What are you Baking the Week of December 27, 2020?

[Mike Nolan]

Pronouncing it mac-a-rawn (rhymes with fawn as opposed to rhyming with moon) seems to be a fairly recent French influence, last 20 years or so. Among older bakers, the word 'macaron' and 'macaroon' are used somewhat interchangeably for both types of baked treats and both rhyme with moon. (I love them both, but since my wife can't stand coconut I seldom buy the coconut ones and I've never made them.)

[chocomouse]

cwcdesign, here's hoping your next 6 weeks fly by!! You can read through your entire collection of recipes and make plans for what to make first when you're healed.

[RiversideLen]

I'm wishing you a speedy recovery, cwcdesign.

[navlys]

I think I already mentioned this but I took a macaron class at the local cooking school. To make them it required almond flour, a sifter, precise mixing, knowing when they were ready to bake and finally knowing when they were done. The filling and how to fill them was another issue. When I see the contestants on the GBBO whip them up in up in no time it amazes me. As an aside the ones I took home were not appreciated by our guests.

[skeptic7]

I did cranberry walnut scones with fresh cranberries, after telling myself never again a couple of years ago. The problems come in cutting up the fresh cranberries by hand and adding a little 1/4 cup more sugar to make up for the tartness of the cranberries. I really like the walnuts here, I've stayed away from nuts in bread just in case someone is allergic. I was going to eat this all myself but ended up giving half away. This was on New Year's day.
I also did KAF apple challah, except with all whole wheat and no sugar or honey. I like to make this for New Year's and its been sort of a tradition. I started it on New Year's day but ran out of time, so I put it in the refrigerator overnight. I shaped it on Saturday and baked it in the late afternoon. I gave the whole thing away and the recipient said that it came out well with no problems in the textue when cut. I was afraid that it would fall apart.
I had a big hunk of white challah in exchange which was superb -- light and rich and tasty. I wolfed down half of it with clam chowder as soon as I got home.

[Mike Nolan]

Macarons are one of those things you either get or don't get.

I made some chocolate macarons for a dessert pot luck a few years ago (back when people were still doing pot lucks), and almost nobody even tried them. I think I took 24, I brought back 20 and I know I ate at least one at the pot luck.

This was before anybody local was selling them (at $2.00 or more each).

[cwcdesign]

thanks for all your kind words - I will be having surgery either Thursday, if the swelling has gone down or next Wednesday if it hasn't. got in to see the doc after I pointed out that the ER doc wanted me seen within 4 days not a week and I might need surgery - I was seen at 11, then went to hospital for pre op.

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