May 3, 2022 - How do you celebrate National Paranormal Day?
So you believe in ghosts, spirits, UFO's and things not of this world? This is such an easy day to celebrate with a great movie! Try a classic like 'The Exorcist', 'Poltergeist', 'The Shining' or 'Rosemary's Baby'. Or something more recent like 'The Sixth Sense', 'Paranormal Activity', 'The Ring' or 'The Others'. Do a search of your own, there are so many great paranormal movies to choose from. Get ready to feel creeped out!
To go along with our scary movie, here is a recipe for some Alien Macarons with Coconut Fudge Filling.
Alien Macarons
Ingredients
130g superfine almond flour
130g powdered sugar
90-100g egg whites, room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar - optional
1/8 tsp salt
90g granulated sugar
gel food coloring - optional (for this recipe I used lime green)
Instructions
Sift almond flour and powdered sugar onto parchment paper and set aside.
Pour room temperature egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a low/medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and salt, continue to mix until it reaches a frothy stage.
Slowly add granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed in 2 tbsp increments.
Keep mixing until white and glossy. If desired, add in gel food coloring and extract at this point.
Increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in two additions using a circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. Be careful not to over-mix the batter! It will take time and experience to get this just right.
Pour the batter into a large piping bag fitted with 1/2-inch piping tip onto the prepared baking sheets. I use silicon mats, placed on upside down baking sheets. Space them about 1-inch apart. Add a little extra batter to the top of the macaron and pull up with a toothpick, for alien head shape.
Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
Let the macarons rest for 20-60 minutes to develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.
As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 300 F. Every oven is different, and you may need to set your temp higher or lower.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-18 minutes, until the macarons do not wiggle when you test them.
Remove from the oven and let the macarons cool on the pan for about 15 minutes. Gently peel them off of the silicon mat and set aside.
Use edible marker to draw eyes.
Coconut Fudge Filling
Ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp butter
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, stir constantly.
Cook 10-15 minutes, until fudge is shiny and firm.
Remove to a buttered plate and cool until pipe-able consistency.
*For more flavor, lightly toast coconut before making filling.
