Please, sir, may I have s'mores...

My pastry chef has been on vacation in recent weeks, so I've been teaching pastry classes in addition to savory classes. Teaching pastry is a real treat for me--when I was making the decision to change careers and go to culinary school, I thought long and hard about pursuing a career as a pastry chef. In the end, I'm glad I went the savory route, but I truly enjoy any time I get to spend in the pastry world.

Last weekend, I taught a macarons class. Macarons are a very technical pastry, they can be incredibly frustrating to make, but also incredibly rewarding to master. They lend themselves to fun flavor combinations, mixing and matching different fillings with different flavor additions to the cookies. My students and I were having a lot of fun talking about different combinations, and one asked me if I had any favorites or if I had created any unique recipes. I told her about the peanut butter and jelly macaron I had created (and blogged about last year), and how I liked to take classic or traditional dishes, like PB&J, and re-imagine them as a dessert. It got me to thinking about a recipe I had been working with on and off for the last year or so--a s'mores macaron.

The s'more is a campfire tradition--toasted marshmallows on top of a square of Hershey's chocolate and sandwiched between two graham crackers. (If the marshmallow burst into flames, of course it only made the s'more even more tasty.) To transform this classic, rustic dessert into a macaron, I mixed graham cracker crumbs in with the almond meal of the cookie. Instead of marshmallows, I made an Italian meringue and browned it with my crème brule torch. I think they turned out pretty tasty!

S'Mores Macarons

Instead of marshmallows, I used an Italian meringue for the filling. An Italian meringue is a cooked meringue, making it much more stable than just whipping egg whites and sugar together. It's often used as the base for a classic buttercream.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies

For the cookies:

7 ounces powdered sugar

1 ½ ounces graham cracker crumbs

2 ½ ounces almond meal

4 large egg whites (about 4 ounces)

pinch of Kosher salt

3 ½ ounces granulated sugar

Brown gel food coloring (optional)

For the filling

4 large egg whites (about 4 ounces)

1 ½  cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

¼ cup water

4 large egg whites (about 4 ounces)

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

To make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 325°F and place a rack in the center. Line 3 baking sheets with silpat baking mats or parchment paper. 

Place about ¹/₃ of the powdered sugar, the graham cracker crumbs, and the almond meal in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until a fine powder is formed. Transfer the nut and sugar mixture and the remaining powdered sugar into a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Sift the mixture into the bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon to press any remaining bits of almond meal and graham cracker through the mesh.

Place the egg whites and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium high speed until frothy and white in color. Gradually add in the granulated sugar, and once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed and whip until stiff peaks are achieved. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Scatter about ¹/₃ of the almond mixture over the egg whites and gently fold them into the egg whites. If you are choosing to use the food color gel, add it at this time. Add the second third of the almond mixture to the egg whites and fold as before. When incorporated, fold in the remaining almond mixture. Continue to fold and mix the batter until it is loose enough to slowly flow and drip off the spatula.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a ½ inch round piping tip. Carefully pipe rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. You can pipe them to whatever size you like, but be careful to leave space in between the cookies as they will spread after piping. (I piped mine a little larger than 1 inch in diameter, and the finished cookies are about 1 ½ inches in diameter.) Lift the baking sheets a few inches off the counter and drop them, this will allow any trapped air bubbles to release. Let the cookies stand at room temperature to dry. The cookies are ready to bake with they are dry and not sticky when lightly touched by your fingertip. This may take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. 

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan in the oven and bake for another 3 minutes. Let the macarons cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the filling:

Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan set over medium heat. When the sugar has completely dissolved and begins to boil, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft ball stage, about 235 degrees F on the thermometer.

