Chewy Almond Macaroons #CreativeCookieExchange

Chewy almond macaroons are super simple to make, delicious to eat, and beautiful on a platter for your tea party, brunch or shower. Made with whipped egg whites, they are simultaneously fluffy and chewy.

If you ever make a custard dessert, like banana cream pie, that calls for only egg yolks, make sure to save the egg whites in an airtight container in your refrigerator. They are perfect for these macaroons!

This recipe is easy since, aside from whipping the eggs, the whole thing mixes in the food processor. I had them made, start to finish in under half an hour. Seriously. They are chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside and even a non-sweet lover like me couldn’t stop at just one. There is no higher accolade.

Ingredients
4 egg whites
8 oz or 225g ground almonds
10 oz or 280g sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
About 24-30 roasted, unsalted almonds

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line your cookie sheet with a piece of parchment. I usually put a small shot of cooking spray between the parchment and the cookie sheet to help the parchment stop sliding around as you move the tray from counter top to oven. Learned that little trick the hard way. It wasn’t pretty.

Beat your egg whites with a whisk until they are nice and frothy.

Put your ground almonds in the food processor and add in one quarter of the egg whites. Eyeball it. No need to measure. Process it for a count of 10-ish.

Now add half of your sugar. Process again until thoroughly mixed. Scrape the sides down if necessary.

Add another quarter of the egg whites. Process again.

Now add the rest of the sugar. Process again.

The original recipe I was almost following said you should be able to form balls out of the dough so you should add just enough of the remaining egg white to get ball-making consistency. But, I’m telling you, this stuff was sticky and I could see that making balls would be an enormous mess.

So, I added enough egg whites to make the dough the consistency of a very thick butter cream icing, that is to say, one that would hold its shape but could still be put in a piping bag to be squeezed out of a large cake decorating tip. (I suppose you could also drop spoonfuls on to your cookie tray. They wouldn't be as pretty but they sure would taste the same.)

If you think that piping sounds like a good idea, add another 1/4 of the egg whites. Process again.

Add in the baking powder and pinch of salt. Process again.

Only you can judge so if you need to add the last quarter of the egg whites. I threw it away.
On your parchment covered cookie sheet, just squeeze out a circle of dough and then fill it in, finishing with a nice point in the middle.

Top each macaroon with a roasted almond.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden on the bottoms and around the top. You do not want them to dry out. The smell of baking almonds is heavenly.

Cool on a wire rack, although I defy anyone not to eat one warm. Can’t be done.

Chewy, moist, delicious. No kidding.

Enjoy!

My kitchen helper. That's his intent look, following the macaroon from my plate to my mouth.

And no, I did not give him one. He got a puppy treat instead.

This month my Creative Cookie Exchange group is making meringues, or indeed any cookie that calls for whipped egg whites! Many thanks to Felice from All That's Left Are The Crumbs for handling the behind-the-scenes work this month. Check out all the lovely meringue-ish cookies we've baked for you! Yeah, okay, so mine are the only ones not named Meringue. I'm okay with that.

• Chewy Almond Macaroons by Food Lust People Love
• Cocoa Meringues by Flours and Frosting
• Creamsicle Meringue Melting Moments by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Espresso Meringue Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Fudgy Meringue Cookies by Oven Delights
• Sunny Side Up Meringues by Cream and Butter Blog

Creative Cookie Exchange is hosted by Laura of The Spiced Life. We get together once a month to bake cookies with a common theme or ingredient so Creative Cookie Exchange is a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts at The Spiced Life. We post the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

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Baked Chili Maple Bacon

Kick your brunch bacon up a notch by brushing it with chili-spiked maple syrup. This baked chili maple bacon is cooked in the oven, for crunchy bacon without the splattering grease.

I am a huge fan of bacon for breakfast or brunch, especially when it is combined with sweet and spicy elements like chili peppers and maple syrup.  Today my Sunday Supper group is sharing brunch recipes that can be made ahead of time. I suggest you bookmark this post for Mother's Day.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g thick cut smoked streaky bacon
1 small hot red chili, stem removed
1/8 cup or 30ml maple syrup

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Place your bacon strips single file on wire cooling racks set in two baking pans.

Use a mortar and pestle to grind the chili pepper, even the seeds if you like things spicy, into a fine paste. Add in the maple syrup and stir well to combine.

Bake the bacon for 20 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom shelves in the oven midway through.

Remove from the oven and brush with the chili maple syrup. Return to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and turn the slices of bacon over. Brush with the rest of the chili maple syrup. Return the bacon to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bacon is done to your liking.

Enjoy warm or to save it for the next day, wrap the baked chili maple bacon in foil and store in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven the next morning, still wrapped in the foil, or remove the foil to warm in the microwave.

