Enjoy the Lighter side of Life with New TOTAL 0% Greek Yoghurt Split Pots

When I got a mail from the TOTAL Greek Yoghurt asking if I’d be interested in reviewing their new split pots, I was already dreaming of a fridge full of gorgeous split pots like last time. My mailman promptly arrived on Saturday at 8 A.M with a coolbox full of these babies in different flavours and a small handwritten note (I love such little gestures). I quickly opened the one labelled tropical fruits and devoured a breakfast of home-made granola sundae. I did try and absolutely fell in love with their Total Greek Yoghurt range. I made these yummy lollies and ice-creams using the yoghurt they sent me last time. It was easier with these split pots simply because all that I had to do was open the foil lid and dig into the creamy yoghurt along with the fruit compote. Indulgent low cal fat free snack when you feel peckish, perfect for breakfast, lunch or for those in-between times.

TOTAL 0% combine natural fat free Greek Yoghurt with a side portion of honey or delicious compote, the perfect combination for a sweet snack, breakfast or dessert. Available in four delicious flavours: honey, strawberry, blueberry and tropical fruits, perfect fat-free indulgence, with no artificial sweeteners and no compromise on taste. Higher in protein than any other yoghurt, these little pots of convenience have less than 130cal per pot apart from TOTAL 0% with honey which has 167cal.

Total 0% split pots in Honey, Blueberry, Strawberry & Tropical Fruits are now available in most Waitrose stores or can be ordered from Ocado for delivery from end of March.

Verdict: Personally I liked the strawberry with the thick Greek Yoghurt and found the honey too sweet for my taste. Honey hardened a bit sitting in the fridge making it a little difficult to eat. My friends loved the tropical fruits one. These are really fab pots of pleasure with 0% fat.

Limoncello Panna Cotta with Saffron-Lemon Curd & Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
I wanted to make something light and refreshing. I made some macarons and had loads of lemoncurd left from here and so ended up making Limoncello pannacotta layered with saffron-lemoncurd. I was not a big fan of florentine cookies but did love the crunch from my lemon saffron macarons. The pannacotta was perfect with the tangy lemoncurd.

 

Florentine Cookies (adapted from here)

Ingredients
3/4 cup of Sugar
1/4 cup of Honey
4 tablespoons of Butter
1/4 cup of Cream
1/3 cup of sifted plain flour
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/2 cup Oats
pinch of Fleur de Sel
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Put sugar, honey, butter & cream into a heavy saucepan over a low heat and stir until butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring from time to time. The mixture should thicken and darken slightly. Stir in the seeds, flour and the fleur de sel. Place half-tablespoon-sized dollops of the mixture on baking trays lined with a slipat or non stick parchment paper. Be sure to leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Bake for about 8 minutes until the florentines are evenly dark and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray to cool and harden. Once cool, keep in an airtight container.
Lemon-Saffron Curd 

See recipe from my Lemon cupcakes with Saffron Lemon Curd Buttercream 
Limoncello Panna Cotta
Ingredients
120ml water
12grms powdered gelatin (I have used vegetarian gelatine)
250ml double cream
50grms vanilla sugar
pinch salt
2tbsp limoncello
125ml milk
Method:
Soak the gelatin in enough water. Heat the cream  & milk with the sugar until it just boils, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar dissolves completely. Off heat, stir in the gelatin until it is completely melted. Add limencello and cool to room temperature.
Lemon-Saffron Macarons
Ingredients
1 aged egg white from XL eggs (47gms)
1 tsp egg white powder
27 gms caster sugar
80 gms powdered sugar
60gms ground almonds
pinch saffron
1/2 tsp lemon zest
pinch yellow colour
Method: 
Pulse the almonds,icing sugar,zest, saffron, food colour in a processor and sieve twice. Set aside. Whip the egg white along with whites powder until foamy and gradually add the caster sugar. Whip until you have peaks and get a hair mousse consistency. Fold the dry ingredients in two goes until you have a mixture that falls in ribbons when the spatula is lifted. Fill a pastry bag with the mixture and pipe circles onto a silpat. Allow to form a skin for about 45-60min. Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 145C. Bake the macarons for 12-15 min depending on the size. Cool on a wire rack and sandwich equal halves with a filling of your choice.
Assembly
Spoon a layer of saffron-lemoncurd onto the serving glasses and freeze for a bit. Pour the prepared pannacotta upto 1/2 the glass and chill till the panna cotta sets. Spoon another layer of saffron-lemoncurd and chill. Top with remaining panna cotta and leave to set in the fridge for 6-8hrs or overnight. Serve with saffron-lemon macarons and florentine cookies.

