Meringue Mushrooms!

I know! I know! It isn't winter anymore, but somehow with all the rain we've been having recently in this wet spring, it feels appropriate to be making these Coffee Meringue Mushrooms. They're so cute! I'm coming up with ideas for my Mad Hatter's Tea Party which I'm holding soon.

It is funny how real these mushrooms turn out! They are coffee flavored, and include a little bit of chocolate for gluing the stem and cap together. These melt in your mouth morsels will delight the senses.

Pistachio Macarons

Perhaps you have heard of the macaron trend. It is one of those which has picked up after the cupcake craze. Macarons are French meringue cookies which have nut flour folded into them, and then two shells are sandwiched together with buttercream or jam or ganache in the center. When you bite into it, there is a slight crunch as you break the shell, which transforms into a chewy cookie when you hit the center, and a smoothness when you get the filling. QUITE a satisfying dessert.

The most popular flavor of macarons amongst my customers is the "little green cookie," otherwise known as the Pistachio macaron.

Pistachio Macarons in a Teacup

Ingredients: Almonds, Pistachios, White Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Egg Whites, Butter and Salt

These cookies can be found almost every Friday at Rutiz Family Farm in Arroyo Grande.

 (If the weather is at all cooperative)