food

French Macarons

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Before I begin, you should know that I’m a total perfectionist. So when my first-ever batch of macarons came out of the oven looking not as picture-perfect as I had hoped, I was pretty disappointed. Thanks to this recipe (which I chose because it looked much less intimidating and fussy as others), the batter was a breeze to whip up and used fairly normal household ingredients (you may have to stock up on almonds). They were completely delicious, but I couldn’t help but notice their imperfections: not all of them were perfectly round (the batter spread out on a few before I baked them), the filling I made was too runny, and perhaps most bizarrely of all, the two baking sheets yielded slightly differently colored cookies, even though all of the cookies came from the same bowl. I’d love to give them another go sometime – hopefully they’ll turn out perfectly then.

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Strawberry Shortcake

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I pretty much start eating strawberries as soon as I find them at the grocery store, and then continue to have them on hand for the entirety of the summer. It helps that I have strawberry plants that yield a ton of fruit. While simply eating a handful of freshly picked berries will always be one of the best ways to eat them, I sometimes find myself craving something a little more creative. Well, having just written that sentence, I realize that strawberry shortcake isn’t wildly creative or unique – but it makes for a super-simple and delicious low-key dessert that, with a little plating, can look luxurious.

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Vintage French Breakfast Puffs

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I’m always looking for new breakfast foods – pancakes and waffles are good, but tend to get boring quickly, and my staple (eggs benedict) is not something you should consume regularly. So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest and saw how simple and unique it was, I made it right away. These are so simple and delicious – kind of like a donut-muffin-coffeecake hybrid. Their light, cinnamon-y flavor and fluffy texture make them the ideal match for a cup of coffee.

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Pink Grapefruit Granita

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A week or two back it was unnaturally hot for early April, and I felt like nothing more than a fruity, icy treat. Enter this insanely easy recipe – I happened to have some unused grapefruits on hand, making this the ideal dessert to whip up on a weeknight. The hardest part was squeezing all of the juice out of the fruits (it starts to wear your arms out a bit), but after that the process was so simple and effortless. It kept nicely in the freezer for a few days and was the perfect dessert for a warm evening.

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Eggs Benedict

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A while ago, I woke up wanting eggs Benedict. They’re something I only have when I’m eating brunch out, but I thought, How hard could it be to make them myself? I quickly found a recipe (here) that looked pretty simple. The Hollandaise sauce is the most time-consuming part, and one of my poached eggs didn’t turn out too pretty (I spared you from pictures of it), but I can guarantee you that if you follow the instructions, it will turn out delicious, no matter what it looks like. As I learned while making this, nothing is too meticulous – I used bacon instead of Canadian bacon, and if the consistency of the sauce isn’t to your liking, you can always add more water or butter. Fair warning: the recipe for the Hollandaise sauce makes a lot of extra, but that just gives you an excuse to have eggs Benedict again the next morning (it’s also easy to cut in half, if you like).

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