MACTWEETS

MAC ATTACK #26 - RAZZLE DAZZLE

2012-01-06T20:09:00.013+05:30

Give 'em the old razzle dazzle
Razzle Dazzle 'em
Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it
And the reaction will be passionate
Give 'em the old hocus pocus
Bead and feather 'em
How can they see with sequins in their eyes?

- Chicago, the Musical

Let’s start off the New Year with a bang! Bright lights, outrageous colors, deck ourselves out to dazzle and welcome 2012 with vibrancy and excitement! The parties are over, the decorations are taken down and packed away, the goodies have all been gobbled and the festive spirit has faded away with the celebrations, the bubbly gone flat as we step outside to face the gloom of a dark January afternoon.

Far too often we tend to funnel all of our excitement and energy into Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and snowy, spirited, merry December. By January, well, we are a little spent, a tad burned out and just a bit depressed what with having to head back to work and school, start those post-holiday diets and face up to too many unrealistic new Year’s Resolutions. So why not turn it around and bring in January with a big, bright, glitzy, dazzling boom? We need a little pizzazz in our lives right about now so let’s do it right as only the MacPassionate can! And head into the New Year with an astounding splash!

Gaudy, garish, just a little ostentatious… let’s pull out all the stops and create something snazzy, something swanky, something special!

An unexpected combination of flavors to WOW?

Flamboyant colors that scream excitement?

Give your macarons some star quality, that little je ne sais quoi to jazz up the winter white, brighten the January gloom, give some oomph to that long stretch of road lying ahead of us until the next holiday break or the first springtime bloom! Spunky macarons with just a little moxie to make us sing…

You know the rules…they never change!

1. When you post 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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #26 Razzle Dazzle Macarons are inspired by the theme! This is obligatory if you would like to be included in the round up!

2. Please link back to this challenge on your post. This is obligatory if you would like to be included in the round up!

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 Razzle Dazzle Macarons posted on your own blog by February 1, 2012. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about February 5, 2012!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Round Up| MAC ATTACK #25 THE LAST OF THE YEAR: SEASONS & HOL.

2011-12-26T08:30:00.003+05:30

The sights, the sounds, the scents, the flavors of the season...

The holidays have come and gone and the excitement that a change of season inspires has slowly faded. But throughout the month of December, we baked and cooked in a frenzy, exhilarated by the abundant harvest of fruits and vegetables as they appeared on the market, excited by the celebrations and festivities of the end of the year. Savory and sweet, spicy, boozy, fruity, citrussy and exotic, the flavors of this time of the year wended their way into our kitchens, out onto our tables, our holiday baking a tale of the homey and traditional or the contemporary and creative.

Our Mac Attack challenge was a simple one of homebaked goodness. All we asked is that you be inspired by the season, your creativity influenced by the colors and aromas, your imagination energized by the holidays. And bake. Macarons.

So as we clean up the last of the party, toss out the last bits of wrapping paper and ribbon and put the party hats back in the cupboard until next year, as we settle into the long hard slog through the rest of the winter (or summer!), let us be warmed by the memories and the beauty that each of us bring to our kitchens, the love we offer to our families, the pleasure we give to friends with a plateful of hand-crafted macarons.

Michèle @ Mini Cuisine with Macarons à la noix de coco {White coconut macarons}

Macarons bonhommes de neige

Macarons "bonbons de Noël"

La bûche du réveillon

Macarons étincellants du Nouvel An

The Macaron Queen with The Thanksgiving Macaron Tower

Velvety Christmas Macarons

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Christmas Snowman Macarons {Cinnamon Anise Chocolate & Wine Jelly Macarons}

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausfrau with Orange Macarons with Aperol Buttercream
&

Galanga Macarons with Crunchy Speculoos
&

Vanilla Spearmint Macarons

Laura @ Craftstorming with Halloween Macarons
&

Gingerbread Macarons
&

Christmas Pudding Macarons

Mardi @ Eat Live Travel Write with Pumpkin Pie Macarons
&

Merry Macarons

KG @ The Kitchen Guardian with Macadamia Nut Brittle Macarons with Caramel Buttercream

MieL @ Face Your Batter with Cinnamon Apple, Peppermint Chocolate, Strawberry'n Cream Macarons

Astral @ The Art of Being Perfect with Mince Pie Macarons

Linda @ Bubble & Sweet with Festive Macaron Rocky Road
&

Rudolf Macarons

Jill @ Mad About Macarons with French marrons glacés - Sweet Vanilla Chestnut Macarons

Jamie @ Lifes A Feast with Gingerbread (Pain d'Épice) Macarons filled with Chocolate Chestnut Cognac Ganache

The Little Loaf with White Chocolate & Peppermint Candy Cane Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Candy Cane Macarons

Angela @ Ai Love Baking with Peppermint Mocha Macarons

LadyMacaron20ten with Salted Butter Caramel Macarons

Donna Hay Macarons {Pink Raspberry & Rose Macarons}

3 in a day Violet, Salted Caramel & Hubba Bubba Bubblegum

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Lebkuchen and Garam Masala Macarons with Salted Butter Caramel Buttercream

Astrid @ Paulchen with Chestnut and Pistachio Macarons

Lindy @ Patty and David Said with Pumpkin Spice Macarons

Choco Cran Macarons

Lady J @ Lady J's Musings with Hazelnut macarons with peppermint white choc ganache

Follow us and all the Mac Attack Buzz on Twitter

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MAC ATTACK #25 THE LAST OF THE YEAR: SEASONS & HOLIDAYS

2011-11-18T18:47:00.006+05:30

THE END OF THE YEAR: SEASONS & HOLIDAYS

‘Tis the season to be jolly….. In fact, ‘Tis the season to be busy! Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas with New Year’s Eve dashing in before the door of 2011 shuts closed with a bang, we are up to our ears in baking, cooking, visiting, shopping, making list upon list of guests, gifts and recipes. The season turns chilly, summer has already faded into a gorgeous gold and red autumn and soon winter will blast in, bursting open the door on gale winds or fluttering in on the first gentle snow. And as the holiday spirit takes over, as our visits to our local markets leave us wide eyed in wonder at the spectacular cornucopia of fruits and vegetables in shades of burnt orange, golden yellow, musty creams and chocolaty browns, jade and garnet, as the aroma of cinnamon and caramel float through the air, our thoughts turn to macarons.

Late as usual, Deeba and Jamie have decided to turn it around and make our lateness our holiday gift to you! Instead of the usual 3 weeks to make your fabulous, stunning Macarons, you have 6 weeks to come up with as many as you please! But what, you wonder, scratching your head, no doubt leaving traces of flour in your hair from all the holiday baking, what is the theme? Well, let the seasons and her holidays inspire you… and make as many as you please!

