Sweetpea and Betty Sweetness

So I got a dream job working part-time in a shop that's just like girly, vintage, interior design eye candy. Seriously it just makes me happy being in there, that might have something to do with the fact that it is resident to the most loved little dog in Falmouth, Maisie. Check out their website here. Anyway, I was going to one of the upcycling paint techniques workshops for training and I thought that it was the perfect excuse to bake something Sweetpea and Betty-esque. I got a bit carried away trying to fit-in and bought some gorgeous floral napkins that I don't actually want to use, I'd rather just look at them. So floral napkins, pretty basket, it just had to be rose flavoured macaroons really didn't it. I don't think I had a choice in the matter, simply nothing else would have done.

The Great Wall of Buttercream

Buttercream spaghetti anyone? Well, I am Italian.

I have a slight issue with anything that requires waiting. Macaroons. You pipe out your little rounds on a baking sheet, put them in the oven, liberate them from the oven in due course and then you have to wait. Wait for them to cool before you the buttercream-sandwiching process can begin to complete the macaroon as we know it.

It's just that I have a definite weakness for the warm, straight out of the oven goods, and naturally you need to try them (even if they are an un-sandwiched macaroon half) to make sure they taste good. So while waiting for my macaroons to cool, I may have eaten a couple, perhaps a few. Alas, I am an idiot. I haven't taken the butter out of the fridge to get to room temperature! (No, crazy though it sounds, I don't have a microwave) Thus, the waiting for the macaroons to cool has evolved into waiting for the butter to warm yet the outcome is the same. Many un-sandwiched macaroon troops were lost in the waiting game, consumed for no purpose other than impatience.

When I finally did get round to making the buttercream and sandwiching the little beauties together, I had way too much buttercream! Oh no! So obviously, I put a cool looking piping nozzle in and squeezed it all out onto a piece of baking parchment. Refrigerate and reserve for sweet cravings. I wish I was kidding; Tom and I demolished this little wall in a day.

Dissertation Distraction Part 1

Okay, so my final hand-in of my dissertation is due in about 3 weeks. I feel slightly unnerved however, because I'm not stressed. Don't get me wrong, it isn't that I'm so amazing and have worked super hard all year so that I can chill-out now, quite the contrary, I still have loads of work to do but for some reason I'm just not quite stressed-out enough yet to motivate me to do it! I'll put it down to my frequent yoga practise and peaceful mind/body relationship...

...Or, it could be that I fell in love with a cute little book on macaroons and decided to set myself a challenge - make every recipe from the book! Dissertation smissertation.

So first stop was wintery spiced macaroons, with cinnamon and ginger and nutmeg, but seeing as they tasted a little bit too Christmasey and we are now in March (Hurray!) I thought I'd colour them lilac to hint at the coming spring! Filled with classic buttercream. What else?

Almond Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache Filling