Image of the Baker

sweet review: macaron + chocolate

Having accumulated a copious amount of food photos on her computer, kwana decides to complete a first proper review on 1.) Macarons from Le Renaissance Patisserie in the Rocks precinct and 2.) Jeff de Bruges chocolate from King St .

Both were bought after kwana's final exam (possibly LAST EXAM EVER!)

The end of each particular story shall be sweet (and indulgent).

 

1.) Macarons from Le Renaissance Patisserie Francaise.

Kwana decided on the morning after she bought the macarons to take very delish pics with her dad's new SLR!

 

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The 6 selections that kwana bought were:

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vanilla bean with white chocolate ganache (green)

- Salted Caramel - Fleur de Sel de Guerande - (caramel)

- Rose water with lychee scented buttercream (pink)

- Dark chocolate with dark chocolate - Valrhona Guanaja 70% - ganache (light brown)

- Passionfruit with dark chocolate ganache (not pictured as A ate it - but was pale orange macaron shell)

- Jasmine Green Tea with white chocolate ganache (white)

Overall, the shells were delicate, light and slightly crunchy and most importantly not hollow. They melt in your mouth, the creamy and smooth texture of the filling completing the full circle of sensations that comes with eating a macaron.

kwana's top favourite(s) so far (sampled all but the EV olive oil one) is the Jasmine tea and the rose water macaron. Both have a strong flavour yet delicate aroma (isn't that opposing??) that fills the palate - melds perfectly with the creamy texture of the filling. The aroma travels up the adjacent nasal passages and your sense of smell is given some fun in eating a macaron!

At first, kwana forgot what sort of filling was used for the rosewater macaron (in fact, the website does not specifically list the flavour of buttercream). But it was unmistakable – at least to kwana’s senses that lychee syrup was added to achieve the amazing fragrance in the buttercream.

The addition of salt in sweet things is a sort of on trend technique being used to bring out the fullness of the caramelised sweet creaminess in caramel.

Le Renaissance macarons are far more fresh than the macarons kwana is usually tempted to purchase at the Lindt chocolate cafe... it could be the fact that the macarons are not made in Sydney but are made in the kitchens back in Switzerland and then carefully packed and shipped halfway across the world to be displayed in the Sydney Lindt concept stores? kwana continues to ponder! 

The final verdict is that Le Renaissance macarons win hands down! (even though kwana still loves the 70% excellence macaron at Lindt.)

Update: Have just gobbled up the last macaron - the texture is nice despite it being bought some 3-4 days ago. kwana savours the vanilla bean ganache. Hints of olive oil round up the rear and complete the finish as the macaron is completely devoured! yums! I rank it 3rd...after the dark chocolate and caramel one come 2nd!

2.) kwana hasn't had a chance to try all the chocs that were bought from Jeff de Bruges yet (been filling up other junk food) - so feels guilty about how much calories she has saved up in her Abdominal Subcutaneous Fat Bank. If only kwana had the exact same zeal towards saving up money in the non-food world.

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Clockwise starting with the owl: Hibou Noir,  Euro Noir, Canard Noir (?? the website does not have the name! so kwana just Babelfish-ed it), Trefle and Colimacon.

2 chocs are missing from the pic above (Vanillon and Derby).

The Derby choc - which is a dark chocolate filled with dark ganache shaped into a head figure of a horse with an upside down horseshoe in the background (kwana believes that some sort of liquor was also added - as she could feel the warmth of liquor filling the mouth) and the only non-dark chocolate choice (a white chocolate with vanilla filling and sliver of walnut - which kwana shared with A).

kwana does not like the combination of liquor with chocolate, but found Derby to be intense in flavour and rich in cocoa. Very high concentration of cocoa mass! yums!

Vanillon: white chocolate was characteristically (overly) sweet. The vanilla scent of the filling was not as noticable but the addition of walnut helps balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate outer shell and filling.

Update: Canard Noir - a lower concentration of cocoa (?50%) with praline and amaretti filling. Delightfully light and crunchy! Not too intense + dark, so good for those who aren't fond of high conc. cocao!

Next on the menu will be poached pears in red wine and cinnamon syrup (kwana hope its keeps well, since she had kept some of the leftover syrup from her brother's party!)

Enjoy pics!

bloggin off - kwana

 

The photo taking day

Kwana's deep slumber (which was thankfully absent of spleenitis inducing dreams involving handsome looking males who object to everything kwana had to say...) was interupted by the croaky morning voice of her mother.