While the sugar syrup is cooking, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start to whip the egg whites on medium speed, bringing them to a frothy soft peak at the same time the sugar syrup reaches the soft ball stage. Reduce the speed to medium low, and slowly pour the hot syrup into the mixer bowl with the egg whites. Once all of the syrup has been added, increase the speed of the mixer to high and whisk until stiff glossy peaks form. Continue to whisk until the bottom of the bowl no longer feels warm to the touch. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

To assemble the cookies:

You will likely have cookies of slightly varying sizes and shapes, so take a few minutes to organized matched pairs. Dip the bottom of one of the cookies in the melted chocolate and place on a rack or sheet pan to set. Pipe a swirl of meringue on the bottom of the second cookie and place on a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining pairs of cookies. 

Using a crème brule torch, brown the meringue swirls, then top with its matching chocolate dipped mate. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

You can store the cookies in a closed container at room temperature, but I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Storage in the refrigerator will also soften the texture of the cookie and make them even more delicious.

I'd like to propose a toast...

Those of you who read food blogs or follow any of the major food magazines on social media will know of the obsession that is avocado toast. Yes, avocado toast---mashed avocado flavored with something as simple as salt to as complex as miso or dukkah, and smeared on a slice of crusty bread. Now, don't get me wrong, I love avocados. I love avocado toast (it's a favorite for breakfast). But, it got me to thinking about other options for topping toasted bread.

Lately, my work schedule has been pretty hectic, leaving me with few days off, and little energy to cook on those days off. So, in fact, toast is about all I have motivation for these days. But, it's also summer, and the produce in the markets is so lovely and inspiring. The herbs in my little garden plot are lush and vibrant. I may only be up to making toast these days, but I can still have fun with seasonality and great ingredients. 

The following recipes are great as a light lunch, mid afternoon snack, or can also be served as crostini for an appetizer or canape for entertaining. I hope you enjoy!

Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Raspberry Toast

This first recipe was inspired by the beautiful golden raspberries I found at the grocery store a few weeks ago. 

Serves 4

4 slices of crusty bread, such as sourdough, Italian, or French boule
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Kosher salt and black pepper

4 ounces soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 cups arugula
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup fresh raspberries
chive blossoms or additional chopped chives for garnish
Fleur de sel for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool

Spread a layer of goat cheese on top of each of the toasted bread slices and sprinkle with chopped chives. Place the arugula in a small bowl and toss with the olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Top each piece of toast with some of the dressed arugula, followed by some of the raspberries. Garnish with chive blossoms and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve.

Tuna and Chickpea Salad Toast

Be sure to use a good Italian canned tuna in olive oil for this dish. The flavor is really superior to the typical canned tuna in water.

Serves 6

6 slices of crusty bread, such as sourdough, Italian, or French boule
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Kosher salt and black pepper

1 large shallot, finely diced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and black pepper

15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
1 cup diced English or Persian cucumber
¹/₃  cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon capers, drained
10 ounces tuna in oil, drained
chopped chives to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool

Mix together the shallot, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Mix in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Set aside

Mix together the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, capers and tuna in a medium bowl, being careful to not break up the tuna too much. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the tuna mixture, and gently stir to combine.

Spoon the tuna salad onto the toasted bread slices, garnish with the chives and serve.

Peach, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Toast

Apricots and nectarines also make a great topping for this toast. And if you don't have easy access to prosciutto, try crispy bacon instead.

Serves 4

4 slices of crusty bread, such as sourdough, Italian, or French boule
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Kosher salt and black pepper

4 slices prosciutto

2 peaches, pits removed and sliced

extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

chopped chives for garnish

lemon thyme blossoms for garnish

Fleur de sel for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

Arrange the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until browned and crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Break the prosciutto onto small pieces.

Increase the heat and convert the oven setting to the broiler.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Toss the peach slices in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the peaches on the hot grill pan and grill for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until well marked, on each side. Transfer the grilled peaches to a plate.

Spread the toasted bread slices with the mustard and top with slices of mozzarella. Arrange on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven. 

Top each piece of toast with the grilled peach slices and crumbled crispy prosciutto. Garnish with chopped chives and lemon thyme blossoms. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve.