Archives for 2015

Vanilla Macarons #VanillaWeek

February 2, 2015

Vanilla Bean Macarons are delicate, crispy and sandwiched together with an easy and delicious Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache.

Vanilla Bean Macarons with Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache from Love and Confections

It’s officially #VanillaWeek! I am so excited for day 1 of our week-long event. Check out my intro blog post with all the details for the giveaway!. The #VanillaWeek Bloggers and I have some great recipes today, so please head on over to each of their blogs and check them out. We hope you join us throughout the week where we will be sharing vanilla recipes that include breakfasts, drinks, desserts and even savory dishes! Also, don’t forget to enter for our big #VanillaWeek giveaway!

I love macarons! Yes, the little cookies with a single “o”, not the sweet coconut concoctions your grandmother makes. These little French treats are gloriously delicious and packed with so much flavor in a few small bites. The flavor combinations are endless, as are the fillings.

I chose to go with some simple Vanilla Bean Macarons and Vanilla Bean Chocolate Macarons. These little beauties can cost upwards of $2 per cookie in some patisseries and boutiques, so it’s more cost efficient to make them at home. Even though there are a million different recipes online, as well as techniques, photos and videos on how to make them, they can be fickle little beasts. If the conditions aren’t right, the measurements are just a bit off, or the pastry chef happens to be sick, while taking care of her sick yet constantly moving, just-learned-how-to-climb-the-stairs toddler in a house without a baby gate that fits the stairway, then you might get a failed batch and want to go cry in the corner of your pantry. Not that I would know anything about the latter…

I have had my fair share of macaron flops, these beauties included. Half of my batches came out good, the other half didn’t. It’s a hazard of baking macarons – sometimes they won’t come out smooth and with perfect little feet. Sometimes they will be cracked or hollow or have sharpie marker ink on the bottoms because you had “mommy-brain” and forgot to turn the parchment paper over before piping. Yeah, that happened.

Luckily with the Macaron Silpat Mat, most of my batches didn’t have to worry about getting inked up. This mat fits my jelly roll pan perfectly and has easy guidelines for piping. It is definitely something I am going to take full advantage of when making macarons in the future. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Vanilla Bean Macarons with Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache
Macaron adapted from Martha Stewart
Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache a Love and Confections original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe

Vanilla Bean Macarons Ingredients:
– 1 cup Dixie Crystals Confectioners’ Sugar (117 grams)
– 2/3 cup Almond Flour (71 grams)
– 2 large Egg Whites, room temperaturer (80 grams)
– 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Super Fine Granulated Sugar (53 grams)
– 3 tablespoons Cocoa Powder, for chocolate macarons only

Vanilla Bean Macarons Directions:
1. Sift together the Confectioners’ Sugar and Almond Flour, discarding any large pieces left over. Repeat again and set aside. If making chocolate macarons, add the cocoa powder while sifting.
2. Heat oven to 375F. Place parchment or macaron mat on cookie sheets.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the Egg Whites and Granulated Sugar and whisk by hand until frothy and combined. Using the whip attachment, gently increase the speed until stiff, glossy peaks are formed.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the meringue and gently fold to combine. The macaron batter should take about 35-40 strokes and flow like lava when ready.
5. Prepare a piping bag with a medium round tip and fill it with the macaron batter. Pipe batter into 1/2 to 3/4 inch rounds, about an inch apart, with the tip about 1/2 an inch from the baking mat while piping. Tap the tray onto the counter 2-3 times to get any air bubbles out. Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes or until their shell is slightly firm to the touch.
6. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Once done, let them cool completely before taking off the mat. Store in a container and refrigerate or freeze.

Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
– 6 ounces White Chocolate
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
– 6 ounces Heavy Cream

Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache Directions:
1. Chop the Chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the Vanilla Bean Paste.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the Heavy Cream until it just starts to boil, whisking periodically. Make sure you do not walk away from the cream while it is on the stove, as it can boil over in an instant.
3. Pour the Heavy Cream over the Chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Whisk the mixture together until all the Chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let it sit and come to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight.
4. After thoroughly chilled, place the ganache into your stand mixer bowl and with the whip attachment, whip it until it is light and fluffy. Place in a piping bag with either a round or star tip and pipe onto half of the macarons. Sandwich them together and serve.

