New Obsession: Macaroons

Ingredients

Makes about 16 filled macaroons

• 1 1/4 cups plus 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup (4 ounces) finely ground sliced, blanched almonds
• 6 tablespoons fresh egg whites (from about 3 extra-large eggs)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
•  Macaroon Filling   

Directions

1. To make the macaroons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and ground almonds. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners' sugar mixture until completely incorporated.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch #4 round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. The batter will spread a little. Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macaroons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 15 minutes.
3. Bake, with the door of the oven slightly ajar, until the surface of the macaroons is completely dry, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment. Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macaroons from the parchment. Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
4. To fill the macaroons: Fill a pastry bag with the filling. Turn macaroons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling. Sandwich these with the remaining macaroons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
5. Variations: To make coffee-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops brown food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, blend 1/2 cup macaroon filling with 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon warm water for the filling. To make cassis-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops purple food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, use 1/3 cup good-quality cassis jam for the filling. To make pistachio-flavored macaroons: In step 1, add 2 drops green food coloring to the egg whites after they are whipped. In step 4, combine 1/2 cup macaroon filling with 1 tablespoon pistachio paste for the filling.

New addition to the Prevatte Family

Cole Kiptyn Prevatte
Born: 12/28/2010

Saint Patrick's Day

The key to a great themed party is to keep everything simple. The number one mistake I see made is people going overboard on the cheap decorations. Add little touches of the holiday to your everyday table setting and you will have a classic/clean looking event.

Champagne + Blush for Spring 2011

Halloween Treats

I’ve been searching the web for great Halloween treats….desserts you can make for adults and kids alike!

Here are my picks for the best around the web:


1.Chocolate Candy Corn Truffles
2.Halloween S’Mores
3.Butterscotch Caramels
4.Candy Corn Cake Wedges
5.Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
6.Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Marshmallow Filling
7.M & M Pumpkin Cake
8.Marshmallow Ghosts

Thanks for making Natalie Prevatte Events #1

2010 Best Wedding Planner in Spokane Washington

Summer Party Inspiration and Ideas

Country Living has a great section on their site for summer party ideas . . . and with the Independence holiday weekend quickly approaching; I knew I had to share with you some of the great photos and ideas. I thought they'd be perfect for a festive 4th party that might also be an engagement party or rehearsal dinner. The ideas could also be used for a backyard bridal shower or even a wedding.

Wrap sparkling water, lemonade, food jars, and soda bottles in pattern paper that is secured with double-sided tape. You can either make use of leftover pieces of gift wrap or wallpaper that match your color scheme.

I absolutely LOVE this idea. Anchor your tablecloths with pails of wildflowers - simply fill tiny tin buckets with flowers and about an 1/2 inch of water. Using a clip and string or narrow ribbon, tie and knot one end around the bucket's handle and the other end to the clip.

Using hibiscus syrup, which comes with the edible flowers - you can make 2 different drinks from the one ingredient. For one drink, the syrup adds a floral note and a red tinge to iced tea. For a second drink, you can add one of the hibiscus flowers to a flute of champagne.

A great way to keep bugs out of the side dishes is to serve them in single-serving lidded glass jars and then each guest receives their own individual portion.

Serve up a fun and unexpected dessert for guests with a simplified Sundae Bar. Pre-dip the cones in melted white or milk chocolate, then roll in goodies, such as tiny marshmallows, coconut, nuts, etc. Serve the cones with a selection of ice cream flavors that are chilled in a tub of ice. Guests then help themselves.