Think COLOR: from the golds, oranges, yellows, reds and all the gorgeous shades of violet of Autumn to stunning Winter White. From the colors of a Thanksgiving Table to Hanukkah blue & white to Christmas’ cheery red and green.

Think FLAVOR: Pumpkin, citrus (yes, as summery cool as lemon and orange are, citrus is winter fruit!), pomegranate, fig, chestnut, apple or pear or any other fruit or vegetable star of the Autumn or Winter season! Be creative! Make it delicious! Or go celebratory with a kiss of cognac, a splash of Champagne, the sweetness of candy canes, the surprise of foie gras!

Think HOLIDAY! Need I spell it out for you? Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! Any I am forgetting? Theme it, baby, make it work! Surprise us! Holiday nibblies, fun snack for the kids while baking Christmas cookies, elegant hors d’oeuvres while sipping Champagne, and gifts galore!

This is the season of office parties, school parties, parties at home and cozy family gatherings around a roaring blaze. Large, rambunctious, festive meals with family or sophisticated soirées with friends. Platter of cookies and milk morph into platters of macarons and milk placed out for Santa or a special snack filled with jam to be shared with those you love in the glow of the Hanukkah candles. Put on a party hat and wait for the fireworks while enjoying a multi-colored platter of macarons! Or bake away the same old same old Thanksgiving pies and turn those flavors into light, delicate, ethereal French macs!

So, dress in your seasonal colors, put on your holiday hats and let the festivities begin! Your Mac Attack challenge lets you use your creativity and imagination, slip into the season and get in the holiday spirit and MacBake!

You know the rules…they never change!

1. When you post 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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #25 Seasons & Holidays Macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Seasonal or Holiday Macarons posted on your own blog by January 1, 2012. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about January 5, 2012!

And have a very sweet holiday season!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

ROUND UP MAC ATTACK #24 - PINK OCTOBER MACARONS

2011-11-08T22:58:00.004+05:30

Sometimes we must put aside the fun and frivolity and get serious. Food blogging is like a large playground where we meet friends, gossip, tell stories woven with whimsy and infused with charm. We bake cakes to tempt and titillate, serve up long-simmered stews to warm and comfort. We tease and we amuse, we entertain and we provoke, our hands pressed deep inside a luxurious mound of bread dough pungent with yeast or sweet, sticky cake batter smeared across our forehead. Our food blogs...and in extension, this crazy food blogosphere...is a place to let go and be gleeful and let loose our inner child.

And then sometimes our little food blogs can be a place to gather and share information, educate and inspire good actions. Pink October is such a time and such a place. As our own Mac Passionate Baker Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives posted:

Did you know, according to BreastCancerAwareness.com (Donate!):

* Every 2 minutes, there is a new breast cancer diagnosis.
* Every 14 minutes, a life is lost to the disease.
* Over 40,000 people will die this year; about 400 of them will be men.
* 85% of all diagnoses have no family history.
* 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
* Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40 and 55.

All of the above is jarring. This is why early detection is so important. Women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health – and all adults should do regular self-exams. Hint – in the shower, with soap, works really well.

And so, our wonderful Mac Bakers banded together and baked Pink Macarons for Pink October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And spread the awareness and the love.

Finla @ My Kitchen Treasures with Rose Macarons with White Chocolate Rose Filling

Michèle @ Mini Cuisine with Macarons "ruban rose"

Macarons framboises "roses"

Yani @ The Kitchen Guardian with Pink Chocolate Macaron Pops

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Pink Ribbon Macaron - with Szechuan Pepper Soya Milk Chocolate Ganache

CK @ My Little Kitchen & Me with Pinktober Macarons with a Hazelnut Praline Filling

HiCookery with Chambord Macarons

Jill @ MadAboutMacarons with Pinkilicous Macarons

Working London Mummy with Pink Macarons with Chilli Chocolate Ganache

Annapet @ The Daily Palette with Strawberry PinkOctober Macarons

Angela @ Ai Love Baking with Raspberry Pomegranate Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pate de Fruit

Lady Macaron20ten with Zumbo's Strawberry Bubblegum Macaron

Jamie @ Lifes A Feast with Cocoa Macarons for Pinktober

Beyondumami with Strawberry Jam Pinktober Macarons

Mardi @ Eat Live Travel Write with Pink Macarons

Janine @ Not The Kitchen Sink with Pink Salted Caramel Macarons

The Little Loaf with Popping Pink Champagne Macarons with White Chocolate & Popping Candy

Mel @ Sharky Oven Gloves with Rose Martini Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Rosehip Macarons with Blood Orange Ganache

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausfrau with Peppermint Pinktober Macarons

Amrita @ The Sweet Art with Pink Peppercorn and Grapefruit Macarons

Four and Twenty Blackbirds with Hot Pink Macarons with Chocolate Ganache

Lisa @ Parsley, Sage, Desserts & Line Drives with Hot Pink Vanilla Bean Goji Berry Macaron

Sandy @ Confiture de Vivre with Macarons Zum Pinktober

Astrid @ Paulchen's Food Blog with Rose Macarons filled with Rose Jelly

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with a Pink Mac-ribbon atop a Pinktober Cake

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MAC ATTACK #24 - PINK OCTOBER MACARONS

2011-10-03T15:21:00.001+05:30

IN THE PINK

We’ll drink a drink a drink
To Lily the pink the pink the pink
The savior of the human race.
She invented medicinal compound.
Most efficacious in every case.

Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales

October, as many of us are aware, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. An international campaign is waged, raising awareness and raising funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer. And for the second year in a row, the Mactweets Team has decided to support this cause by declaring our October Mactweets Challenge Pinktober Macarons for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Think Pink! Roses and raspberries, bubblegum and cotton candy, champagne and pink grapefruit, whatever your flavor, show your flare and color your world pink! Bring out your most feminine side and help a most worthy cause by Going Pink in the kitchen. Savory or sweet, classic or kitsch, elegant or fun, just make it and bake it Pinkalicious!

In The Pink! By baking Pinktober Macs, we can do our share to raise awareness about this disease that still kills. By baking Pinktober Macs, we can do our share to raise awareness about the need to find a cure so we are all In The Pink!

Tickled Pink! So tie on your favorite pink apron and put on your pink thinking cap and come up with an extraordinary, scrumptious macaron all dressed in Pink! And if you can convince just one friend to join us for the first time and bake Pink along with us in our Mactweets Kitchen, then we’ll all be Tickled Pink!

Now, just follow the rules:

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #24 Pinktober Macarons are inspired by the theme!
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 Pinktober Macarons posted on your own blog by October 30th, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...
5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about November 5, 2011!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Round Up MAC ATTACK #23 MACARONS DE LA SAISON

2011-10-02T22:12:00.005+05:30

Tis the Season....