Here are more #VanillaWeek Blogger recipes:

Berry Vanilla and Yogurt Loaf Cake from Take A Bite Out of Boca.
Vanilla Glazed Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits from Frugal Foodie Mama.
I Love You Strawberry Cake from Hip Foodie Mom.
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole from It’s Yummi.
Strawberry Vanilla Cream Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
Vanilla Balsamic Roast Chicken Thighs from Pineapple and Coconuts.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake No-Churn Ice Cream from Cupcakes & Kale Chips.
Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs from Taste Cook Sip.
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries from {i love} my disorganized life.
Vanilla Cinnamon Candied Pecans from Big Bear’s Wife.
Vanilla Macarons from Love and Confections.
White Chocolate Dipped Snickerdoodles from Life Tastes Good.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Disclosure: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Bob’s Red Mill, Silpat, Quirk Books and Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar are providing the prizes free of charge. These companies are also providing the bloggers with samples and product to use for #VanillaWeek. All opinions stated are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to #VanillaWeek and a #Giveaway

February 2, 2015

It’s officially #VanillaWeek! I am so excited about this week-long event. While I love red velvet and chocolate, which are everywhere this time of year, I decided to host a week-long event celebrating one of my favorite flavors – vanilla. The #VanillaWeek Bloggers and I have come together with some amazing vanilla recipes. We hope you join us throughout the week where we will be sharing vanilla recipes that include breakfasts, drinks, desserts and even savory dishes! Also, don’t forget to enter below for our big #VanillaWeek giveaway!

Now, onto the prizes… we will be giving away 3 prize packs including items from each of the sponsors below.

Nielsen-Massey has been crafting world-class vanillas and flavors since 1907. It is still a family owned business today and focuses on quality and its customers. Nielsen-Massey uses a cold extraction process for making its vanillas, which preserves more than 300 distinctive flavor compounds present in vanilla beans. Nielsen-Massey product can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma and all of their products are gluten-free, allergen-free, GMO-free and Kosher. Nielsen-Massey also has a line of organic vanillas available as well. Nielsen-Massey is generously giving a bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Extract, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste and Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract for each of the prize packs.

Bob’s Red Mill does not rush quality, and that sets them apart from other companies. Bob’s Red Mill is providing Super Fine Cake Flour and Sparkling Sugar for each of the three prize packages. The Cake Flour is carefully milled and sifted to fine texture and is never cut with cornstarch, like other brands. This Cake Flour is ideal for all kinds of cakes, cupcakes, pancakes, biscuits and pie crusts. The Sparkling sugar is perfect as a topping for all your baked goods. It is a large cane sugar crystal that has a great sparkle. It can also by easily dyed with your favorite food coloring to create a festive topping.

Silpat is the original non-stick baking mat since 1965. Silpat products never need greasing and replace parchment paper, which saves time, money and reduces waste. They are perfect for sticky materials including batter, caramels, doughs and everything in between. Silpat has baking mats that include jelly roll pan size, macaron mat, cookie mat, and pretzel mat, among other types. Silpat will be providing a baking mat for each of the prize packs

Dixie Crystals is synonymous with high quality sugar products that are all natural and non-GMO. Dixie Crystals products are not just for adults in the kitchen. In addition to having edible art projects, kid craft ideas, sugar scrubs, sweet science experiments, and homemade gifts available on their website, they just launched a new cookbook too. The 2015 edition of My First Cookbook has 28 easy and delicious kid-friendly recipes designed for children 6-12. They even have a sugar craft section in the cookbook that helps teach concepts like science, chemistry and math.

