry are good matches, or for contrast add a little vanilla flavouring to the buttercream.
Green macarons work very well with a pistachio flavoured cream, use either food flavouring or finely ground, pistachio nuts. Alternatively, add a little coconut flavouring, fresh lime zest and a tiny squeeze of the juice for a zingy filling.
Purple, blueberry flavour is perfect.
Cream coloured, use vanilla extract for an extra creamy flavour.
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) (57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Glaze:
1 large egg
Whipped Cream:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream(double cream) (35-40% butter fat)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar, or to taste
Garnish:
Powdered sugar (Confectioners or icing)
Directions: Choux Pastry: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter or spray the pan with a non stick vegetable spray.
In a bowl sift or whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.
Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. (Make sure that the butter melts before the water boils to reduce the amount of evaporation.) Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). Transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about a minute). Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon). Spoon or pipe 12 small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. With a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough with a lightly beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Continue to bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. Turn the oven off, poke a couple of holes in each puff and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells completely cool (and dry out).
Whipped Cream: In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and whisk in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. When chilled, whip the cream just until stiff peaks form. To Assemble: Split the pastry shells in half and fill (or pipe) with whipped cream. Place the top half of the pastry shell on the whipped cream and dust with powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar. Leftover Cream Puffs can be stored in the refrigerator.
1½ tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white or brown sugar
a pinch of baking soda
Directions:
Place sugar in a stainless steel ladle and heat it over medium heat until it starts to melt.
Stir it with a spoon so it melts evenly and doesn’t burn. Control the heat by lifting the ladle far from the heat or bringing it closer, as needed.
Stir the melting sugar until it turns into a smooth, clear liquid with no lumps.
Add baking soda and continue stirring. It will expand and change from light brown to creamy golden beige.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar on a cookie pan. Scrape the hot, foamy candy from the ladle onto the sugar coated cookie pan.
Place a skewer or lollipop stick in the center of the lower part of the candy, 1 inch from the edge.
Press it down with any smooth, flat, non-stick object like a stainless steel bowl, lid, or a spatula.
Use a cookie cutter to press a pattern into the center of the candy. Press hard and make a good impression if you want them to break out the design easily, and press softly if you want to drive them crazy!
Wait for 1 minute until the candy gets hard. Enjoy!