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.
- George Santayana

The world turns and time flashes by. Summer fades into autumn; winter melts into spring. A change of season can be gentle and lovely, welcome like a cool embrace or a warm kiss, flowers pushing up through the damp, dark earth or leaves of burnished gold or muted red floating lazily down. Or it can be violent and rude, flashing wild and hard, sudden searing, burning heat, or cold and harsh, flooding our world darkly. But a change of season never arrives unnoticed. Wisps of nostalgia accompany each season, emotions inspired, memories of childhood adventures, family vacations, honeymoons and birthdays, holidays or simply quiet afternoons with a warm breeze kissing your skin or sitting in a cozy kitchen watching the rain patter against the windowpane.

September’s Mac Attack challenge asked you to create a Seasonal Macaron, a mac inspired by the best of the season, a flavorful memory. The end of summer, the sweetness of the last days of plums and peaches; the beginning or an autumn laden with earthy chestnuts, tangy citrus or a warming cup of coffee as the temperature dips; the burst of spring flowers or berries…. Our macs this month have been kissed by all seasons, so many flavors, an abundance of memories.

Michelle @ Mini Cusine with Macarons "brioches à la cannelle"
&

Macarons aux noix de Grenoble

Lora @ Diary of a Mad HausFrau with Rose Hip Macarons with rose Hip Buttercream

Angela @ Ai Love Baking with Kona Coffee Macarons

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with 4 Season Macarons

Jill @ Mad About Macarons with Cepes, Chestnut Mushroom and Truffle Macarons

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Mysore Royal Coffee Macarons with a Bittersweet Chocolate Coffee Buttercream

Hi Cookery with Fall Fiesta Macarons

LadyMacaron20ten with Vanilla Ganache with Cassis & Violet Gelee

Fruit de la Passion with Blackcurrant Compote

Françoise @ ChocoParis with Macarons with Praliné Filling

The Little Loaf with Cinnamon, Chocolate &Fig Macarons

Jamie @ Lifes A Feast with Chocolate Cinnamon Macs with Chocolate Ganache flavored with either sweetened chestnut cream or bitter orange marmalade

NenisQ @ Comal y Metate with El Té Matcha & El Té Chai

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Mac Attack #23 - Macarons de la Saison ...or simply Macarons of the Season

2011-09-14T06:58:00.001+05:30

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."

Henry David Thoreau

Time doesn't seem to hold still and is galloping away at an amazing speed. Bat an eyelid and we're already into the next month. Can't believe it's September already and we're looking at a change of season. While the Northern Hemisphere enjoys the last clutch of late summer fruit and is ready to pick apples & pears from tress, the Southern Hemisphere welcomes Spring with open arms, the berries, stone fruit heralding a change of season.

How about we celebrate the equinox {September 22-23} with Macarons de la Saison! When the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, lets see where our macarons are headed! What heralds this season for you? Cinnamon, apples, pears ... or then fresh berries and summer fruit ... let's hear it from your macarons!

Now, just follow the rules:

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #23 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Macarons de la Saison posted on your own blog by September 30th, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about October 5, 2011!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Round Up MAC ATTACK #22 KICK IT UP!

2011-09-06T22:45:00.002+05:30

While we were riding high on the theme for MacTweets we didn't realize that the month had sneaked by us. What? It's already the 6th? A 1000 apologies dear fellow macpassionate bakers. While Jamie was busy delivering foodie bytes at Foodista’s International Food Blogger Conference in New Orleans {exciting and not to be missed}, Deeba was back stuck in India trying to help her teen focus on examinations. Grade 10 is serious stuff ... and in the midst of this, we surfed the tide with these stunning 'adult' macs!

Difficult to wait for the tipple, so without further delay, here we go! The round up of a very creative episode of MacTweets where candy might be considered be dandy but 'liqueur' was quicker! It's time to KICK IT UP!!

Michèle @ Mini Cuisine with Macarons au Grand Marnier

Piña Colada Macarons

Frozen Margerita Macarons

Anne @ The Year of Cupcakes with Chocolate-Kona Coffee Macarons with Baileys Buttercream

Kim @ The Macaron Fetish with Raspberry Vodka Jelly Dark Chocolate Ganache Macarons

Roller Scraper @ My Pink Kitchen with Cookie Cocktail Macarons

Linda @ Bubble & Sweet with Blue Bird Cocktail Macarons

Angela @ Ai LoveBaking with Chambord-Limoncello Macarons

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Vanilla Macarons with Quark Kirsch & Tart Cherry

Lora @ Diary of a Mad HausFrau with Lavender Macarons with Orchid Buttercream

Hi Cookery with Rum Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Cosmo Inspired Macarons

Jehanne @ The Cooking Doctor with Tropical Paradise Macarons with White Grape Mascarpone Compote

Sharky Oven Gloves with White Russian Macarons

CK @ My Little Kitchen & Me with Rum Raisin Macarons

Follow us and all the Mac Attack Buzz on Twitter

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MAC ATTACK #22 - KICK IT UP!

2011-08-08T22:18:00.004+05:30

Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker!
- Ogden Nash

August has been slow going so far - see how lazy we’ve been, how long it is taking us to post the next challenge? We decided that we needed a spot of excitement, something to shake it all up. Our brains muddled from too much summer, the unbearable heat or the incessant rain, the days spent dragging ourselves around through the inclement weather and searching out a little respite. Who needs or desires to bake? Kids home on holiday, spouse and dog yapping around our feet for attention, teens slouching around the house and complaining. We are fed up with the rain or overcome with struggling to deal with the scorching heat. Aw no, we deserve something special, a little adult pleasure, something, baby, to kick it up!

And kick it up we will! This month we indulge in a little grown-up gratification, a dash of luxury, a hint of mischief. Candy is dandy, macarons are marvelous, but liquor is…. this month’s Mac Attack theme! Whatever your tipple, vodka, rum, Limoncello, Amaretto or, heavens, even Champagne, create something intoxicating, heady with flavor and create a macaron kissed by your favorite liquor. So go ahead, whether sweet and sassy, spicy or tangy, whether a touch of sophistication or a punch of naughtiness, give your August macarons a buzz!

And if you prefer a non-alcoholic version, go ahead and replace the liquor with an extract of your choice: bitter almond, vanilla, lemon, café whatever you please but do try and keep it close to the theme.

Then we will raise our glasses in a toast to ourselves and indulge in a macaron all grown up.