Quirk Books is generously providing a copy of Shauna Sever’s Pure Vanilla cookbook for each of the prize packages. Pure Vanilla shares a history of vanilla from orchid to extract and information on the different varieties and flavors of vanilla. It also contains recipes for cakes, cookies, custards and creams. Glazed Vanilla Bean Doughnuts, Vanilla Cloud Cake, Vanilla Bean Meringue Kisses and Sea Salt Caramels, Homemade Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Sugar and Vanilla-Infused Liquors are just a sampling of the recipes available in the book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The #VanillaWeek Bloggers have received product and/or samples from the sponsor companies. All opinions are our own. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, age 18 & older. The #VanillaWeek Prize Pack giveaway runs from Monday, February 2, 2015 at 12:00a EST through Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 11:59p EST. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Pinterest, Facebook, Intagram, or Twitter. You are providing your information to Love and Confections and not to anyone else. The information you provide will only be used for giveaway administration purposes and we will not share this information with anyone except to announce the names of winners. All entries for the winners will be checked and verified. Winners will be announced on or about February 8th. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond within that time a new winner will be chosen. Prizes are provided by Nielsen-Massey, Bob’s Red Mill, Dixie Crystals, Silpat and Quirk Books. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Three winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #VanillaWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Clearwater Beach Uncorked 2015

January 25, 2015

Grab your sandals and head to Clearwater Beach on February 7th & 8th for the

4th annual Clearwater Beach Uncorked – a Food and Wine Adventure!

Clearwater Beach Uncorked is less than two weeks away. This delectable food, wine, spirits and beer event takes place at the elegant Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa. The Hyatt boasts great Gulf views and luxurious suites – truly a perfect setting for the event. Clearwater Beach Uncorked takes place February 7th and 8th, from 1pm-5pm each day.

The event title sponsors are Brighthouse Networks, Publix, Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa, and the City of Clearwater. Some restaurants that will be represented are Shor American Seafood and Grill, Armiani’s, Ocean Flame, Crabby Bill’s and Datz and it sounds there there will be some fabulous food. Over 100 wines from around the world will be available for tasting, as well as craft beer and micro-brews. Sea Dog Brewing Company, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Keel and Curley Winery, and the Blue Point Brewing company are just a few of the wine and beer sponsors that will be showcased.

Also, a portion of the proceeds benefit the USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Hospitality & Technological Leadership.

Tickets are going fast, so grab your ticket here! Cheers and see you there!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Disclaimer: I am being provided a media pass for the Clearwater Beach Uncorked 2015. All opinions are my own. Photos from Clearwaterbeachuncorked.com.

Meyer Lemon Cake with Meyer Lemon Glaze

January 21, 2015

Meyer Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze is a lemon-lovers’ dream.

Tart, sweet and the perfect flavorful bite!

Meyer Lemon Cake with Meyer Lemon Glaze from Love and Confections

I love Meyer Lemons. They aren’t as tart as regular lemons, and they have such a great vibrant color. I await this time of year, when Meyer Lemons come into season and the stores start to carry these golden beauties. I sometimes get so excited I buy a little more than I should. 24 beautiful Meyer Lemons came home with me last weekend and I have been baking and cooking with them almost every day.

Today’s Meyer Lemon Cake was the first baked goodie I made. I also created a Meyer Lemon Pound Cake and Meyer Lemon Breakfast Parfait which will be up on the blog soon. I have used the zest, juice and lemon slices in almost everything this past week! The tart and sweet combination from these lemons makes me wish their season never ended and that I could use them year-round.

I decided to try this cake from Averie Cooks. I followed her recipe and directions almost exactly how she wrote it – I used Meyer Lemons instead of regular ones and added some extra zest, just to see how it turned out when I made it. The cake turned out delicious, but I am not a fan of her procedure at all. I don’t like how she uses foil for the cake. The glaze also ran over the sides and basically pooled around he cake. Next time I make it, I will probably do a different method, make my glaze a bit thicker and pour it once the cake is on a plate or stand. Other than that it was a good cake with some great lemon flavor.

