More on Macarune

Macarune had it's 2nd Variety Pack event in 2010. This time with cookies + macarons! Lately, I've been addicted to the + sign. It's just so much chicer isn't it?

The Cookie + Cuppa party was cozy, because most guests ended up picking up their orders and leaving for dinner. Though a few managed to stay, and that was fun.

As with most parties, I was running in and out of the kitchen a lot, so it was really hard to entertain. Sorry folks! I promise it'll be less harried next time :)

Here's the flavor card with the inspiration behind each cookie and key ingredients:

• Chocolate: Double chocolate sablés with a hint of fleur de sel. The quick fix when I'm craving chocolate. Key ingredients: Valrhona 55%, Valrhona cocoa and Mediterranean fleur de sel
• Coconut: A crispy Summer BBQ Favorite. In San Francisco, we used to serve these with ice cream and raspberries. Sometimes I would bake them slightly wider and thicker for ice cream sandwiches, which we then freeze and snack on all through summer. Key ingredients: Unsweetened coconut flakes from California (not sure of the actual origin)
• Earl Grey: My rendition of the "grown-up shortbread," flavored with TWG Earl Grey. While this tea may not be the strongest of Earl Greys, it does have pretty blue cornflowers. If you're lucky, you might just spot one amidst the crushed tea leaves. A touch of orange brings out the best in bergamot. Key ingredients: TWG Tea Company Earl Grey tea, freshly grated orange zest
• Fruit & Nut: A play on my childhood favorite candy bar: Cadbury's Fruit & Nut. Chewy drop cookies with generous chunks of toasted walnuts and pecans, followed by the occasional raisin. The brownie-like interior is what makes this the bf's favorite. Key ingredients: Valrhona 64%/70%, Australian pecans, apricots, Californian walnuts and raisins
• Matcha: Think green tea shaved ice with condense milk :) This shortbread flavor is highly dependent on the kind of matcha powder used. This time around, I used one that's slightly lighter than the norm to accommodate tea cookie novices who may prefer less "green" with each bite. White chocolate rounds up the flavor, especially when strong matcha powder is used. Key ingredients: Japanese matcha powder and Valrhona white chocolate
• White Russian: Tribute to the Big Lebowski. A classic cocktail of coffee liquor and vodka. This one's not for the kids ;) Key ingredients: hazelnuts, Kahlua, Absolut Vodka, Valrhona cocoa and Illy espresso powder
• Hibiscus: My all-time favorite macaron. What used to be exotic (not so much anymore now that I live in Asia!) hibiscus flower soaked in Persian rose tea. Because this flavor is often overlooked and undervalued, I thought I'd include it in the sample pack for your tasting. Key ingredients: Dried Roselle and Persian rose tea
• Vanilla bean raspberry: A new Macarune flavor, combining the familiar richness of vanilla bean and the tartness of freeze dried raspberries. Key ingredients: Tahitian vanilla bean and Californian freeze dried raspberries

I've also posted this list with more pictures on FB>

Getting the packaging together alone, took half a day. Well worth it though!


A single order


Half of 4 orders

More on FB>

Fun with Macarune

Snapshots of recent batches:

Vanilla bean macaron innard. While it's clearly a personal preference, I don't believe there's another buttercream that brings out the richness of vanilla as well as the paté a bomb variety. It's just so yummy!

Tahitian vanilla bean and raspberry macarons

Tahitian vanilla bean and raspberry macaron innard. For this flavor, I use a lighter meringue-based buttercream to bring out more of the raspberry flavor


Clockwise from left: pistachio rose, hibiscus, vanilla bean raspberry x2, vanilla bean


Raspberry, honey lavender, pistachio rose and hazelnut brown butter macarons for Hena's wedding*


Pretty as a picture*


*Wedding images taken from Hena's FB profile. Congratulations Hena + Mara!


Pistachio rose + passion fruit chocolate macarons

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I spent 30 minutes shopping on Gilt only to realize that they require a US billing address! *Sniff. Can't remember how I got my Marc Jacobs stuff in the past but Wendy must've helped.

So bummed.

Quintessential Marc by MJ print top


The dress I've been eyeing since last year. I don't think I'll recover from this :(

Polka dots & hearts

Here are some photos of our Mother's Day celebration as promised. We're planning on doing checks and stripes for Father's Day's. What do you think?

Do, re, mi, fa, lo-la...


Mom & dad's prom-like photo. Looking smart kids!

"Horrors" in the car

Look who stole mom's heart when she wasn't looking!

Presenting mom her gift of bird's nest wrapped in polka dotted paper. Way to stay within the theme :) Viv got mom a Tittot sculpture and SQ did the Acca Kappa soap bar thing. Shin did a rain check. Maaaan...

Mom and dad with their signature smiles

Mom and me

Viv and Danny

Shin-gles

The bf, there in spirit

The bf and I are "gone fishing" this weekend. Back again soon!

Mommy dearest

...as Viv so nicely put it, every day is Mother's Day with you.


Love you loads.

Guess where we're going?

Image taken from Harry Marx, on Flickr

Priorities

Macarune and work have been such a huge part of my life lately, it's easy to forget the other important things like family, love and friends. That's why it's so great there's something called impromptu flights :)

Last weekend, I made a booking for one of these, and we celebrated Mother's Day a week earlier. The theme was polka dots and hearts. And the parents were super endearing, playing along with our whimsy idea of wearing paper hearts a la Julia Child!

More photos when I get the chance.