Now, just follow the rules:

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #22 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Kick-It-Up Liquor Macs posted on your own blog by August 31, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about September 5, 2011!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Round Up MAC ATTACK #21 ICE CREAM DREAMS

2011-08-01T20:33:00.004+05:30

WE DO INDEED ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

Whatever the season, whatever the weather, come sunshine, rain or snow, winter or summer, nothing quite tickles the tastebuds and the fancy like ice cream and macarons. One so rich and refreshing, reminding us of home and the best moments of our childhood, the other so grown up and elegant, delightfully light and ethereal. The combination can only be heavenly!

This month of July has found some of us knee deep in winter, some of us battling heatwaves and hellish temperatures while still some of us have spent the season huddled inside, safe from the pouring rain. Yet we all turn to the same kind of comfort: ice cream and macarons. July's Mactheme was Ice Cream Dreams: we asked our fabulous MacPassionate Bakers to create a dessert with both homemade (if possible) ice cream and macarons. And what a round up! We are proud to present with you this delicious array - for your enjoyment and inspiration!

Once again, a heartfelt thank you to all our Mactweet Bakers for joining us in our MacKitchen and titillating our tastebuds and exciting our imaginations with your impressive confections. Enjoy!

Art of Being Perfect with Salted Caramel Ice Cream Macarons

Michelle @ Mini Cuisine with Vanilla Ice Cream MacSandwiches

& Macaron 'Tiger Tail'

Tammy @ Tammy Roses with Hokey Pokey Ice Cream Macarons

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausfrau with Banana McSplits

Dianne @ Food of Love with Rainbow Macarons with Double Dutch Ice Cream

Macaron Mania with Ice Cream & Brownie Macarons

Jehanne @ The Cooking Doctor with Butterscotch & Praline Macaron Gelato

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Rainbow Macarons

Amrita @ The Sweet Art with Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Macarons

Cathy @ Wives with Knives with Hazelnut Chocolate Macarons

Hi Cookery with Neopolitan Ice Cream Macarons

KG @ The Kitchen Guardian with Camomile Macarons with Raspberry Froyo

Anna @ The Year of Cupcakes with Horchata Ice Cream and Cinnamon Macarons

Sharky Oven Gloves with Lemon Granita with a Chocolate Macaron Crumble

Barbara @ Barbara Bakes with Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Macwiches

Jamie @ Life's a Feast with Mocha Macaron Brownie Chunk Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MAC ATTACK #21 ICE CREAM DREAMS

2011-07-08T13:03:00.002+05:30

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM…

Ice cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn't illegal.

- Voltaire

Summertime, and the living is easy. The hot weather settles in heavy on top of us and all we want to do is find shade and cool respite. Baking? The last thing on our minds; the heat emanating from oven or stove is wearying and even the craving of chocolate, peaches, raspberries or melons isn’t enough to drag us into the sultry kitchen.

Yet…yet… ice cream and sorbet scream summer in a way that nothing else can! Chilly and refreshing, soothing the temper and cooling the body, ice cream and sorbet are the one happiness of summer. One lick of a cone, one icy spoonful and memories wash over us of beach holidays and camping trips and the stickiness of vanilla or chocolate dripping off chins and running down arms; the streets of Rome and the magic of our first Italian gelato; excitedly, impatiently waiting our turn to work the stiff hand crank on the old ice cream machine at camp long ago. Who doesn’t have at least one memory redolent with the sweet goodness of ice cream or the elegance of sorbet? Dreams of ice cream have the power to pull us into the kitchen even at the height of summer and incite us to cook.

Summer is upon us and what better accompaniment to a macaron than ice cream or sorbet? Your challenge this month is concoct a dessert - a simple ice cream sandwich or a more complicated confection – combining your own ice cream or sorbet with your home-baked macarons! Try to make your own ice cream or sorbet, if you can, and pair it with whatever flavor macaron you decide to create. Then use your imaginations to prepare something luscious for summer. And if you are in the deep, dark, cold recesses of winter on your side of the planet? Well, nothing is more delicious than macarons and ice cream for snack or dessert. Are we right?

A simple post, a simple challenge, and you are on your way. Create a favorite family treat or an elegant dessert, fruit, chocolate, vanilla, spiked, spiced or herbed, whatever your desire, whatever your whim, but make sure you make your own macarons and serve it up with ice cream or sorbet! And then we’ll all scream for….ice cream!

Now, just follow the rules:

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #21 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Fruity Macs posted on your own blog by July 31, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about August 5, 2011!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MacTweets #20 .... Round up of Fruit Macarons

2011-07-03T08:38:00.003+05:30

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is."

Mark Twain

I love this part of the challenge, Round-Up Time. It's one that never ceases to amaze with our mac passionate creators. This time in the midst of summer {winter in the Southern hemisphere} a new cornucopia of beautiful, luscious fruit tumbled before us, begging our attention. Look at how our minds churned out ideas!

This round up is a celebration of colour, of fruit, of creativity and of our collective passion as mac-bakers! As Jamie is busy cycling up Canal Nantes-Brest with her better half and I'm back, somewhat rejuvenated from a wonderful vacation Down Under, I take absolute pleasure in presenting the 'fruit macarons' round up.

Enjoy!! Here's where the fruit is....

Aisha @ A Yummy Story with Macarons with Passion-fruit Curd

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausfrau with Vanilla Macarons with Rote Grütze filling

Michelle Faubert @ Mini Cuisine with Macarons aux fraises des champs (wild strawberry macarons)

& Macarons aux framboises

Mardi @ Eat Live Travel Write with Cocoa Nib Macarons

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Choco-Caramel Passion-fruit Jelly Macarons

Roller Scaper @ My Pink Kitchen with Peaches & Cream Macarons

Jill @ Mad About Macarons with Cherry Almond Macarons

and Cherry Vanilla Basil Macarons

Fazya @ Fazya ♥ to be me with Dutch cocoa mac shell + dark choc ganache + strawberry slice Macarons

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets with Mango Mascarpone Macarons

KG @ The Kitchen Guardian with Lychee Cream-cheese Macarons

Miel @ Face Your Batter with Milk Chocolate Pistachio Griottine Macaron

& White Chocolate Berry Macs

Aimee @ The Lilac Bakery with Raspberry Ripple Macarons

Lucy @ Vanilla Frost with Gooseberry & Elderflower Macarons

Hicookery with Papaya Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Strawberry Blood Lime Macarons

JV @ Baking Addict with Mangogasmic Macarons

Anne @ The Year of the Cupcakes with Mixed Berry Macarons

Mel @ Sharky Oven Gloves with Cherry Margarita Macarons

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Black Sesame Macarons with Cherry Chocolate Ganache

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MAC ATTACK #20 - FRUIT!