Many thanks to our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections and our host, Cindy of Cindy's Recipes and Writings. Check out these great links from our Sunday Supper tastemakers.

Make Ahead Sunday Supper Brunch Recipes

Breakfast Pastries

• Apple and Bacon Cornmeal Scones by Caroline’s Cooking
• Lemon Crumb Cake by Life Tastes Good
• Nana’s New York Crumb Cake by The Crumby Cupcake
• Overnight Nutty Coffee Cake by Family Around The Table

Eggs

• Asparagus Quiche in Hash Brown Crust by Wimpy Vegetarian 
• Baked Deviled Eggs with Toast Points by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Ham and Cheese Empanadas by Asian In America
• Make Ahead Baked Monte Cristo Cassarole by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Overnight Breakfast Casserole by Soulfully Made
• Sorrel, Chive & Duck Egg Frittata by Wholistic Woman
• Sous Vide Egg Bites by Cricket’s Confections

Sides and Veggies

• Asparagus Tart with Goat Cheese and Spring Greens by Monica’s Table
• Baked Chili Maple Bacon by Food Lust People Love
• Blackberry Orange Oatmeal Bowls by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette by Helpful Homemade
• Vegetable Lasagna by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Sweets

• Carrot Cake Pancakes by Brunch-n-Bites
• Citrus Crepes with White Chocolate Drizzle by Gourmet Everyday
• Flourless Chocolate Torte by Pies and Plots
• No Bake Peanut Butter Pie by The Freshman Cook
• Raspberry Mascarpone French Toast Casserole by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Il Pane di Matera #BreadBakers

A wonderful crusty loaf made in the tradition of Matera bread, or il pane di Matera, from milled durum wheat and a sourdough starter.

Let me start off with a disclaimer. This loaf cannot officially be called il pane di Matera. Yeah, yeah, I know that’s what the title says. Hear me out. Pane de Matera is special, with specific requirements, including not just milled durum wheat (which I have used) but from 100% Lucanian milled semolina grain known as "Senatore Cappelli," which I have not. The water is also supposed come from a local source in the Matera area of Italy. Finally, it should begin with a piece of dough from the previous day’s loaf, with yeast made from a fresh fruit starter. I used a sourdough starter.

Such is the tradition and history behind this loaf that it was given the European Union Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) which means, just like sparkling wine can’t be called Champagne unless it is produced in the Champagne region of France or random ham cannot be called Ibérico unless it comes from Black Iberian Pigs raised in the Iberian Peninsula region of Spain and Portugal, it must be produced the right way in the right place to be called Il Pane di Matera.

So while I’ve made a valiant attempt at producing my own version of il pane di Matera, and it’s a fabulous crusty loaf, it doesn’t officially qualify for the name. That said, you should make this guy. With all due respect to Italy, it reminds me of my favorite baguette tradition in France and that says a lot.

With the substandard help of Google Translate, I made my bread from this recipe in Italian. That was part of the fun!

Watch this video to see how to shape the dough.

Ingredients
150ml or 160g sourdough starter or 20g brewer’s yeast
3 3/4 cups or 600g Italian semolina durum wheat flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
warm water

Method
Mix your sourdough starter or brewer’s yeast with 6 3/4 oz or 200ml warm water and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour and 1 1/4 cups or 300ml warm water and mix for a few minutes. Mine was too crumbly for the bread hook so I just kept mixing with the K cake beater.

Add in the yeast mixture and beat/knead for five minutes. At this point, I did change to the bread hook.

Add in the salt and knead another few minutes.

Put the dough in a bowl dusted with flour and cover it with cling film. Poke holes the film with a toothpick.

Leave to rise for two hours in a warm place.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface and put it back in the bowl, covered again for another two hours.

After those two hours are up, you can knead the dough, shape and bake. But at this point I strayed from the recipe I was working with and turned to another source I found online which said that traditionally the dough was left to rise overnight, then it was brought to the communal ovens in the morning to bake. So, after kneading again, I popped the dough in its covered bowl into the refrigerator. If you’d rather skip this step, preheat your oven to 220°F or 104°C, with a pizza stone on a middle shelf, if you have one, and proceed down one more paragraph.

The next morning, I removed the dough from the cold and left it to warm up again.

When it was no longer chilled, I preheated my to 220°F or 104°C with my pizza stone on a middle shelf.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and knead it. (As you can tell from the photos, mine was still quite slack compared to the dough in the video.

Form the dough into a ball, press a crease in it, and then fold the ball in half.

Flour a baking sheet and transfer the dough to it. Use a sharp knife to slice three cuts into the dough. (See YouTube link above for a visual on this.) According to a source online that may or may not be Wikipedia in Italian (I forget but I read it somewhere and made a note), the three cuts represent the Holy Trinity.

