Stella's bridal shower extravaganza - high tea and brunch with mini macarons, scones, crossaint and cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, cupcakes and more!

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The countdown is on for my beautiful Stella's big day!! And what better to celebrate her last few days as a single gal with a bridal shower with lotsa games, high tea, desserts and happy drinks? :D

We started off with decorating her lovely friend's house with colorful streamers and set out the food - most assembled or baked fresh by the talented Kathychee and Super C! These chicken salad stuffed croissants, mini cucumber sandwiches and super tasty deviled eggs are just the start!

Smoked salmon with capers and a vege with dip tray rounded out the savory platter.. I have to confess, I ate so many of the deviled eggs.. sooo tasty!! Super C, I need to get this recipe!

Yumyumyummy!!

And the high tea sweet yummies!! Starting with a selection of nice moist mini cupcakes with light airy buttercream frosting from Fuss. Me and MightyT discovered chopsticks made an excellent method of transferring them to the platter without mussing up the pretty finish :)

And kathychee's amazing mini macarons! These light, crisp and airy macarons were colored to reflect Stella's wedding colors and filled with a tasty chocolate ganache... we all admitted we could have easily just ate the entire plate to ourselves!! **recipe at the end of post!

Its not high tea without mini cucumber sandwiches and freshly baked scones (thanQ kathychee!)... To be slathered with plenty of jam and a big dollop of cream of course!

Our "tea" heehee, was spiked fruit punch... which was refreshed with generous splashes of rum throughout the brunch.. :D

We snacked on chocolate covered strawberries as we played games throughout the afternoon, showered the special lady with gifts, and then headed off to Sumo Sumo for dinner in the evening. All the best to you Stella and your soon to be very lucky hubby!! And we now its time for us to all scramble to check off our lists and do last minute organizational things for your big day!!! *HUGS!!!*

Martha Stewart's French Macarons
Ingredients For the Macarons
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
Suggested Fillings for Macarons
Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients for chocolate ganache - Makes 3/4 cup ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (preferably 70 percent cacao 1/2 ounce unsalted butter, softened
How to for chocolate ganache
Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.
How to for Macarons:
Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations
Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.
KathyChee's tips
1. Mix in the food coloring well unless you're aiming for a color gradient on your macarons - just as pretty!
2. Piping the macaroon: DO use a piping bag (like this one: Wilton 12-Inch Featherweight Decorating Bag), as using a small spoon instead will cause a lot of curses to float out of your kitchen. Pipe it like a rosette, bringing the pastry tip to the side of the circlular blob of goo, rather than forming a peak, to finish so you get a smooth circle and not a pointy macaron.
3. Always remember to tap the cookie sheet or silicone sheet (DeMarle Silpat) once you're all done piping or your macarons will crack! Whoops.
4. Save yourself a lot of headache and grumbling - put your ganache into a piping bag with a small tip to make your life sooo much easier! (I like using the one that came in this little kit:Wilton 18pc Starter Cake Decorating Set ) 
5. They tasted just as good the next day if you store in an airtight container.

Fuss Cupcakes
Address 17298 Stony Plain Road NW, Edmonton, AB T5S1K6 and 10441 82nd Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6E2A2
Phone (780)444-8845/(780)761-3877
Hours
West End location Mon-Sat 10am–7pm, Sun noon–5pm, Holidays noon–5pm
Whyte Ave location Mon-Thur 10am–9pm, Fri-Sat 10am–10pm, Sun noon–9pm



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