2011-06-14T15:30:00.007+05:30

There was now employment for the whole party ; for though they could not all talk, they could all eat ; and the beautiful pyramids of grapes, nectarines, and peaches soon collected them round the table.
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

This will be ever so short and quite to the point: in June and approaching July we are thinking of fruit! A change of seasons, no matter the season in your homeland, means the fading away of all we have gotten used to, and we watch with mixed emotions as they slowly disappear from the market stalls. We have convinced ourselves that these are the fruits we love the best and the cakes and pies produced with their loving fragrance are what make our house a home. And then, for a very short time, we are caught between two seasons as in some culinary limbo: the last of this or that are withered and tasteless and the earliest of the next are floury and bland. But little by little, as the season advances and the heaps and piles of this one or that become higher, the color richer, deeper reds and purples, oranges and yellows, the aroma stronger, fruitier, sweeter, more enticing, we recall with excitement the flavors, the recipes, the joy of what was, just last year, our favorite fruit.

And now we are in full summer/winter and a new cornucopia of beautiful, luscious fruit tumbles before us and begs our attention. And our mind begins to churn and ideas begin to form and we remember that there is nothing that we love baking with better than fruit!

This will be ever so short and quite to the point: Fruit! This June, our Mac Attack challenge to you is to create something sensational, whether sweet or savory macarons, with fruit! Dried, powdered, fresh, any form, any flavor you choose, just incorporate a fruity flavor (or two! Or three!) into your shells or your fillings. Let your imagination flow! Blend in herbs or spices, chocolate or vanilla, plain or fancy, elegant or homey, but now is the best of the season’s fruit and we will bake accordingly!

Though careless enough in most matters of eating, he loved good fruit – or if he did not, his friends and children did.
- Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Please forgive the late date of this challenge – Deeba is traveling and Jamie is up to her neck in work! So if you can, please have your macs baked and your challenge posted by the end of the month…but if you are a little late, just send it along and we will make sure it is added to the roundup!

Now…get baking! Just follow the rules:

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #20 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Fruity Macs posted on your own blog by June 30, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about July 5, 2011!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME…. Mac Attack #19 Roundup

2011-06-07T15:55:00.023+05:30

AND GIVE ME A SPECIAL TREAT TO EAT!

It's a great day for a ball game; let's play two!
- Ernie Banks

Wow! We have surely got some sports fans here at Mactweets. And some, well, not so much. But what it seems that we all have in common is our love of great, classic snacks even without the ballgame! And whether you love tennis or baseball, basketball or rugby, cricket or football or none of the above, who can’t find their pleasure in one of these amazing snacks?

Once again, our MacPassionate Bakers have let loose on the creativity and imagination and brought along some incredible Ballgame-themed Snack Macs! Salty and sweet, hinting of burgers and hot dogs, alcoholic beverages or junk food at its best, each and every entry this month is a stunner!

So sit back and relax, put your feet up and tune into the game and enjoy the banquet!

Your Mac Hostesses apologize for the lateness in getting the roundup up – between trips and excursions, holidays and work, we have both been out of the loop! But we are thrilled with all the entries and that the Mac Excitement continues to go strong!

Astral @ The Art of Being Perfect with Toffee Popcorn Mini Macarons

Hi Cookery with Orange (Basketball) Macarons with Triple Sec Chocolate Ganache

Amrita @ The Sweet Art with Salted Caramel Popcorn Macarons

Roller Scrapper @ My Pink Kitchen with Green Monster Mint Chocolate Macarons
and Strawberry Pink Lemonade Macarons

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausfrau with Devil Dog Damn Yankee Macarons

Aimee @ The Lilac Bakery with Big Mac-aron Cheese Burgers

KG @ The Kitchen Guardian with Snickers Macarons

Lisa @ Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives with Salted Pretzel Macarons

Jill @ Mad about Macarons with Coca Cola Macarons

Mardi @ Eat. Live. Travel. Write. with Peanut Macarons
and Mojito Macarons

Shaz @ Test with Skewer with Popcorn, Peanut Butter & Nutella Hot Dog Macarons

Mel @ Sharky Oven Gloves with Cucumber Sandwich Macarons

Mira @ Marmottes et Chocolate with Beer Reduction & Salted Caramel Macarons
with Toasted Peanuts

Sabine @ Berry Lovely with Burger-Style Macarons

Sarah @ Scrumptious Sally with Jawbreaker Toffee Popcorn Macarons

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MAC ATTACK #19 – BALLPARK SNACKS!

2011-05-05T19:21:00.002+05:30

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.

Jack Norworth, 1908

Spring arrives awash in sunshine and summer is tagging along closely behind and it is ball season! Kick off, coin toss, first service or opening day, we are all checking schedules, counting days down to this World Cup or that European League Event, this tournament or that match and our excitement mounts as the days get longer and the weather warmer. Take me out to the ball game, indeed, and as we settle in or settle down, pennant in hand, silly hat perched atop our noggin, jerseys on and team colors painted across our face, what else do we think of but…snacks!

Stand in line at the snack booth or dash back and forth to the kitchen, don’t we all crave something special, something that just screams summer ball game? Rugby or baseball, football, cricket or tennis, isn’t the whole experience better, more fun with just that perfect snack, one that reminds us of our childhood or our old college days? Popcorn, peanuts and crackerjacks or hot dogs, corn dogs and French fries, a brew, a soft drink or a good old fashioned lemonade, a ball game just isn’t a ball game without those traditional snacks! Am I right?

So whether your player is on center court, center field or on the pitch, whether you keep your eye on a small yellow ball or a large, oval pigskin, whether you root for your team from the sidelines, out under the sun, in a world class stadium or on your livingroom couch, go ahead a grab your favorite snack foods in the form of a, yup, macaron!

Put aside all of those elegant flavors, the sophistication and beauty of those little French treats and think junk food! Transform your macs into the perfect ballpark (or couch potato) snack food! Give it the old ballpark twist, salty or sweet, creamy, crispy or ice cold and here’s a Hip Hip Hooray for the old ball game….snack!

And like any good ballgame, we all have to follow the rules... or be sidelined!

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #19 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Ballpark Snack Macs posted on your own blog by May 25, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about June 1, 2011! Just in time for the Opening Game!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

MacAttack #18 ... Round Up - Everything is coming up Decadently Chocolate

2011-04-28T13:08:00.003+05:30

SINFULLY CHOCOLATE

Who dares deny the seductive power of chocolate? Luxurious, decadent, sinful, addictive are only a few of the words that come to mind when this most wonderful of flavors is mentioned. Passion, temptation, bliss the emotions stirred up when offered a taste. Whether dark and bitter, milk and creamy light or white and smoothly subtle, the aroma whirls up and stops us in our path, we close our eyes and breath in, our imagination roiling with lust, our taste buds tingling with desire. Love is a wonderful thing, but when love brings you chocolate the world stops spinning and the gates of heaven, for so many, open.

