Lovely tart …
Yes, the same inexpensive one I’ve mentioned before - Mercer culinary.
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Thanks! I do love that square pan - I hesitated for a long time because it was more than I thought it should cost, but it’s exactly the right size for me!
I do not like the sandwich press - aside from the fact that it’s way too heavy and unwieldy for indoors, the angle on the sides is insufficient. You want it angled down 1/2-1” at the edges of the bread so it seals. This one has maybe 1/4” which results in cheese leaking out and making a greasy mess.
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It’s gauche but I actually think plain white squishy sandwich bread makes the ultimate custardy French toast.
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Saving this list!
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Even when I prepare the batter in a blender the night before, I let the batter sit on the counter while the buttered popover pan preheats in the oven.
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Two more half loaves today - one gluten free, one another regular sandwich bread trial
The gluten free one was surprisingly good - good enough for a sandwich, rather than the usual toast (which can mask many inadequacies). I need to tweak it a bit for height and lightness.
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The regular loaf was better than yesterday’s, but got a bit over-baked as the thermometer was in need of battery replacement. But it was also good enough that I had a sandwich after more than a year! And only a few slices left again, so that’s good. I think I’ll skip the gluten next time and see how that goes.
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Made some lemon macarcon today. It’s a sweet almond biscuit, very hip a few years ago. I can’t say I’m a big fan, I don’t like very sweet desserts. I can only eat when it’s of lemon, lime, raspberry, passion fruit or chocolate flavour. But it’s great to get rid of the extra egg white I had in the fridge, and today I made it for a crowd for a party, so everyone had only 2 or 3, no sugar overdose. A tart lemon cream was sandwiched between the biscuits.
Before baked.
Cooked.
Last time I made it was like some 8 to 10 years ago, with a simple oven in my old flat. I’m glad that I still remember the base. The macarons were actually quite enjoyable, I guess I would make them from time to time. My food colouring was old, probably expired. The thing didn’t turn very yellow. LOL!
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Those are gorgeous (and I wish you were my neighbor, I would happily eat all your excess macarons)!
Would you please share the recipe if it’s not too hard to do? I haven’t attempted macaron yet… but the pandemic isn’t over yet either so… 
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Thanks a lot!
As for the recipe, here is it. It’s originally from a French book Un Amour de Macaron, I use an OCR to convert the page into text from a photo and the translation is done by Google. I tried to improve the English, still found it a bit clumsy.
LEMON MACARON by Stéphane Glacier
FOR 10 PERSONS
30 MIN OF PREPARATION
32 - 42 MIN OF COOKING
20 MIN OF REST
INGREDIENTS
THE MACARONS
7 EGG WHITES (200 G) (ROOM TEMPERATURE) / 50 G GRANULATED SUGAR / 1 TSP. OF LEMON JUICE / 10 DROPS OF YELLOW FOOD COLORING/ 450 G ICING SUGAR / 250 G FINELY GROUND WHITE ALMOND POWDER / ZEST OF 1 LEMON / A PINCH OF SALT
LEMON CREAM
15 CL LEMON JUICE / ZEST OF 1/2 LEMON / 1 EGG / 75 G GRANULATED SUGAR / 1 TBSP. CORN STARCH / 40 G UNSALTED BUTTER
In a bowl or with a mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with granulated sugar, salt and lemon juice until firm. Add the yellow food coloring. Pour the sifted icing sugar and the almond powder, and the finely grated lemon zest on the stiff egg whites. Mix with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Fill a pastry bag with the macaron dough. On a sheet of parchment paper or silicone mat, pipe 7 cm in diameter if we want to obtain individual macarons or 3 to 4 cm in diameter for get petit-fours macarons. Tap lightly the baking sheet and let the mixture rest for 20 minutes at room temperature (Dry to touch on the surface).
Bake at 150 °C (th. 5) for 12 minutes for the small macarons and 20 to 22 minutes for large macarons.
Pour a little water on the parchment paper, lift the paper to help the macaroons peel off easily and then let cool. (I poured the water beneath the paper) If the macaroons are stuck on a silicone pad, simply let everything cool before peeling them off.
In a saucepan, bring the lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest to boiling. In a bowl, whisk together the egg and the sugar. Add the cornstarch. Pour in the lemon juice with the zest on this mixture. Cook the mixture in the pot and cook until boiling, stirring with a whisk. Stop the cooking and add the butter cut in small pieces. When the cream is smooth, cover it with plastic wrap and reserve in the fridge. Garnish the macaron with a piping bag and top with a second shell.
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I noticed that some recipes suggested baking for 17 minutes, I cooked them for 12 minutes with 2 trays in the oven cooking at the same time, but feel the shell was sightly undercooked, so test yourself, it depends a lot on your ingredients. Some people dried the almond flour in oven for a few minutes before sifting.
Some 17-minute recipes suggest cooking with slightly open door with a toothpick in the last 5 minute to let go the accumulated vapour in the oven.
Remember to sift together the icing sugar and the almond powder. If the powder is not fine enough to go through the sieve, use a mixer with high speed.
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Alice Medrich’s best cocoa brownies tonight (they really are the “best”!) - nuts at one end for 2 people. These were GF - I used GF pancake mix! And a splash of bourbon for flavor. SO. GOOD.
Half batch is perfect for us with no tempting leftovers.
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And no prizes for guessing the other - another half loaf bake off yesterday for my sandwich bread trials 
This was a wet dough, no shaping needed.
But I think this got close enough that I can pause… maybe…
In any case, good enough for sandwiches! Yay!
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Thanks for sharing the recipe you used @naf - yours turned out great! I’ve never made them, but LOVE all the flavors you mentioned. May have to give it a go…
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Oooh noooo on the brownies! Have been fighting back the urge to make some, but that may change. I’ve never used the Alice M recipe, may have to try. They look great - in fact too good…
Also like your cute little half bread pan.
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You should. Especially it’s a great way to use up all the egg whites! I will make something soon that will need 10 yolks, meaning, I’ll have 10 whites again!
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Those brownies looked indeed good. Just checked the recipe, I think I’ve all the ingredients on hand…
Don’t know why, chocolate craving these days, even more wierd, usually I don’t like white chocolate…but can’t stop… I don’t know it’s potassium or sugar I’m craving… LOL!
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I (stupidly) made a full batch a few weeks ago, adding in some good chocolate chips,but otherwise making as written. They were gone in 3 days between 2 of us, even though I’m bout usually much of a sweet tooth. Damn good.
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@Ct.ebner84 - I always have the best of intentions to freeze some, then they mysteriously disappear…I’m afraid I’m going to have to scratch that itch soon🙀
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You only live once- go for it! I’m decidedly not a baker, having never been inclined to follow directions, but they came out pretty well.
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Remarquable ! Super Almond - Lemon French Macarons.
Stéphane Glacier (I believe is the same man who owns a Pastry Academy) in Bucharest, Romania.
I have a very dear lady friend in Bucharest who owns a Culinary Institute for approx. 28 years more or less. She is Romanian. We did our Proficiency Cambridge English Exam Preparation together.
She knows Stéphane as he did courses at Cristina´s Culinary Academy prior to his opening his Academy.
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