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Barbara Palvin – Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2018

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Barbara Palvin – Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2018

Chocolate Pots de Crème

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Chocolate Pots de Crème

Rich, creamy and utterly blissful chocolate pots de creme! Easier to make than you’d think and sure to impress. Perfect for any occasion. Cooking Classy

  • 9 oz (255g) high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups (295ml) heavy cream, divided
  • 1 1/4 cup (295ml) whole milk*
  • 1/2 cup (68g) granulated sugar
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 vanilla extract

Topping

  • 3/4 cup (175ml) heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
  • Fresh raspberries, chopped unsalted or lightly salted pistachios or almonds, shaved dark chocolate (optional)

For the Pots de Crème

  1.  Place chocolate in a blender, set aside. Add heavy cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks and salt to a medium saucepan and whisk until well combined.
  2. Set saucepan over medium heat and cooking, stirring constantly with a spatula while scraping along bottom and sides of pan, until mixture has thickened slightly and nearly boils, about 6 – 9 minutes (mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon). 
  3. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla then pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the blender (over the top of the chopped chocolate). Let rest 2 minutes to allow chocolate some time to melt. 
  4. Then cover blender with lid and hold a thick kitchen towel over lid, blend mixture on low speed until well combined. 
  5. Gently tap blender against counter several times just to remove large air bubbles (you don’t want to get rid of all of the bubbles just some of the big ones).
  6. Divide mixture among 6 – 8 small dessert cups or ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 2 – 3 hours. 
  7. Top with whipped topping and shaved chocolate, nuts and fresh raspberries if desired.

For the whipped topping

  1. In a medium mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form then add sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
  • *1% or 2% milk can be used as well. Just add replace 2 Tbsp of it with heavy cream.

Strawberry Meringue Tower

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Strawberry Meringue Tower

For a really special dessert option for your next dinner party that’s ready in just 40 minutes, try this deliciously sweet and impressive looking meringue tower. Woman and Home

  • 4 large free-range egg whites, at room temperature
  • 250 grams caster sugar
  • a little pink gel food colouring
  • 800 grams strawberries, hulled
  • 250 ml whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  1. Heat the oven to 150C, gas 2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt on a medium speed with an electric whisk until frothy. Increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form. Continue to whisk, adding 1 tbsp of the sugar at a time, and mix well after each addition. Make sure you add the sugar slowly or you’ll bash out all the air and have a fat meringue!

  2. Dip a skewer lightly in the food coloring and run it along the inside of the piping bag to create 3-4 evenly spaced vertical stripes. Fill with the meringue mix. Pipe into 3.5 cm dots, lifting the bag away slowly while still piping to create the “kisses”, then stop the flow of the meringue and pull the bag away to make a pointy tip. Space them evenly apart on the baking trays.

  3. Turn down the oven temperature to 140 C, gas 1. Cook the meringues for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, keeping the meringues inside with the door shut for at least 3 hours.

  4. Very finely chop 125 g of the strawberries and set aside. Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla until just beginning to thicken, add the chopped strawberries and stir, as the acidity in the strawberries will make it thicken further. It’s better to under-whip than over – you can always whip a bit more if you need to.

  5. Using a palette knife, spread a little cream mixture on to the fat side of a meringue and sandwich with another. Repeat with the remaining meringues. Stack them in a tower, like a croquembouche, alternating the meringues with strawberries.

The meringues will keep for 3 days in an airtight container and you can fill them 2 hours ahead.

|Valentine’s & Romance Galleries-1|

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Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. Originating as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus, Valentine's Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

| Kaia Kerber – Anna Sui Fashion Show NYC – February 2018 |

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Kaia Kerber – Anna Sui Fashion Show NYC – February 2018

| Priyanka Chopra by Greg Swales – Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam February 2018 |

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Priyanka Chopra by Greg Swales – Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam February 2018

Triple Strawberry Macarons

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Triple Strawberry Macarons

These sweet little cookies are made with a strawberry almond biscuit, strawberry buttercream and a sweet strawberry surprise center! Tatyanas Every Day Food

  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare 3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If desired, draw circle guides on the back of the parchment paper for guides; set aside.
  2. Prepare the dry ingredients. Measure out the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar. When measuring in cups, do not pack the ingredients into the measuring cup, spoon in the ingredients! Place the flour and sugar into a food processor and pulse for a few minutes until the two are well combined. Sift the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. If any almond pieces remain, return them to the food processor and pulse again, then sift again.
  3. Prepare the meringue. Place the egg whites into a very clean mixing bowl. Add the sugar. Mix on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. The egg whites should stick to your whisk attachment when lifted from the bowl.
  4. Mix the cookie batter. Add the strawberry emulsion and gel color to your mixing bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients. Using a large spatula, begin folding the meringue and flour together. Scrape from the bottom of the bowl and press the ingredients against the sides of the mixing bowl to deflate the meringue. Continue folding and mixing until batter reaches the consistency of thick lava; the batter should ribbon off the spatula and settle back down into the bowl.
  5. Transfer the batter into a pastry bag. Pipe small dollops onto the parchment paper, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. To rid the batter of air bubbles, tap the pan hard against counter top lined with towel. Let cookies stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, allowing the cookies to form a thin outer “shell”. The time will depend on your local humidity (you can check your local weather channel for humidity levels; these cookies work best on low humidity days!).
  6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Each oven bakes differently, watch the first pan carefully. If cookies are browning, your oven is too hot, turn it down by 5 to 10 degrees.
  7. Remove cookies from oven and cool on parchment paper, then transfer to wire rack. Cookies should lift off of the parchment paper with no resistance. If they are stuck, this means your cookies are still raw and didn’t finish baking.
  8. Prepare the buttercream. Place softened butter into mixer bowl and whisk until light, fluffy and white in color. Add the sweetened condensed milk, extract and confectioner’s sugar. Whisk for another 5 to 7 minutes until light and fluffy. (note: this recipe makes extra frosting which can be used for another batch of cookies)
  9. Turn half of the cookies over and pipe a generous amount of filling onto each cookie, leaving the center empty. Into the center, pipe a small dollop of strawberry preserves. Sandwich the cookies with an empty half.
  10. Store the cookies in an airtight and sealed container in the refrigerator. Take them out about 1 hour prior to serving to allow the buttercream to thaw. This recipes makes about 20 medium-sized macarons.

| PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Games – South Korea |

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PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Games – South Korea

Mini Strawberry Tarts

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Mini Strawberry Tarts

These mini tarts are not only beautiful, but tasty as well. Top strawberry tarts with a variety of several other fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries for a sensational summer treat. My Recipes

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
  • 6 tbsp (3 oz.) salted butter, cubed
  • 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tsp lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (1 lemon)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
  • 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8 (3 1/2-inch) round, 1-inch-deep mini fluted tart pans with removable rims, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Process the flour, powdered sugar, and pistachios in a food processor until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the cubed butter to processor, and pulse 6 to 8 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press about 4 1/2 tablespoons of the flour mixture on bottom and up sides of each tart pan.
  2. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove tart pans to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
  3. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and beat until well blended. Gently fold the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until incorporated. Spoon about 5 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into each tart shell. Cover tarts with plastic wrap, and chill 4 to 24 hours.
  4. Toss together the sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and spoon on tarts just before serving.

Sri Lanka - Indian Ocean

Sri Lanka – Indian Ocean

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Sri Lanka – Indian Ocean Travel Photography: Portraits, landscapes, monuments, highlights, places. people, culture, costumes and history.

Heart Macarons with Lemon Buttercream

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Heart Macarons with Lemon Buttercream

These darling heart-shaped macarons are perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, birthday’s, princess parties, and especially as Valentines Macarons! Natashas Kitchen 

For the Heart Macarons

  • 70 grams 2/3 cup almond meal/flour, room temp
  • 120 grams 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
  • 2 large egg whites about 65 grams, room temp
  • 50 grams 1/4 cup leveled granulated sugar
  • 1 1 " strip Red or Pink GEL food coloring
  • Sprinkles optional

For the Lemon Buttercream:

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup confectioners powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 small or 1/2 large lemon

For The Heart Macarons:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add 70 gm almond flour and 120 gm powdered sugar. Pulse twice then process 1 1/2 min. Sift and discard any solids (should be less than 1 Tbsp solids in sieve).
  2. Put 2 egg whites in large clean/dry mixing bowl and beat until foamy, then gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat on high speed about 2 1/2 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form. Add 1″ strip red gel food coloring and fold with spatula just until incorporated.
  3. Add all sifted almond flour/sugar mixture and fold with spatula using this method: scrape batter around the bowl, then press the flat side of the spatula firmly through the center. Repeat until batter flows like lava and thick ribbon forms as it flows off spatula (35-40 complete strokes).
  4. Print 4 copies of heart template and place on 2 baking sheets under silicone liners or parchment paper (AVOID WAX PAPER) – you’ll be able to see the hearts through your liner to guide you as you pipe hearts. Transfer batter to large piping bag fitted with 3/8″ round tip. For each heart, pipe at the top left and pull down towards the bottom center then pipe at the top right and pull down towards the bottom center and flick the end up if it gets long.
  5. Add sprinkles to as desired. Firmly tap baking sheets over counter 15-20 times to release air bubbles. Poke any remaining obvious bubbles with toothpick. Let cookies sit at room temp 30 min or until no longer sticky to the touch – they should form a thin film on top. Meanwhile preheat oven to 300˚F.
  6. Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 min at 300˚F. I usually do 15 minutes for the first batch and 12 minutes for the second batch – somehow my oven gets hotter the second batch. Let cookies cool to room temp before removing them from baking sheet. Once cool, they should slide off easily. Meanwhile make buttercream (see instructions below).
  7. To assemble, flip over half your cookies and pipe generous amounts of frosting onto the flat sides, piping in a heart shape. Find a well-matched unfrosted second half and sandwich cookies together.

For the Lemon Buttercream:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, cream 6 Tbsp softened butter on high speed for 2 mins.
  2. Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time and beating to incorporate between additions), along with 1/8 tsp of salt and once sugar is incorporated, increase to high speed and beat 2 mins.
  3. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and beat another 1 minute or until whipped and fluffy. Transfer to the same clean piping bag fitted with the round 3/8″ tip

Strawberry Red Velvet Cupcakes

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Strawberry Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cake Mix, Cupcakes, Strawberry, Vanilla & White & Yellow Cake Mix. Your Cup of Cake

Strawberry Red Velvet Cake

  • 1 box red velvet cake
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup melted butter cooled
  • 1/2 cup strawberries pureed in the blender
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3-4 1/2 cups powered sugar
  • Extra strawberries for decoration

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

    2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.

    3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, strawberry puree, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract.

    4. Add cake mix and stir.

    5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

    6. Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar. Beat well. Slowly add in more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

    7. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with strawberries.