step 6, you’ll need the lemon icing. In a bowl, stir together the lemon juice and icing sugar. Divide the mixture into two parts and add the blue food coloring to one part, using a drop at a time until it’s the color you want.
Spots
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
In a small bowl, stir together the vanilla extract and cocoa for step 7.
These chocolate-filled eggs make perfect Easter gifts. Save an empty egg carton and cover the label with fancy paper. Place a cookie egg in each dimple and tie a ribbon around the carton. Pick a small twig of pussy willows and attach it to the outside along with an Easter card.
1. Copy the egg pattern on page 198 onto a sheet of regular paper. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top. 2. Roll out little balls (around 2 tsp) of the almond dough. Narrow them at one end so the balls form an egg shape in accordance with the template. Flatten the balls onto the parchment paper so they cover the whole template. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. 3. Bake the cookies as instructed on page 25. 4. Find pairs of cookies that fit together. 5. Pipe out some chocolate onto one of the cookie bottoms and place the other cookie on top. Don’t pipe the chocolate all the way to the edge. When you put on the lid, the chocolate will inevitably be squeezed a little further out. Repeat with the remaining cookies. 6. Dip one side of each cookie in the lemon icing. Shake it well before you turn it over and set it down to dry for half an hour. Use the white icing for half the cookies and blue for the other half. 7. Dip a clean toothbrush in the cocoa mixture. Drag your finger over the brush to spray spots onto the cookies. You can also use any other small brush with stiff bristles. 8. Let the icing harden completely before you put the cookies in an airtight container.
CARDAMOM MACARONS WITH BLUEBERRIES AND CREAM CHEESE
makes 10 large macarons
The bright color of the blue anemone, common in Norway in the spring, is a lovely sight on the otherwise brown forest floor. The petals are usually royal blue or purple, in stark contrast to the chalk-white pistils. Using a potato, you can easily print these pretty blue anemones onto macarons.
Cardamom macarons
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp (85 g) almond flour
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp (110 g) icing sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 medium egg whites (70 g)
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp (35 g) granulated sugar
Sift the almond flour into a bowl and stir in the icing sugar and cardamom. Sift again into another bowl.
In a separate bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the egg white at medium speed until foamy. Add the salt. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat at medium speed. When the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick meringue, add the almond flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to beat it into the meringue. When the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a piping bag.
Pipe out the macarons onto a macaron baking mat or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, forming 2¼-inch (6 cm) circles (use the template on page 198). Tap the baking sheet with the macarons once against the counter so any big air bubbles rise to the surface and burst. Let the macarons dry for about 40 minutes on the counter.
Preheat the oven to 250ºF (125ºC) on the convection setting, or 275ºF (135ºC) on the regular setting. Bake the macarons for 15 minutes in the middle of the oven (if you’re using a regular oven they may take a few minutes longer). Remove and cool. For more detailed instructions, see page 190.
Decoration
1 potato
purple or blue liquid gel food coloring
water
icing sugar
While the macarons are drying and baking, you can get ready to decorate. Follow the instructions on page 31.
Filling
⅓ cup (75 g) plain cream cheese
1½ cups (175 g) icing sugar
zest of 1 lemon
½ Tbsp lemon juice
1¼ cups (170 g) blueberries
In a bowl, stir together the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest, and juice. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe the filling onto half of the macaron shells. Place a circle of blueberries around the edge of each macaron before you top with the lid. Keep the macarons in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
1. Copy the blue anemone patterns on page 198 onto a sheet of paper. 2. Cut out the flowers. 3. Halve a potato. With a sewing pin, fasten a paper flower to each half. 4. Use a sharp knife to cut away the potato around the flower. 5. Remove the paper and pins. 6. Mix a few drops of food coloring with some water. Paint the color onto the potato flower with a brush. 7. Gently press the potato against the macaron shell. Make as many flowers as you like on each shell. If you press the potato several times without adding more color, you’ll get varying shades of blue in the flowers. 8. Dip a brush in a little icing sugar and tap it gently in the middle of each flower to make pistils.
APRICOT COCONUT CHOCOLATE CAKE
makes one large baking pan
Covered in green coconut grass and white anemones made from puffed rice, this cake will remind your guests of spring. The apricot filling makes the cake extra moist.
Puffed rice white anemones
1 egg white
1 tsp lemon juice
approximately 1⅔ cups (200 g) icing sugar
green