Kwana knew it was the day in which the last (well second last) assignment for uni was to be handed in! She had worked hard on it, but had only finished it the night before.

Having a mediocre warm cereal breakfast, kwana quickly grabbed her father's d-SLR camera, ready for snapshot action for what may possibly be the last time kwana may step foot on the campus of the University of Sydney (at least as a student and not as a graduate).

Dreary eyed, kwana was driven to the train station. She hopped off and hoped to pick up some Dark Belgian (70% min cocoa solids) Chocolate at coles. Unfortunately, the shop assistent had apparently lied to kwana the night before, claiming that the new stock should be on the shelves the next day. kwana was desperate to purchase said chocs to make the Nigella Lawson chocolate mousse she wanted to make for her family. kwana thinks that Nigella Lawson is the godess of domestic home cooking and is amazed she can still look so good while juggling family and sweet as cooking on her shoulders.

When kwana arrived at the Darlington campus of Sydney uni, she nervously pulled out the camera - feeling something akin to self consciousness in looking like a random/snitch taking snapshots of uni architecture and landscape.

 

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In anycase, she got used to the feeling of lugging a relatively large camera on her neck. She quickly handed in her assignment before heading over to surprise A at the chem building!

A and kwana sat down to read to bible together, with A sharing his reflections on the passage of Col 2 (second half) and kwana sat down pondering about the absolute greatness and amazingness of how even mere humans can be bought so close to God via the deity embodied in human form known as Jesus Christ!

kwana felt that v6-7 was very impactful as it says that the sinner who was bought with the blood of Christ lives in him, and is rooted in him. Christians get their foundation and source of everything that we need from Jesus! We are strengthed in him! :)

Afterwards, kwana felt much at ease and was full of thankfulness. She continued to walk to the Quadrangle which reminds kwana very much of the Quadrangle in Hogwarts from Harry Pottter.

 

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The neo-gothic architecture is wonderful and even every little detail is an adventure for the eyes to travel and explore.

 

 

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 She takes a picture of the leadwork and reflections on a window and likes it very much.

 

 

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Afterwards, kwana desired very much to visit the reviewed and praised (by food bloggers) Black Star Pastry shop that opened earlier this year in Newtown on Australia Ave.

She had wanted to visit that patisserie ever since she read about it in Good Living and Sydney magazine from SMH.

Kwana took her time to absorb all the smells, sights, people and shops that alloted themselves on City Rd in Newtown.

kwana felt an unhealthy urge to splurge on....calories. Well more like SAVING up a generous amount of calories by stopping at Burgerfuel and helping herself to sweet potato chips (Kumara) with aioli dip and a vegetarian burger (Eighth pounder - 'Mushroom, kumara, chickpea and basil pattie, melted cheddar, iceberg lettuce, tom sauce and aioli on a mini sesame seed bun') that claimed had a basil in their veg patty but was undetectable to kwana's senses unless the cheese overwhelmed it.

Eventually kwana found herself at the frontstep of an unusually quiet Black Star patisserie - it was closed on Mondays! If only kwana checked ahead of time! However disappointed kwana felt, she did not leave empty handed and walked into one of the quirky stationery stores and bought herself a swanky black Rhodia notepad she had her eye on for a while and some O-check lace patterned tape for making cards and the like.

wHOAH. Writing in third person is a bit difficult Esp for blogs!  >_<

The rest of the day involved in finally making the Nigella Lawson choc mousse. It's incredibly easy most likely due to the fact that Nigella takes wise shortcuts=minimal effort with maximum results.

I've used the SLR (ID Pentax K200D with Sigma lens 18-50mm) to take some gorgeous and gratituous food pics.

 

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The texture at the time of assembly was just right. However, with setting time, the texture is very firm but the mousse retains the light texture that personifies the dessert. Perhaps half the amount of whipping was required with Nigella's quickie choc mousse compared to more traditional methods of preparing the dessert.

If the serving quantity was halved (as in my case) then it is the right amount to savour on. W commented that it was a little too firm and 'dry'.

It actually tastes and looks alot of like dry icecream. So I think I may try to incorporate 300ml of pure cream instead of the thickened cream I had to use up before it expires. (Thickened cream has added thickeners and the marshmellows pretty much ARE gelatine + sugar.)

The original recipe calls for double cream which is free from thickening agents. Next time, I hope the results will be different.

 

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Bloggin off - kwana