Meyer Lemon Cake with Meyer Lemon Glaze
Slightly adapted from Averie Cooks
Click here for a printable recipe

Meyer Lemon Cake Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup Lemon Milk
– 1 & 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
– 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
– 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
– 1/4 teaspoon Salt
– 2 tablespoons Meyer Lemon Zest
– 1 Large Egg
-1/3 cup Sour Cream
– 1/4 cup Meyer Lemon Juice plus 1 teaspoon for Lemon Milk
– 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
-1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

Meyer Lemon Cake Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350F and line an 8×8 baking pan with foil, then spray with baking spray.
2. In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup Milk and 1 teaspoon Meyer Lemon Juice and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Meyer Lemon Zest, Egg, Sour Cream, Meyer Lemon Juice, Vegetable Oil and Vanilla Bean Past. Add the we mixture into the dry mixture and combine with a spatula.
4. Pour into baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back when slightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Let the cake cook in its pan while making the glaze.

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:
– 2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
– 1/3 cup Meyer Lemon Juice
– 2 tablespoons Meyer Lemon Zest

Lemon Glaze Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the Confectioners’ Sugar, Lemon Juice and 1 tablespoon of the Meyer Lemon Zest. Pour glaze over cake and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining Meyer Lemon Zest on top and let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan, minimum 2-8 hours.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers

January 15, 2015

In my Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake, moist and rich chocolate combines with sweet coconut that is reminiscent of a popular candy bar.

I am hosting this month’s Bundt Bakers. Coconut and I have a love-hate relationship. I have always been back and forth on coconut. Sometimes I will eat it when it’s fried on shrimp, sometimes not. So why choose coconut for the theme? Because there are so many ways to use it: shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut sugar, coconut oil.

Even though I don’t like it all the time, I have very fond memories with coconut. One of my first experiences I remember with coconut was at our house in Miami. We had some coconut palms and whenever one fell, my Dad would let us try and crack it open. Some of you might know how hard that can be, but a determined 10-year-old and her 6-year-old little sister thought they were no match for the coconuts. We would bang them and drop them on the driveway for hours – now that I think about it, he might have given it to preoccupy us at the time – makes sense now. Anyway, we would try and try and he eventually ended up cracking it open for us.

We jumped with excitement as the shell cracked and little by little the coconut water started to leak out and the white flesh appeared. We tried some coconut because we had worked our little hearts out to break the thing open, but didn’t like it too much. Even now I sometimes like them prepared in certain ways and sometimes not, but either way, coconuts give me some great memories of my childhood at home or the beach, trying to break them open with my little Sister and Dad. It’s funny how food can do that. We associate so many memories with food.

I hope you enjoy this cake. I made it for my Dad. It is a very easy, one-bowl recipe – if you’re not using the coconut streusel, but you really should. No coconuts were harmed in the making of this cake. 😉

Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake
Adapted from Food.com
Click here for a printable recipe

Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake Ingredients:
– 2/3 cup Cocoa Powder, sifted
– 2 & 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
– 2 cups Granulated Sugar
– 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
– 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
– 3/4 teaspoon Salt
– 1 & 1/2 teaspoon Espresso Powder
– 1 &1/2 cups warm Water
– 3 large Eggs
– 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
– 1 & 1/4 cups Vegetable Oil

Optional Streusel Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut
– 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
– 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder

Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350F and generously grease a bundt pan with baking spray.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, mix all the cake ingredients on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
3. Make the Streusel by mixing together the Coconut, Brown Sugar and Cocoa Powder in a small bowl with a spoon.
4. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the bundt pan, sprinkle the streusel over that, then cover with the rest of the batter.
5. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it cool a minimum 15 minutes in the pan before trying to turn out onto a cake plate. Garnish with Chocolate Ganache and Shredded Coconut. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
– 2 ounces Heavy Cream
– 4 ounces Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
– Shredded Coconut (optional garnish)
– Chocolate Sprinkles (optional garnish)

