Macaron With White Chocolate

As most of you know Shyama is going to College soon so, last wenesday She and I went wenesday to the University town, as from wenesday she could access the room she will be staying.
It is a good size room for one person, and they have a huge kitchen which she will have to share with few other kids.
S and I went to the locak supermarket there and stocked up few tinned things, water, cola, cookies , instant noodle pack, tinned soup, the list goes on and on......
But I know the first weeks she won't be cooking there is so much places for young students to eat that she told me she will be trying few of them and also they have a student restraunt were they can eat for reasonable price.
We took few thing and arranged there and she is really thrilled to start her college days.
Good thing is, she will be comming home every friday evening and going back on sunday late afternoon as most of the college kids do in Belgium.

Actually the reality only hit me after I came home that she is going to spread her wings and going to have a semi adult life. I was telling hubby I canot believe she is leaving home and our lifes won't be the same, atleast mine. As I stayed home to look after her and I am used that at certian time she is home from school and then hearing her chatter about what happend at school etc...... while she was having her juice and one of my bakes.
Then I console myself saying I should not complain or moan as she will be comming home every weekend, unlike my sister's son who will be only home after four month or like Asha's daughter Trish.
Saturday we went to put the rest of her things there, and while we three were busy there, in her room some of the senior kids who stays there came to say hello and they were really friendly etc.... that I feel much better knowing that she will have a good group of kids there.
Now to the recipe.
I hardly ever Join in a event as there is so much going around and I can never keep up with anyone, and unlike in the earlier days of my blogging I don't make things just for the event.
So I have to admit I didn't make this especially for the event, I had this Macaron which I months ago but forgot to post it.

So as Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen is hosting I thought it is a good opourtunity to post this Mac.

I use my fully trested Ottolenghi recipe with step by step pictures like all my other Macarons.

110gm icing sugar
60gm almond flour
60gm egg whites (of 2 eggs) ( I aged the eggs for a day)
40gm castor sugar
Few drops of any food colour

Whiz the almond flour and icing sugar in the coffee grinder and sift 2-3 timesWhisk the egg whites and castor sugar till it forms a thick aerated meringue, firm but not too dry.Turn the nut mixture into the bowl, and fold gently to get a lava type batter.Hold the tray firmly and tap the underside firmly.
This should help to spread and smooth out the macarons.Leave out, uncovered for 15 minutes.Meanwhile preheat the oven to 140C (the original recipe has 170C).

Bake in preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes. They are ready when they readily leave the paper when liften with a palette knife. Remove from oven as soon as this happens, and leave to cool completely.

And then filed them with whitle chocolate melted with a bit of cream.
But have to admit i like much more a butter cream filling as the chocolate got hard and I din't like it as much as the butter cream.

We are going to London so will see your delicous post when I come back next week.

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Saturday I had asked Apolina of Bombay-Bruxelles and Marion of Crumbles et Cassonade for a day to my place. We have been wanting to do that for a while especially in the summer, but summer holidays has been busy so I asked them to my home and they accepted my invitation.
I knew we would have lots of fun, and Indeed we had.

It is always nice to meet other people who have the same passion of cooking and I think the whole time we were talking aobut food etc....
We had lunch in my place and then we went to the shopping street and to the beach, and ofcourse we also did a cooking shop which was really fun.
And ofcourse I have a another cooking book as they gave me this Indian cooking book and Apolina also gave this delicious home made Rgubarb pickle. You woudn't believe how delicous it is.

Marion before the Vodka Cocktail :-) and Tara Apolina's daughter playing with lego as we crazy women were busy in the shop :-)

Having lunch at my place and then having loads of fun in the cooking shop

Now to the recipe, I saw this recipe in the foodnetwork website.
Here they show her programme and I love to watch her cooking.
Recipe from Barefoot Contessa cooking show here

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One Cup of blueberries ( it wasnot in the recipe i just added)
For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.