Mac Attack #14... Savory Sweet for the Holidays

SUGAR AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE

THAT'S WHAT THE HOLIDAYS ARE MADE OF

The holidays are fast approaching and whether we celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, New Year’s or a mixture of any or all, we are fast being taken over by the holiday spirit. Gift ideas and decorating schemes, guest lists and invitations swirl through our head every waking moment from now until the end of the month. And food. Lots of food. An abundance of food. But shall we go the traditional route, pulling out grandma’s recipe for this or a favorite aunt’s recipe for that or an old childhood favorite? Or do we slip on our thinking cap and dare to go all new and avant-garde? Do we shop at the farmer’s market and buy local and seasonal or do we go for broke and buy only the most exotic and unusual in order to surprise and delight our friends and family?

But there is one thing for sure: whether the old or the new, the tried and true or the wild and never tasted, there are so many great recipes for the holidays that blend the savory and the sweet, so many fruits and vegetables and spices and seasonings that can cross from one to the other and back again. Apples? Pie or crisps or as a sauce for latkes or veal chops. Pumpkin? Ravioli and gnocchi or more pies? Cinnamon? Yes, cookies and puddings or tagine and couscous! Cherries are as perfect with duck as with chocolate! And the list goes on and on.

So for this month’s Mac Attack Challenge, we are going Savory Sweet! Create a macaron that blends the savory and the sweet, the perfect balance. Invent a macaron to be served on a silver tray as an apératif or hors d’oeuvres with a glass of champagne, as a special snack or part of a festive buffet. This is the season to experiment, to savor, to enjoy and this month you will!

Join us this month in our special festive Mactweets virtual kitchen one and all and we will be waiting to see how your imaginations fly! Let’s get in the holiday spirit together and pop some corks!

‘Tis the Season to be Merry!

Here are the rules of the game:

1. Once you have posted your Mac Attack macarons on your blog, make sure that you mention the Mactweets Mac Attack challenge in your post and link back to the Mactweets blog.
2. Please link back to this challenge on your post.
3. Feel free to promote the Mactweets blog by proudly displaying the Mactweets badge in your Mac Attack post as well as in your sidebar! It isn't mandatory but is a nice way to get the word out!
4. Have your Savory Sweet Holiday Macs posted on your own blog by December 25, 2010.
5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

Round up will be on December 30th, 2010.

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MacAttack 13 ... a round-up of Falling for Macarons

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We fell for your macarons! Bravo you wonderful mac-passionate bakers, you breathed new meaning into the word FALL. It's been a wonderful and very creative lot of entries for the #13th MacAttack ... a challenge that proved to be lucky for all of us!

Yes, it's MacTweets Attack #13 round-up! Our call was to FALL for MACARONS, and we did it in style. It was Autumn colours, flavours and nostalgia all the way! It was lovely to FALL with YOU. We're sorry this is a day late, but we got slightly delayed as we tried to accommodate the macarons which 'fell' in late!

Anne @ A Year of Cupcakes with Macarons with Pumkpin Custard

Cecilia @ One Vanilla Bean with Pumpkin and Salted Caramel Macarons

Hi Cookery with Gingerbread Macarons with Vanilla-Cinnamon Schnapps Buttercream Filling

Honey & Soy with Spiced Red Fruit Macarons

Linda @ Bubble and Sweet with Noisette Macarons

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausfrau with Hot Chocolate Macarons with Hot Buttered Rum Filling

Shea @ Blissfully Unrefined with Moroccan Orange Spice and "Hot" Chocolate filled macs

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Coffee Macarons & Pumpkin Pie Spice Macarons

Tina @ My Domestic Bliss with Pistachio Srinkled Macarons with Chocolate Ganache Filling

Rachel @ The Pleasure Monger with Matcha & Adzuki Bean Macarons

Mardi @ Eat Live Travel Write with Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Macarons

Aarthi @ Soul Curry with Cinnamon-Vanilla Hot Chocolate Macaroons

Sarah @ Food Bridge with Macaron Cloud and Orange Zest

Dine O Mite with Maple Cream Filled Macarons

Magpie @ Magpie Recipes with Ginger Spice Macarons

Keksle @ The Epicurean Recessionista with Great Pumpkin Macarons

Ken @ Hungry Rabbit NYC with Chocolate Macarons with Pumpkin Cream

Shaz @ Test With A Skewer with Chocolate Chestnut Macarons

Sarah @ Maison Cupcakes with Pistachio & Chocolate Macarons


Meeta @ What's For Lunch, Honey? with Lavender Macarons with Ruby Red Grapefruit Prosecco Curd


 

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Coco-Passion Fruit Macaron

 
 

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MacAttack #13...Falling for Macarons ... It's Fall!

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yes, it's MacTweets Attack #13...lucky for some, unlucky for none we hope! It's to do with fall. This is the time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere where the leaves turn red, gold, auburn ... where the days grow dark and cold. What does Fall mean to you? Lets see 'fall in feet' this time around, whatever it means to you - flavours, colours, emotions... If you are in the Southern hemisphere {we hear you Shaz}, bid fall goodbye. Did fall leave you with an impression, with a 'connect'?

We'd love to find feet with you macpassionate folk this FALL. Is it vibrant fall colours, is it harvest season, is it the holiday season. Does fall mean Thanksgiving, or deep cinnamon flavour, are apples your calling or do falling leaves announce the season to you? Or then, is it the warm comfort and luxury of hot cocoa or warm spiced cider?

Will Season 13 be lucky for you? Join us finding feet this fall. Let's fall in love with macarons all over again!  Please have your Mac Attack post up no later than November 26th '10.

Here are the rules of the game:

1. Once you have posted your Mac Attack macarons on your blog, make sure that you mention the Mactweets Mac Attack challenge in your post and link back to the Mactweets blog.
2. Please link back to this challenge on your post.
3. Feel free to promote the Mactweets blog by proudly displaying the Mactweets badge in your Mac Attack post as well as in your sidebar! It isn't mandatory but is a nice way to get the word out!
   

Round up will be on November 30th, 2010.

Follow us and all the Mac Attack Buzz on Twitter

@lifesafeast and @vindee