Chocolate Ganache Directions:
1. In a small pot, heat the Heavy Cream just until hot and tiny bubble begin to appear. You don’t want to boil it and please don’t ever leave when heavy cream is on the stove as it can boil over and create a mess in seconds.
2. Have the chopped Chocolate in a small bowl and pour the Heavy Cream over it. Let it sit for 5 minutes before touching it. After 5 minutes, whisk to create a creamy ganache.
3. Place chocolate in a piping bag and pipe onto the top of the cake. Garnish with shredded Coconut and Chocolate Sprinkles

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Here are today’s Coconut themed Bundt Bakers:
Almond Joy Bundtlettes from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
Chocolate Italian Cake from Magnolia Days
Coconut & Banana Bundt Cake from Just One Bite Baking
Coconut Banana Bundt Cake from Basic N Delicious
Coconut Carrot Bundt Cake from Media Racion Doble, Por Favor
Coconut Cream Bundt Cake from Adventures in All Things Food
Coconut Hummingbird Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake
Coconut Milk Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
Coconut Milk Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
Coconut Oil Pound Cake from The Spiced Life
Coconut Sugar Banana Cake from A Kingdom for a Cake
Cranberry and Coconut Bundt Cake from La Cocina de Aisha
Cranberry, Orange and Coconut Bundt Cake from Kids & Chic
German Chocolate Bundt Cake from The Freshman Cook
Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake from Food Lust People Love
Gluten-free Coconut Orange Bundt Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream from Cassie’s Kitchen
Gizzada Mini Bundts from Passion Kneaded
Key Lime and Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake from Eat, Drink and Be Mighty
Key Lime Coconut Cream Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Mini Samoa Bundt Cakes from Making Miracles
Orange & Coconut Bundt Cake from Living the Gourmet
Oreo Coconut Bundt Cake from Indian Curries/Stew
Pina Colada Bundt Cake from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Rhubarb n Rose Coconut Frosted Bundt Cake from Baking in Pyjamas
Rum Bundt Cake with Coconut and Lime from Bourbon and Brown Sugar
Toasted Coconut and Sweet Potato Bundt from Tea and Scones
Toasted Coconut Lime Bundt Cake with Chili Lime Glaze from Brooklyn Homemaker

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Quick and Easy Homemade Kale Chips

January 2, 2015

Kale Chips are light and crunchy, slightly salty and the perfect healthy snack for any time of the day!

Hopefully everyone had a great Holiday Season and Happy New Year! I thought I’d ring in the new year with one of my favorite snacks that are super easy and good for you – Kale Chips.

Instead of grabbing a bag of chips or pretzels when I’m in the mood for something crunchy and salty, these Kale Chips satisfy my craving. My uncle loves to make these and that’s where I tried them for the first time. He adds a bit of red pepper flakes for a kick, but you can leave them out if you don’t want to include them. They are so versatile, you can use whichever spice blend you prefer.

I am anxious to make my next batch and play around with some different spices and flavorings. These Kale Chips are the perfect snack to keep you from munching on not-so-good food and help you on any New Year’s healthy resolution you might have. Enjoy!

Kale Chips
A Love and Confection family recipe
Click here for a printable recipe

Kale Chip Ingredients:
– 1 bunch of Kale
– Sea Salt, to taste
– 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
– 2-3 teaspoons Olive Oil
– 1-2 pinches of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Kale Chip Directions:
1. Heat oven to 275F and lightly spray non-stick cooking spray onto 1-2 sheet pans with sides.
2. Pull leafy portions from stringy veins of Kale and tear large leafs into smaller pieces. Rinse well and spin or pat and air dry. Make sure they are completely dry before baking to insure a crisp chip.
3. Place the Kale in a large mixing bowl and add Sea Salt, Garlic Powder and Olive Oil. Toss lightly to coat and place in a single layer on your sheet pan.
4. Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating halfway through. They should shrink about 50% and are done when crisp. Let them cool on the sheet pan for 3-5 minutes. They are very delicate, so carefully, with a spatula, remove the Kale Chips from the sheet pan and place them in a bowl for serving.

*Kale Chips are best eaten within 24 hours of baking. I have not tried this, but if you choose to store them, place some uncooked white rice in the bottom of an airtight container and store for up to 2 days.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!