And what doesn't taste better with chocolate? Covered, drenched, oozing, dripping, rolled in chocolate, spices, fruit, nuts, almost everything is enhanced by this most perfect marriage. Now follow the chocolate trail left behind by our MacPassionate Bakers just to tempt you. You get the idea....

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Chocolate Macarons with Strawberry Fresh Mint & Lime Sorbet

Arthi @ Soul Curry with Chocolate Excess Macarons

Victoria @ The District Chocoholic with Triple Chocolate Macarons

Lora @ Diary of a Mad Hausefrau with Chocolate Dandelion Macarons

KG with Chocolate Lady Gray Macarons

Lady Macaron 20ten with Dutch Cocoa and Marshmallow Macarons

Roller Scraper @ My Pink Kitchen with Strawberry balsamic brown sugar chocolate ganache macarons

Astral @ The Art of Being Perfect with Easter Oreo Macarons

Mardi @ Eat Live Travel Write with Choc-mint macarons and plain macarons with chocolate ganache

Hi Cookery with Chocolate macarons with Whiskey-White Chocolate Ganache filling

Amrita @ The Sweet Art with Inverted S'more Macarons

Mira @ Marmottes et Chocolat with Dark Chocolate Macarons with White Chocolate and Hibiscus Ganache, Strawberry and Champagne Jelly

Poires Au Chooclat with Chocolate Easter Egg Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache and a Popping Candy Surprise Inside

Mamatkamaal @ Moroccan Cuisine Morracaine with Chocolate and Almond Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Cinammon, Chocolate, Pomegranate Macaron

Tina @ My Domestic Inner Bliss with Matrimonial Macarons

Lea @ Aeroflotreh with Dark Chocolate-Espresso Macarons

Janna @ Try It You Might Like It with Chocolate Marble Macarons

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Salty Mint Choc' Macaron

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets with Snicker Macarons

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Mac Attack #18 ... EVERYTHING IS COMING UP CHOCOLATE!

2011-04-03T09:04:00.002+05:30

DECADENTLY CHOCOLATE!

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
- Charles M. Schulz

As John Q. Tullius once said, "Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." And even the most ardent of all macaron haters simply cannot refuse, cannot dislike, cannot but enjoy the perfect chocolate macaron. Yes, for most of us chocolate is the nec plus ultra, the ultimate flavor, perfection itself. It is addictive and sensual, soothing and sublime. We are happy to sit quietly hour after hour and eat gooey brownies, elegant truffles, bon bons one after the next, creamy, dreamy puddings, a slice of rich, decadent chocolate cake dripping with ganache. The addition of nuts or dried fruit or liqueur only serves to heighten the flavor of the chocolate and the sense of delight. No one, I say, no one will or can say no. A gorgeous chocolate macaron, tasting of brownie in one little mouthful, that delicate crack as one bites down into the shell and then quickly finding oneself pulled into the dense, chewy, rich center. Yes, a chocolate macaron is pure heaven!

So, of course, with Easter quickly upon us, Spring (or Autumn) arriving at a gallop and Spring Break not far behind, what better solace from the rambunctiousness and turmoil of the season or what better celebratory feast than chocolate?

This month of April, the MacKitchen is being devoted to chocolate. Chocolate Macarons are taking over!

Now asking you to create a simple chocolate macaron is just too easy for a Mac Attack, isn’t it?! So we want to up the challenge by asking each of you to create something sensational, surprising, unique, something beautiful, delectable, tantalizing, something worthy of a Mac Attack! Use chocolate in some form, some way, whether in the shells or the filling or even both, but blend it, mix it, shake it up with another flavor or two, a spice or a fruit, something sweet or spicy or tart, anything with an alcoholic kick, a novel ingredient which will add texture or flavor or color, something, anything which will accentuate, complement the chocolate flavor and make for one spectacular mac!

Everything is coming up Decadently Chocolate... be inspired! Make sure that your April Macarons have something chocolate about them!

Here are the rules of the game:

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 Decadently Chocolate Macs posted on your own blog by April 25, 2011. And being just a little bit late never hurt anybody...

5. Once your post is up, simply leave the link to the post as a comment to this Mac Attack Challenge post!

The round up will be posted on or about May 1, 2011!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Round up Macttack #17 ... Sugar & Spice & everything nice...and Fruity

2011-04-01T06:31:00.004+05:30

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."
Voltaire

In like a lion, out like a lamb? The food passionate tend to think of the passing calendar and welcome the changing seasons not in terms of animals but rather by what they see at the market. And this change of season from Winter to Spring or from Summer to Autumn, depending on where you are, is measured in fruit. We say goodbye to oranges and grapefruit, figs and pears and get ready for cherries, peaches and plums. We wait impatiently for the first strawberries and raspberries, grab up the late-season tangerines, revel in one more dish with pomegranates and the excitement has already set in! And, of course, as bakers and cooks we cannot think of fruit without wondering which herbs or spices will marry best with our favorite berries, citrus or stone fruit.

And this month of March as she makes way for April has us back in our MacKitchens selecting the perfect fruit and pairing it with the perfect spice, or maybe even two, creating something with which to weather the changing weather, to nibble on as we feel the change of the breeze from warm to cool or back again, something exciting, vibrant and flavorful to jazz up, add a little zip to this usually turbulent period of the year.

And we have! The March Mac Attack challenge had us each cooking up something sweet and fruity with a dash of spice, something sensational to start off the new season! Here, once again, is the amazing roundup! It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

Miel @ Face Your Batter with Light of the Forest {Bamboo Cake} with Macarons

Keksle @ Let Them Eat Keksle with Lavender Macarons with Orange Buttercream

KG @ Kitchen Guardian with Lavender Chamomile Macarons

Roller Scrapper @ Pink Kitchen with Thai Peanut Chili Lime Macaron
&

Cherimoya White Chocolate Macarons with Tajin

Lora @ Diary of a Mad HausFrau with Sumac Macarons with Apricot Filling

Lady Macaron @ Lady Macaron 20ten with Griottines Macarons

Mardi @ Eat,Live,Travel,Write with Lemon Macarons

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Matcha Macarons with Preserved Brandied Cherries in Mascarpone

Arthi @ Soul Curry with Blackberry Cardamom Macs with Vanilla Buttercream
&

Strawberry Holy Basil Macarons

Katie @ Duncan Diaries with Strawberry and Black Pepper Macarons

Sharky Oven Gloves with Blood Orange & Five-spice Macarons

Amrita @ The Sweet Art with Pandan Coconut Macarons with a Ginger Cream Cheese Filling

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with PineLime Spice Macaron

Jamie @ Lifes A Feast with Vanilla Cardamom Macarons with Cherry Mascarpone Cream

Emma @ Poires au Chocolat with Ginger Apple Macarons

Linda @ Bubble and Sweet with Orange & Poppy Seed Macarons

Lea @ Aeroflot Reh with Pineapple & Curry Macarons

Hi Cookery with Lavender Macarons filled with Lavender-Blueberry Dark Chocolate Ganache

Kim @ Macaron Fetish with Swirly Strawberry Macarons with Green Anis

Cecilia @ One Vanilla Bean with Meyer Lemon, Violet, and Vanilla Bean-Rum Macarons

Janna @ Try It You Might Like It with Blueberry Ginger Macarons

Tina @ My Domestic Bliss with Cinnamon Macarons with Durian Ganache

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Mac Attack #17.... SUGAR & SPICE AND EVERYTHING...FRUITY!