MACS ARE IN THE AIR

I ♥ you because of your simplicity.

I ♥ you because you are temperamental.

I ♥ your gorgeous deliciousness. 

I ♥ your perfection. 

I ♥ you even if you have failed me many a times. 

I ♥ you because you inspire me. 

I ♥ you more everyday. 

I ♥the pitter patter of your tiny feet...

Hang on! Before you jump to any naughty conclusions I was actually talking about my ♥ for macarons... my new found love.

For February’s Mac Attack Jamie and Deeba have asked MacSweethearts to create something for Valentine’s Day. 

Valentines Day is the Dday celebrating love and affection. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by gifting flowers, chocolates or exchanging cards. There is just no choice, no escaping it! Every little shop in town is filled with deep red roses,the colour of love and innumerable confectioneries, fancy greeting cards and gifts.

I chose strawberry, rose and chocolate the eternal combination to express love in my macarons. I find the Italian Meringue method the best to make macarons and will stick to them. The shells have a pale pink from the (have not used any colour) powdered strawberries. I have filled them with a rose-strawberry buttercream and also have a secret  dark chocolate centre to convey the bittersweet and secretive nature of mine ;-). Even 'S', a macaron fiend, loved them. I let my wildly romantic side take over and made them heart shaped (although they seem to have lost their shape while baking) and also painted hearts using melted chocolate. Nothing says I Love You like a sweet little something, the size of a kiss, the flavor of your wildest desire, the macaron. This is for you 'S' to say in my own special way how much I ♥ you!

For the Strawberry Rose Macarons
Ingredients
27g egg whites
75g caster sugar
20g water
1tsp rose water
75g ground almonds
75g powdered sugar
1tsp strawberry powder
27g egg whites
Method:
Pulse the almonds,strawberry powder and icing sugar in a processor until fine. Sieve twice. Mix one part of the egg whites to this. Meanwhile whisk whites till frothy. Bring the sugar and water to boil and let it reach 115-118 C in a candy thermometer. Add this to the whites and whisking all the while on high as you pour till it form glossy peaks. Add the rose water. Mix a part of the whites to the almond mixture gently folding it. Mix in the remaining whites till you get a smooth mixture that forms ribbons when lifted. Do not over-mix as the mixture will turn liquidy and difficult to pipe. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe onto a baking sheet with silpat/ non-stick sheet. Leave it to form a skin for 30 minutes. When you touch them they should not stick to your hand at this point, if they do leave them for some more time. Preheat oven to 140C and bake these babies for 12-15 min depending on size. They should come off the sheet once cooked. Transfer to wire rack and cool. Pipe desired filling and sandwich the macarons.
For the Filling
Strawberry Rose Buttercream and Chocolate centre
I have used the recipe from here and have added powdered strawberries and few drops of rose water instead of lemoncurd.
50g of dark chocolate melted
Assembly
Once the macarons are cool fill a pastry bag with the buttercream and pipe small starts using a small nozzle all over the sides and fill melted chocolate in the centre. Top with another matching macaron.

Lemon Cupcakes with Saffron-Lemon-Curd Buttercream

Things have been so mad lately that I seem to have forgotten the very existence of my baby...my blog. Not that I haven't baked..I did make gorgeous Macs for the Mactweets, but have still not got around to photograph them. Blame the poor light in my part of the world! Ughhhhh. Although I do love cozy winters, I am ready for spring now though I sure will miss the time spent near warm fire with steaming bowls of soup, fresh home-made bread, catching up with movies/tv shows, not to forget ultimate nirvana with my new found electric blanket....staying cozy as I watch 'S' leave early to work. Evil you think? Nah...

Ever since I bought these gorgeous Turkish Lemons from the market, all I could think of was Lemonades, Macs and Lemoncurd. So to welcome spring I made these Lemon cupcakes with home-made Saffron-Lemon curd Buttercream. Saffron gives the lemon curd a gorgeous colour and flavour. And the icing is to die for, I couldn't stop licking it off the bowl. The cake was more of everything but the kitchen sink cake. I had some leftover buttermilk, sourcream, mascarpone so chucked it all in a bowl along with some fresh lemon juice,zest,butter, eggs and a dash of limoncello. I will write the recipe once I remember what I added in what quantities. Happy Valentine's Day!

