Macarons at Midnight
Page 15
I smiled up at him, barely able to breathe. “A kiss?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said.
His lips met mine, soft and lingering. As I fell under their spell, I remembered my dream of Madame Leroux, and I wondered if somewhere, somehow, she was smiling right now. The Frog Princess had finally found her prince, and without Swoonful of Sugar, it would never have happened.
I smiled, knowing exactly what I’d write in its review come Monday morning:
One thing about Swoonful of Sugar is certain. The macarons are as sweet as a crush, and as magical as a midnight, moonlit kiss.
In the mood for some macarons at midnight? Lise and Raj enjoyed these scrumptious treats, and now you can try making your own! Just remember to always use adult supervision when you’re using a stove top or oven, or when you’re handling hot foods. And, most importantly, enjoy these sweets with all the sweethearts in your life!
For the macarons:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup almond meal
2 egg whites (at room temperature)
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1 pastry bag with plain tip
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup vanilla buttercream frosting (can be found in local supermarket)
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with wax paper. In a blender or food processor, mix powdered sugar and almond meal until it becomes a fine powder. With a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until they begin to stiffen. Slowly add in the granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and forms little peaks (about 1–2 minutes). Add the vanilla extract until it is blended evenly. Slowly and gently fold the dry mixture into the whipped egg whites, stirring with a spatula until well-blended. Spoon the batter into the pastry bag. Squeeze the batter into 1-inch circles onto the baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. Tap the baking sheet on the counter until the circles flatten slightly on the sheet. Bake for approximately 15–18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. Spread a spoonful of vanilla buttercream filling gently onto the flat side of one of the wafers. Then sandwich two of the wafers together. Wait one day before serving to let the flavors blend together. Bon appetit!
For the macarons:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup almond meal
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 egg whites (at room temperature)
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1 pastry bag with plain tip
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with wax paper. In a blender or food processor, mix powdered sugar, almond meal, and cocoa until it becomes a fine powder. With a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until they begin to stiffen. Slowly add in the granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and forms little peaks (about 1–2 minutes). Slowly and gently fold the dry chocolate mixture into the whipped egg whites, stirring with a spatula until well-blended. Spoon the batter into the pastry bag. Squeeze the batter into 1-inch circles onto the baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. Tap the baking sheet on the counter until the circles flatten slightly on the sheet. Bake for approximately 15–18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. Make your ganache filling.
Once the ganache filling has cooled completely, spread it gently onto the flat side of one of the chocolate wafers. Then sandwich two of the wafers together. Wait one day before serving to let the flavors blend together. Bon appetit!
For the ganache filling:
½ cup heavy cream
4 oz. chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate
Put chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. Boil cream in a saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and mix until well-blended.
For the macarons:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup almond meal
2–3 drops red food coloring
2 egg whites (at room temperature)
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1 pastry bag with plain tip
½ cup seedless raspberry jam
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with wax paper. In a blender or food processor, mix powdered sugar and almond meal until it becomes a fine powder. With a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until they begin to stiffen. Slowly add in the granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and forms little peaks (about 1–2 minutes). Add the food coloring and stir until the red is blended evenly. Slowly and gently fold the dry mixture into the whipped egg whites, stirring with a spatula until well-blended. Spoon the batter into the pastry bag. Squeeze the batter into 1-inch circles onto the baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. Tap the baking sheet on the counter until the circles flatten slightly on the sheet. Bake for approximately 15–18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. Spread a spoonful of raspberry jam gently onto the flat side of one of the pink wafers. Then sandwich two of the wafers together. Wait one day before serving to let the flavors blend together. Bon appetit!
Alex held a cup out to me. “Here. Try some. You look like you could use it.”
“Thanks,” I said, waving the cup away, “but I don’t like hot chocolate.”
“Who ever heard of an elf that doesn’t like hot chocolate?” He laughed. “Isn’t that against the big guy’s rules?” There was a teasing glimmer in his eyes.
“It’s not my thing. Too sweet and syrupy. Ick.” I shook my head, grimacing.