Place the baking sheet on the pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes. Raise the temperature of your oven to 350°F or 180°C and bake for more about 40-45 minutes more, or until the loaf is golden and it sounds hollow when tapped. About midway through, I also slid the loaf off of the baking pan and straight onto the pizza stone.

There were plenty of holes, but I was expecting the rest of the crumb to be more open. Next time, I'm going to let the dough rise just a bit after shaping and before putting it into the hot oven but overall I was extremely pleased, especially with the crusty outside and the enormous flavor.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

This month my Bread Bakers group are baking Italian breads and we have a fabulous line up for you. I can’t wait to travel all over Italy, loaf by loaf. Many thanks to our host, Anshie of Spice Roots for all of her hard work and this great theme.

• Casatiello by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Ciabatta Sandwich Rolls by Herbivore Cucina
• Classic Italian Bread by Hostess At Heart
• Cornetti by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Einkorn Parmesan Piadina by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Fingermillet and Rosemary Focaccia by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Focaccia Caprese by Sneha's Recipe
• Grissini by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Gubana - An Italian Sweet Bread by The Schizo Chef
• Il Pane di Matera by Food Lust People Love
• Italian BLT Focaccia by A Salad For All Seasons
• Italian Easter Cheese Bread by A Baker's House
• Italian Easter Cheese Bread by Palatable Pastime
• Italian Herb and Garlic Focaccia by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Italian Stuffed Pane Bianco by Cook's Hideout
• Mini Panettone by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pane Bianco by Veena's Vegnation
• Pane di Genzano by Spiceroots
• Piadina by Passion Kneaded
• Pizza alla Siciliana by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Rosemary and Cabernet Salt Focaccia by What Smells So Good?

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

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

Pin this Pane di Matera!

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Grilled Baby Octopus

Grilled baby octopus is one of our favorite dishes, for a main meal or appetizer. The octopus is cooked until tender with garlic, hot chili peppers and red wine, then grilled to add smoky flavor and crunch. Believe it or not, even children love this dish!

Years ago when we lived in Brazil, our house was just a block from the beach. Living so close to the coast meant fresh seafood at reasonable prices, even during a time of hyperinflation. We fell in love with octopus there and have looked for it and cooked it everywhere we’ve lived, ever since. This same recipe can be made with larger octopuses. Just extend the cooking time until they are tender and cut them into manageable pieces for grilling.

Ingredients
1 lb 10 oz or 750g baby octopus, ink sacs and beaks removed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 red chili peppers, stems removed
1/2 cup or 120ml hearty dry red wine
A few generous grinds from a black pepper mill

Method
Cook the octopus in a covered saucepan or pot over a medium heat with the garlic, peppers and wine for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The liquid will come out of the octopus and the whole thing will look very soupy.

After the 15-20 minutes are over, take the lid off and continue to cook until the liquid reduces by at least half. Perhaps another 15-20 minutes. The octopus should be fork tender now.

Put the baby octopus on a hot grill just off to the side of the charcoal. Put the lid on because these are going to sputter and spit.

Remove lid every couple of minutes and shift the octopus around. Remove when charred your satisfaction. Ours took about 10 minutes.

Depending on the size of your octopus you might want to chop them up into bite-sized pieces but if they are really tiny, you can serve them whole.

Serve with plenty of fresh lime juice squeezed on and a good sprinkling of flakey sea salt.

Enjoy!

This week our Sunday Supper group is sharing our favorite seafood recipes. Many thanks to Em, our event manager and our host, Claire from Sprinkles and Sprouts.

Love seafood? Check out these Sunday Supper Recipes:

Appetizers

• Chili-Lime Scallops by Girl Abroad
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp by Simple and Savory
• Coconut Mahi Kale Salad with Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette by Gourmet Everyday
• Crab Cake Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Salmon Sliders by Sunday Supper Movement
• Grilled Baby Octopus by Food Lust People Love
• Manhattan Clam Chowder by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Mediterranean Shrimp Bruschetta by The Weekend Gourmet
• Salmon Tartare by Caroline’s Cooking
• Smoked Salmon, Orange and Avocado Salad by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Ten-Minute Sweet and Spicy Shrimp by Jersey Girl Cooks

Main Dishes

• Cioppino by Monica’s Table
• Easy Tilapia Pomodoro Dinner by My Life Cookbook
• Frutti Di Mare by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemony Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packets by Our Good Life
• New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp by Flour On My Face
• No Fail Beer Battered Fish by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• One Pan Mustard Crusted Halibut and Vegetables by Pies and Plots
• Pecan Crusted Cod by From the Bookshelf
• Salmon Honey-Lemon Teriyaki by Asian In America
• Saucy Cod Fillets Florentine by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Scallops with Orange Butter Sauce by My savory spoon
• Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo by The Freshman Cook
• Seafood Laksa by Brunch-n-Bites
• Sheet Pan Salmon by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Shrimp Salad Sandwich by Soulfully Made
• Shrimp Scampi Pasta by Crazed Mom
• Soft Shell Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Sweet and Sour Salmon by Cricket’s Confections
• Teriyaki Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa by Wholistic Woman

Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad

A beautiful, colorful, delicious salad made with mostly cupboard ingredients plus tomatoes, mozzarella and purple onions. Great for barbecues, buffets and potlucks. It's even better the next day!