2011-03-08T20:41:00.006+05:30

SUGAR & SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE…. AND FRUITY

The afternoon is bright, with spring in the air, a mild March afternoon

- Antonio Machado

March welcomes the first changes from one season to the next, hinting at warmth and sunshine, the coming of springtime for some of us, the chilly days of winter for others. The light is changing swiftly as the days begin to get longer, the air feels differently against our skin and we find ourselves walking with a bounce in our step. We scurry to the market to see what has changed, in the mood to refresh our repertoire with whatever the new season will be bringing with her.

So let’s add a bit of spice to our lives with this change of season challenge, shall we? And gather up the best of the fruit, whatever is available whether spring, summer, winter or autumn fruit, fresh or even frozen, and add a dash of spice to create something to jazz up the month of March. Be the harbingers of the coming season with something new, fresh and lively, incorporating both fruit and spice into one magnificent Macaron!

Now, be off with ye…. And cook up something sweet and fruity with a dash of spice, any you please, sweet or savory and bring something sensational to start off this new season!

Sugar & Spice and Everything….Fruity… make sure your macarons incorporate both a spice and a fruit, at least one of each.

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #17 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Fruit & Spice Macs posted on your own blog by March 25, 2011.

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 April 1, 2011. No foolin'!

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Macs are in the Air Round Up

2011-02-25T19:48:00.003+05:30

Other men said they have seen angels, But I have seen thee And thou art enough.

~ by G. Moore

Another February has come and gone, skipping through the cold gray winter somewhere between the colorful, noisy festive end of the year holidays and lovely, soft, fragrant spring. The exciting snow-filled days and bright starry nights have turned to damp, the bitter chill weighing us down as we slog through the rest of the season. And then smack dab in the middle of the most unforgiving, gloomiest of months, Valentine’s Day arrives like a warm embrace. We may celebrate the day with Champagne and roses, diamonds and candlelight, or the day, the evening may slip by like any other with nary a nod. Some of us even stick our noses defiantly up in the air and claim total disdain for such a holiday. But whether we love the day like old romantics or pretend that it is no more special than the day before or the day after, it is hard to resist the romance that flutters around us, the temptations that tug at our hearts, all the pink and red, the lace and chocolates that fill our every waking moment no matter where we are. Those of us who gather month after month in the Mactweets kitchen and turn out baking sheet after baking sheet of luscious little treats, gorgeous, delicate French macarons, are just a lotta big ole softies.

And so another Valentine’s Day comes and goes on little angel wings and once again we have tied on our aprons, sifted our powdered sugar, ground our almonds and weighed our whites and all in the name of Love and Romance.

Here is our February round up filled with the most beautiful, love-inspired collection of macs for each one of us to delight in. So pop the Champagne and enjoy!

February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March.
- Dr. J. R. Stockton

Linda @ Bubble & Sweet with Conversation Heart Macarons for Valentines

Lady Macaron 20ten with Raspberry & Rose Macarons

Katie @ Duncan Diaries with V Day Macs with Rose flavored Buttercream and Raspberry Jam

HiCookery with Guava Macarons

Honey @ Honey & Soy with Fruit Noir Macarons

Nicisme @ Cherrapeno with Macarons with White Chocolate Cream and Raspberries

Brian and Liz @ Emboite with A Dozen Rose Macarons

Mardi @ Eat, Live, Travel, Write with Egg & Bacon Macarons

Lora @ Diary of a Mad HausFrau with Sea of Love Macarons

Janine @ Not The Kitchen Sink with Pink Vanilla Bean Macarons

Lauren @ Gluten-less Sweet Tooth with Hazelnut and Chocolate Macarons

Arthi @ Soul Curry with Strawberry Rose Macarons

Sarah @ Maison Cupcake with Pink Praline Macarons

Victoria @ The District Chocoholic with Red Velvet Macaron Bouquet

Susan @ French Macaron with My love Mc'Bites: Honeysuckle Pink Raspberry Mc'bouquets, Red Hot Devil (chile pepper), Passion Fruit, Raspberry Hearts, Double Chocolate Mc'Polka Dot, Conversation Macs, Honey Bunny, Sugar and Spice and everything nice macs,Red Velvet Macs and Dulce De Leche

Val @ A Scrumptious Life with Roses and Sarah Bernhardts

KG @ Kitchen Guardian with Rose Macarons

Sandy @ Seattle Pastry Girl with Yuzu Macaron with Candied Grapefruit & Wasabi-Macs

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Mousse-a-cotta with Black Sesame Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Green Tea Macarons

Tina @ My Domestic Bliss with V Day Macs with Coconut Cream Filling

Lilia @ Face Your Batter with Birthday Macaron Madness

Annapet @ The Daily Palette with Red Velvet Macarons

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Mac Attack #16 - MACS ARE IN THE AIR

2011-02-06T20:42:00.006+05:30

Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound

And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes
- John Paul Young, Love is in the Air

THE WHISPER OF SWEET LITTLE NOTHINGS

Ah, who cannot but think of Valentine’s Day as soon as we turn the corner and come nose to nose with February? As hard as we may try, there is just no escaping it. Just try and come up with a different theme as the month of Love and Romance rolls around. We may avert our eyes, look the other way, even stay indoors to avoid any and all temptation, but there it is for all the world to see, shop windows filled with Cupids, bows and arrows at the ready to shoot straight into the heart of every innocent (and not so innocent) passerby, plump satin ribbons wrapped carefully around the most tempting of delicate treats, tumbles of chocolates spilling out of crisp white tissue paper, heart-shaped cookies edged in frosty royal icing curlicues the color of angels’ wings, dense, seductive chocolate pastries and creams, luxuriously rich, decadently smothered under whipped creams and ganaches, dusted with rose petals, kissed by shimmers of spun sugar. How to resist all of these signs of love and romance?

Yet resist we don’t! No matter whether we love or loathe this most controversial of holidays, we are all swept up into the spirit of the day, even the hardest hearts melt under a wave of irresistible romance. Armfuls of roses, red, pink and white, boxes of chocolates and diamonds nestled in tiny velvet boxes, how does one avoid Valentine’s Day and all the expectations, the excitement of both giving and receiving a sign of love to and from the one we love?

