The Girls and their New Bakes

The girls have set out to bake or cook something they've never made before. Each month, they'll choose a 'cakey' type thing and a 'foody' type thing, and make it as often as they can to perfect it.

This month, Katie has chosen macaroons as her cake.

These are her first ones. Yes, they'd have to be pink! 

So, what went well with them, Katie? 

Katie: "They had the proper texture on top, and they looked like I expected them to look. I was also a bit concerned that the food colouring might have changed the consistency, but it all seemed fine."

What will you try and improve next time?

Katie: "The temperature and timings will have to be tweaked. I will lower the temperature by about 5-10C, and increase the time in the oven by a few minutes, because most of them were slightly undercooked inside. For the filling, I'd put more white chocolate in the icing, and I'd put only a dot of raspberry jam in the centre - the jam was overpowering the macaroon."

Now onto Catherine's choice: Double chocolate cookies

Strange as it may seem, we've never actually made cookies!

How did you feel these went, Catherine?

Catherine: "Better than expected. The mixture seemed so runny in the bowl. I was sure they were going to be a disaster, but they turned out not too bad - glossy, with a cracked top. Just like they were supposed to!"

Any negatives?

Catherine: They were slightly overcooked, but I think it's simply that I left them in the oven for too long. I reckon the temp was fine. The recipe asked for chunks of chocolate, rather than chocolate chips, but I found the chunks of the darker chocolate too overpowering. I think I'll put chocolate chips in them, or I'll use milk chocolate."

Note from Mum: I loved the chunks of chocolate. 

Now why does that surprise none of you?