I know that is a strange name but I honestly couldn’t think of a better one.  This gorgeous salad is made mostly with ingredients from your kitchen cupboards, with the exception of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and a little onion. And perhaps a bit of chopped basil. But look at the colors!

It’s great for a buffet table or to bring to a potluck because this salad just gets better after it sits a while.  So forgiving, beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/4 large purple onion

• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice or vinegar
• 10.5 oz or 300g red grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Cherubs.)
• 10.5 oz or 300g yellow grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Sunbursts.)
• 1 jar (12 oz or 240g) marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 can (drained weight 6 oz or 170g) pitted black olives
• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 8 oz or 226g fresh ciliegine or cherry size mozzarella balls
• 1 can (14 oz or 400g – 7.5 oz or 212g drained) hearts of palm
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• A few leaves of fresh basil (optional)

Method
Slice your onion very thinly and add to a salad bowl that will be big enough for all of your ingredients.   Pour in the juice or vinegar and set aside for a few minutes.

Open the jar of marinated artichokes and add them to the onion, with all of their marinade, along with the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Drain the cans of olives and chickpeas, rinsing the chickpeas if necessary, and add them to the salad bowl.

Drain the can of palm hearts and cut into pieces about the size of your tomatoes.

Add them into the bowl.

Toss and then sprinkle the whole bowl with sea salt.  Add black pepper to taste.

If you are adding basil, stack the leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly.  Add to the salad and toss again.  (This salad did actually have basil but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph that step.)

Bring to your sister’s house for a barbecue or wherever you have been fortunate enough to be invited.

Enjoy!

My mom took this one showing a little of the basil.  Thanks, Mom! 

If you are looking for more dishes using fresh tomatoes, you are going to love this week's Sunday Supper. Check out the link list below to see what our talented tastemakers are sharing. Many thanks to our host, Rini from Healing Tomato, and our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections.

Sunday Supper Recipes Using Fresh Tomatoes

Chicken Recipes

• Caprese Chicken with Bacon by Family Around The Table
• Cheesy Caprese Pesto Chicken and Quinoa Casserole by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Easy Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes by Life Tastes Good
• Grilled Chicken and Pasta with Grated Tomato Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Main Courses

• Bronzed Tomato Spinach Cheddar Panini by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Ground Beef Curry by Wholistic Woman
• Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry by Sunday Supper Movement
• One Pan Pork Chop Dinner with Tomatoes by Simple and Savory
• Tuna and Tomato Bento by Ninja Baker

Pizza, Pies, and Pastas

• Angel Hair Pomodoro by Healing Tomato
• Heirloom Tomato Tart by Authentically Candace
• Pressure Canned Homegrown Tomato Sauce by What Smells So Good?
• Savory Tomato Pie with Pre-Made Crust by The Foodie Affair
• Three Cheese Tomato Basil Pie by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Tomato and Caramelized Onions Galette by Brunch-n-Bites
• Tuscan Pasta with White Beans and Tomatoes by A Mind “Full” Mom

Side Dishes

• Bacon Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms by Crazed Mom
• Bloody Mary Mix by Our Good Life
• Bruschetta di Pomodoro by The Freshman Cook
• Caprese Garlic Bread with Arugula Pesto by The Crumby Cupcake
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes by Caroline’s Cooking
• Tomato Cauliflower Rice by Family Foodie
• Tomato Tulips for a Veggie Platter by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Snacks

• Cheesy Thumbprint Cookies with Green Tomato Strawberry Jalapeno Jam by Soulfully Made
• How to Make Homemade Salsa by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• IPA (India Pale Ale) Green Tomato Pickles by Gourmet Everyday
• Italian Nachos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Cottage Cheese by Cricket’s Confections
• Tomatoes Stuffed with Apple-Walnut Salad Filling by Asian In America
• Tropical Fruit Salsa by Pies and Plots

Soups and Salads

• 10 Minute Greek Inspired Couscous Salad by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Burrata Caprese Salad with Balsamic Pearls by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cherry Tomato and Preserved Lemon Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Tomato and Couscous Salad by Basic N Delicious
• Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad by Palatable Pastime
• Rustic Dill Tomato Soup by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
• Summer Tomato and Bread Soup by Monica’s Table
• Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Pimento Grilled Cheese by Bottom Left of the Mitten