Lemon cupcakes with home-made Saffron-Lemon curd Buttercream

Lemon-Curd (adapted from Helen)

Ingredients

125 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
100grms sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs+1 yolk
30grms butter
pinch saffron threads
Method:
Combine the juice, zest, saffron and sugar in a saucepan on low heat, Bring the mixture to a simmer making sure the sugar is dissolved. Whisk the eggs for a minute and once the lemon mixture is hot, slowly pour it over the eggs whisking like mad to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Pour everything back into the pan and cook on low heat stirring continuously until thick and coats the back of a spoon. Take it off heat and stir in the butter until it is fully melted. Let cool and transfer to sterilized jars.
For the Lemoncurd (Swiss)Buttercream(adapted from Helen)
Ingredients
200grms sugar
120grms egg whites
180grms unsalted butter
Homemade Saffron Lemon-Curd
Method:

Heat sugar and egg whites over bain marie whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves. Whisk the mixture on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick shiny meringue (10 minutes). Slowly add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Beat the buttercream until smooth and shiny. If using buttercream immediately, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature,if not transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and beat on the lowest speed until smooth. Add upto 1/4 cup or more of the lemoncurd and whisk. You could adjust this depending on how strong you want your icing. Ice the cakes liberally with the buttercream.

My MacInspirational Brown Sugar Cake - Balsamic Roasted Fig Macarons

I was so inspired to make something more for this months Mactweets Challenge, after finding firm 'feet' with my Green Tea Macarons. I had to try some new flavour so I roasted some fresh figs (that I bought for 4 quid) with some good balsamic vinegar, pulsed them with the almonds,Icing sugar and Voila..it worked like magic. I then sandwiched the cakes with a luscious mascarone frosting & roasted figs. It was so lovely with a drizzle of balsamic-honey reduction I made.

The MacQueens asked us to combine or integrate macarons into any dessert, making it a new part of an old favorite, or turn them into a favourite dessert; inspired in flavor, texture, colour.

I have to share this beautiful sunset scene that I captured the other day making these Raspberry Macs (pictured above). How can one not find inspiration in such beautiful surroundings? I have to try making macs in each of those colours!! At least I got the pink right.

Brown Sugar Cake - Balsamic Roasted Fig Macarons
For the Brown Sugar Cake (makes two 8" cake)
Ingredients
175g self raising flour
175g unsalted butter
175g muscaovado sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp baking powder
3 eggs
2tbsp sour cream
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 8" pans. Sift all the dry ingredients twice. Beat the butter and sugar till light. Add eggs one by one and beat well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream & vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in two additions. Pour into the prepared tins and bake for about 25-35 min or until skewer inserted to the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
For the Roasted Balsamic Fig Macarons
Ingredients 1 cup fresh figs sliced
1 heaped tbsp good balsamic vinegar
Method:
Preheat oven to 125C. Place the figs on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Oven dry it for about 45-60min. Reserve about 1/2 cup.
For the Macarons
Ingredients 1 aged egg white (aged for 2-5days)
10g caster sugar
65g powdered sugar
35g ground almonds
1/4 cup of roasted figs
1/2 tsp egg whites powder

pinch cream of tartar
1/4 tsp Organic beetroot powder for colour
Method:

Preheat oven to 160C.
Line a baking sheet with silpat. Pulse the powdered sugar with the almond powder, colour and roasted figs in a processor. Sift them twice.
Beat the egg whites until foamy and add the granulated sugar, whites powder, cream of tartar. Beat until very stiff and firm. Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding. The mixture should be thick and fall in ribbons when lifted. Fill a piping bag with this and pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1″ circles evenly spaced apart. Tap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then rest to form a skin for about an hour. Bake them for 12-15 minutes depending on size. Once done, transfer them to a cooling rack.

For the Mascarone icing
Ingredients 1 tub of mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
Method:
Whisk the mascarpone, icing sugar and cream till you get soft peaks. Chill if not using immediately.
Assembly:

Place one layer of the brown sugar cake and spread a generous portion of the icing. Lay some roasted figs on top and sandwich with the other layer of cake. Cover the cake completely with the mascarpone icing, using an offset spatula.
Decorate with the fig macarons as desired.
Note
You could just make the macarons, use just half the icing. Pipe the icing onto the shells, place some roasted figs and sandwich them.

Head over to Mactweets and see what everyone else has been up to this month!