Experiment Report: Peach Macarons aka Almost Epic Fail

Hi friends! As promised, I'm back to share the results of my experimentation with making Peach Macarons yesterday. First we start with a pretty photo, so as not to scare any of you away.

Now let me just begin by saying that you should probably never cook anything that you plan to actually eat if you are rushing the clock. In this instance I was two steps into my macaron cookies when I suddenly remembered that in just 20 minutes I'd need to drive my daughter to her math tutoring. I don't think I've ever measured and mixed so quickly (in the process I added in 1/2 cup more powdered sugar than I was supposed to). My sister was sitting in my living room with a deer-in-the-headlights expression watching the whole thing go down. Because of the sudden rush I also didn't have the chance to think through my flavor adaptations. I ended up adding in 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ginger paste on a whim (good decision) but was stuck when it came to adding in the peach (raw peach chunks seemed ill-advised). So with no time to think I quickly piped the cookies onto their pans, gave them a few good whacks on the counter top (to get the air bubbles out), and ran out the door. Fortunately macarons are supposed to be left to rest for at least 30 minutes before baking, so they can form nice crisp tops...unfortunately I wasn't home again until an hour and a half later and boy had they ever crisped up! I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, so I stuck them in the oven anyway...what did I have to loose at this point, right?! 

While the cookies baked I started melting down some white chocolate for the filling. I found a tasty looking white chocolate peach ganache filling recipe on Tartelette, but since I'm no pro at adapting from metric measurements somewhere along the way everything went south.

The sauce was too runny...even after chilling. I tried melting down some more white chocolate thinking that if I could add that in, it might thicken things up a bit...but then genius that I am, I used the spoon from the chilling chocolate/fruit mixture to stir the melting chocolate and it instantly turned into crusty globs of something closely resembling cottage cheese (I've decided to spare you all by not showing a photo of that). Nine dollars of chocolate ruined! Ugh!

This morning I did about 50,000 google searches for a new macaron filling that would incorporate fresh peaches, but nothing emerged other than a handful of recipes that involve more steps than I could possibly follow. I was about to dump the whole container of plain macaron cookies into the trash in a fit of frustration when I remembered the vanilla ice cream in my freezer! And that is how I turned lemons into lemonade...or naked ginger macarons into dessert for breakfast in this case!

To keep true to my original peachy plan I served the cookie with a few quickly stewed and peeled peaches only to discover that the peaches are horrifyingly bitter (a bit wary about buying from that farmer's market vendor again). Sans peaches...the macaron ice cream sandwich was delicious (messy but tasty)! I'm thinking of picking up a few different ice cream and gelato flavors at the store later today to fill the rest of my wayward batch of macarons with. Disaster somewhat averted!

Final thoughts...I used this macaron cookie recipe (the same one that I used for my Clementine Macarons) and other than being kind of dry because I unwittingly added in too much powdered sugar, they taste awesome. They are easy to adapt and add interesting flavors to (i.e. instead of the citrus zest in the recipe, I just added in a smidge of ginger paste). I still don't have a good peach filling recipe...any tips? Have you ever made macaron cookies before? Do you have a favorite recipe worth passing along? Please do let us know! xo Ez

An Ode to Summer

An Ode to Summer, a Sea Chant Production for the brilliant and inspiring Kinfolk Magazine (via Besotted Brand Blog). Simply one of the loveliest short films I've seen in my 33 years. I hope it gives you chills just like it did for me! xo Ez

Film stills from Sea Chant Production

Credits: Director, Editor—Andrew Gallo | Writer, Director of Photography—Carissa Gallo | Producer—Phillip Wachter | Music and Sound Design—Shervin Shaeri | Actors—Anna Teeter, Evan Wachter, Kalen Ney | Words—Deb Caletti | Voice—Bree Laliberte | Visual Effects—Mitchell Thorson and Jacob Campbell | Design, Layout—Mitchell Thorson | Photography—Carissa Gallo

In My Studio: Organizing Wrapping Paper

I spotted this awesome Galvanized Wire Basket at Target the other day and decided that even though I didn't immediately know what I needed it for, I just had to have it anyhow. Once I brought it home, I quickly decided that it would be put to use as storage for my many rolls of wrapping paper. I was happily surprised by how many fit inside it too!

This is what my wrapping paper storage looked like previously (eek). Since it was in the back corner of my studio closet I always had a really hard time getting the specific paper I wanted, and things got messy...and stayed messy. So hooray for this new storage solution (I'll be putting the holiday wrapping paper away in the garage, and then the whole backside of my closet will be available space again—yay). As some of you suggested on Instagram when I was trying to convince myself to buy the basket, it really can be used for so many things...from storing extra towels or throw blankets, to holding magazines and book, etc. So whether I keep my rolls of paper in it indefinitely or for just a short while, I'm really happy with my basket and all it's organizational potential! xo Ez

My Weekend in Photos

Hi guys! I just thought I'd pop in to share a quick little photo recap of my weekend as posted over on Instagram. It's been so much fun keeping up with so many of you over there (I'm kind of obsessed really).

1. Unpacking pretty things from my trip to New Jersey. The beautiful books were a gift from my friend Melissa, and the gorgeous soap is from my friend Marichelle. Everything else I found either from my visit to Terrain, Perch or Christmas Tree Shop.

2. We've been spoiled by a bounty of hydrangeas in our little yard (okay, it's only one bush, but it's still been really good to us this year).

3. Rediscovering my love for pears. Such a feel-good taste-good snack!

4. And Summer is officially underway now that the shaved ice shack in our neighborhood has opened for the season. Yum!

If you're not already following me on Instagram and want to, you can find me under username: creaturecomforts. Oh...and if you didn't know already, Instagram is a free app and was recently made available for other smart phones (not just iPhones)! Get in on the fun!

Photo Friday: Bougainvillea for my Grandma

Bougainvillea flowers will always hold a special place in my heart, as they remind me of my grandmother and all the carefree California Summers that I spent with her while growing up. So during our visit with my grandparents this past week, when I happened to glance out the window to see the setting sun dipping down in the sky and illuminating a wall enrobed in vibrant blooms, I had to grab my camera for a bit of photo therapy and rushed out to capture a few shots.

But I want to share something more with you friends (it's kind of hard to talk about). While beautiful, these photos also hold a lot of sadness for me...because it was just earlier that afternoon that I learned my grandmother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. We've seen the signs for quite some time, but this rather final diagnosis and witnessing first-hand the way she now struggles to recall simple things...and even some of my sibling's names, is heartbreaking. I honestly don't think I've processed it completely yet. I guess right now, all I really know for certain is that no matter what direction time will take my grandmother in, she has always been the kindest and most nurturing person I've ever known...the one person who has always believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself, and a part of my heart that I keep with me always. I know there will be sad times ahead, but for now I want to surround myself in a cloud of bougainvillea-pink memories, and smile because of all the years we've been able to share so far. xo Ez