February’s Mac Attack is dedicated to Valentine’s Day. There is just no choice, no escaping it! So, with Chet Baker crooning My Funny Valentine, take your romantic heart and scurry into your kitchen and bake a batch of French macarons for that special someone, the lover, the spouse, the best friend, the children, the one whom you want to offer up something special, the one whom you want to make smile. Create something new, something exciting, something wildly romantic! Nothing says I Love You like a sweet little something, the size of a kiss, the flavor of your wildest desire, the macaron.

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. Please make sure that your Mac Attack #16 macarons are inspired by the theme!

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 Valentine's Day Macs posted on your own blog by February 25, 2011.

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 March 1, 2011.

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Mac Attack #15 ... A Round-up of MacInspirational

2011-01-19T20:43:00.002+05:30

January's MacInspirational Challenge was no different than the rest: each and every MacCreation was truly an inspiration! We asked our MacBakers to be inspired, using their macs as part of another dessert creation or turning the dessert world on its head and allowing their favorite non-mac dessert to inspire the little French treat.

The macaron is truly the perfect little backdrop for any flavor combination and a wonderful crispy, sweet and nutty accompaniment to other desserts. This month, our round up is filled favorite desserts decorated or combined with gorgeous macs; cakes, trifles, sundaes, or macarons turned into favorite desserts, inspired in flavor, texture, color. Who says a macaron is just a macaron anymore?

The beginning of a new year, 2011, finds our MacKitchen filled with the same joy and boundless energy as last year, and the macarons just seem to keep getting better and better! Beautiful macs standing on stunning, perfect little feet, amazing colors and an array of flavors that just keeps getting more creative and inventive. So let yourself be inspired and come along for the MacRide! Join in the fun and creativity and bake along with us on our next challenge!

Linda @ Bubble & Sweet with Australia Day Lamington Macarons

Mardi @ Eat Live Travel Write with Vacarons

Arthi @ Soul Curry with Matcha Madness

&

MacInspirational Brown Sugar Cake - Balsamic Roasted Fig Macarons

Lady Macaron @ Lady Macaron with Blackberry & Violet Macarons

Magpie @ Magpies Recipes with Bailleys Macaron Cocktails- Mactails!

KG @ The Kitchen Guardian with Vanilla Bean Macarons with Passion Fruit Buttercream Filling

Deeba @ Passionate About Baking with Strawberries & Cream Mac-O-range Cake

Sarah @ Scrumptious Sally with Black Forest Macs

Victoria @ The District Chocoholic with Heaven & Hell Macarons

Lora @ The Mad HausFrau with Lemon Meringue Macarons

Sandy @ Seattle Pastry Girl with Strawberry & Vanilla Macaron Trifle

Sarah @ Maison Cupcake with Cherry Coke Cake Fest Macarons

Cathy @ Wives With Knives with German Chocolate Cake Macarons

Sanjeeta @ Lite Bites with Srikhand Macarons

Sharky Oven Gloves with “Auld Alliance” Cranachan Macarons

Hi Cookery with Elmo Macarons

Shaz @ Test With Skewer with Passionfruit Ice-cream Sandwich Macaron

Ken @ Hungry Rabbit with Matcha Macarons w Bittersweet Ganache

Carrot & Cherries with Pistachio Macarons with Strawberry Quark

Jenny @ Simple Life Love with Cannoli Macarons

Magpie @ Magpies Recipes with Coffee Macarons with Vanilla Ice Cream & Sprinkles

Cecelia @ One Vanilla Bean with Passion Curd Macarons

Nic @ Cherrapeno with Lemon Meringue Macarons

@lifesafeast and @vindee

Mac Attack #15... MacInspirational!

2011-01-09T15:49:00.008+05:30

Please excuse the lateness in our getting the Mac Attack #14 Roundup posted as both Deeba and Jamie are still a little dulled and crazy from the excitement of the holiday festivities! We wanted to post this next challenge as soon as it was ready so you could all start baking! We are working on the Round Up as we write...{It's up now, just below this post!}

STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH THE OLD AND THE NEW : MACINSPIRATION!

Have you heard what the next Mac Attack challenge is yet?

The Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year celebrations are long past and almost forgotten in the hustle and bustle of our return to “normality”, the usual work, school and blogging schedules. Not to mention cooking and baking routines. We have indulged, overeaten, baked and cooked to our heart’s delight, pulled out all the stops and whistles and served guests galore, and now we return to a more simple, tranquil and restricted way of life: soups and casseroles to warm our families, both body and soul, and salads, vegetables and plenty of fresh fruit to compensate and counteract the festive abundance.

We sit and ponder our new Year’s Resolutions and see the same words, the same promises we made ourselves last year and wonder if we can possibly do any better than last year. We heave a sigh of resignation, our elbow planted on the tabletop, our chin firmly cradled in the upturned palm of our hand and realize that we are in no mood for promises, just plain too tired to reach for the stars. All we want is a little inspiration. And a little comfort. So we pull out a clean sheet of paper, sharpen our pencil and begin making a new list, a list of our favorite things, whatever we turn to for both motivation and reassurance. Our blog sits in front of us and even though we know we should start the new year with a fresh repertoire, although we feel called upon for new ideas, expected to create new flavors and combinations, sometimes all we want is to fall back on what we love the best and hope that with it comes a little inspiration.

Yes, it's up but I need inspiration! What will you be baking?

Happy New Year! The team behind Mactweets, Deeba and Jamie, wish each and every one of you Macbakers a marvelous, creative, joyous 2011! We would like to thank you all for helping us keep the Mackitchen fires burning, encouraging and inspiring each other and bringing such merriment to our space. Sometimes we get a little behind here, but luckily we have you to push us along and motivate us to get out those challenges and keep baking and eating those macarons! We are both greatly looking forward to another fabulous year of macs with you who never fail to amaze us every month, every challenge, with your talent, creativity and zeal!

So this first challenge of 2011, we want to give you both a little rest after the holidays, allow you the enjoy the comfort of a favorite dessert, one you have made over and over again if you like…. but…. At the same time we want you to be inspired as well as inspire the rest of us by combining macarons with it! You can combine or integrate your macarons into any dessert, making it a new part of an old favorite, or turn your macarons into your favorite dessert, inspired in flavor, texture, color. Yes, we’ve all seen (and drooled over) S’mores Macs, Tiramisu Macs, Hot Chocolate Macs…. Now create something new….

Oooh, I gotta think about this one... do you know what flavor macs you'll make?

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 MacInspiration Macs posted on your own blog by January 25, 2011.

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 January 31th, 2011.

@lifesafeast and @vindee