His eyes widened. “Man, if you’ve got something against hot chocolate, you must be having one bad day.”
“Bad is an understatement.” We stepped back as Mom moved in with her camera to snap the photos of Tommy with Dad. I popped a piece of my favorite hard candy, Venom, into my mouth. The tart watermelon and spicy pepper flavors zinged over my taste buds, cheering me up a bit. Then, while Alex handed out the rest of the hot chocolates, I recounted every detail of my traumatic morning to him. It felt so good to unload all of my frustrations, even onto a stranger. “I’ve been bitten, stomped on, and yelled at,” I finished in summary, “and if I hear one more Christmas song, I’ll scream.” I sighed. “I hate the holiday season.”
Alex laughed. “You hate Christmas? I love this time of year!”
“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.” I motioned to his sweater.
“Hey, if you can’t wear an ugly sweater at Christmastime, when can you? Besides, it’s my work uniform. Abuelo has Frosty the Snowman on his.”
I couldn’t help grinning at that.
“So, what’s your problem with Christmas?” He leaned closer, whispering, “Wait, don’t tell me. Your grandpa got run over by a reindeer?”
I laughed. It was impossible not to. He was funny, I had to give him that. “Christmas,” I said, “is a completely commercialized holiday that feeds on materialism. It’s just another way for stores to make money off customers who feel obligated to buy meaningless gifts for people they probably don’t even like.”
“Whoa.” Alex shook his head, holding up a hand for mercy. “I wonder if they offer elf training workshops in anger management.”
I wanted to look mad, but another laugh broke through instead.
“Seriously, though,” he said, his eyes holding mine. “It’s too bad you feel that way. Christmas is the season of love and giving …”
As if on cue, a child’s voice rose up from the line, whining, “But why won’t you buy me that doll, Mommy? It’s only thirty dollars, and you said I could have a treat today!”
I jerked my thumb in the direction of the voice. “See? Nothing but ‘gimme gimme.’ ”
Alex only smiled. “You can’t blame an overtired kid for trying.” He shrugged. “And if you’re hoping to convert me, it’s not going to work.”
I raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “There’s no way you can stay legitimately happy through all of this.”
“So what are you s
aying? That I’m faking it?” He studied me in a thoughtful way that made me fidget self-consciously with my costume. It was like his eyes were searching for something inside of me I didn’t even know was there. It was unsettling, and irritating.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “Maybe you are.”
“Or …” He leaned toward me, jingling the bell on my hat, and warmth flooded through me. I felt momentarily disoriented at his closeness. “Maybe you’re wrong. And maybe I can change your mind. Starting with hot chocolate.”
I snorted, the spell broken. “I don’t change my mind about much. Just ask my parents.”
“Then you’re in even worse shape than I thought.” He shook his head at me, then looked past me toward Cocoa Cravings, where his abuelo was motioning him over. “I’ve got to get back to the shop.” He picked up his empty tray. “But since we’re going to be working next door to each other, I’m sure I’ll see you again. Better watch out. Optimism can be contagious, you know.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m immune.”
He turned to walk away, but as he did, a small penguin waddled in front of him, followed by two puffing, out-of-shape security guards.
“Come back here, Happy Feet!” one of them hollered.
Alex and I looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
He started walking again, calling over his shoulder, “See you
around, Scrooge!”
I stared after him, surprised by how much I had laughed today.
“Break time’s over,” Mom said, tapping me on the shoulder. “I need you to help set up the next shot.” When I hesitated, Mom handed me a basket of candy canes. “Well, come on, Em! Get over there and spread some cheer.”
I sighed. This was going to be the longest holiday season of my life.
Suzanne Nelson has written several children’s books, including Cake Pop Crush, Hot Cocoa Hearts, You’re Bacon Me Crazy, and Serendipity’s Footsteps. She lives with her family in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where she can be found experimenting with all kinds of cooking. Learn more about Suzanne at www.suzannenelson.com.
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Copyright © 2015 by Suzanne Nelson
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First printing 2016
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Cover design by Jennifer Rinaldi and Yaffa Jaskoll
e-ISBN 978-0-545-79654-5
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