Princess macarons and giftwrapping: cutest project ever.

Purple: cassis. Pink: coffee. Why a pink coffee-flavored cookie? Because pink is pretty, that's why!

I am completely obsessed. Today I baked my fourth and fifth batches of macarons in 3 days, and I can't stop making them. Or eating them. If you've tried these gorgeous little indulgences, you know exactly what I mean. It all started three Christmases ago, when I ordered several dozen from L'Epicerie as a gift for my husband. They were fabulous; a crisp outer shell gave way to a chewy, soft center, and between each cookie, an intensely flavored filling. I chose the classic flavors: coffee, vanilla, lemon, raspberry, and pistachio.

Then last weekend, I stumbled upon a food tumblr that had a pretty photo of colorful macarons. That led to a google images search, which yielded a shockingly beautiful collection of macaron pictures. I never considered trying to make my own, but that was before I searched YouTube for how-tos. Here's the best one I found, courtesy of FoodNouveau.

Naturally, once I made a ton of cookies, I started thinking about how I'd package them. For my friend April, I made a simple Parisian-themed wrapping. Call me old-fashioned, but I like matching the wrapping elements to the cookies.

These are straight-up princess cookies.

Then I remembered my bows-to-go boxes and realized they'd make a cute container for the macarons, too!

I encourage you to try making your own macarons. They might seem intimidating, and the process is a bit technical, but once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake. Well, you know what I mean. Valentine's Day is about a month away, so you've got time to practice. Give your sweetheart something beautiful, tasty, and handmade!

Good luck - give pretty!

Lovely and sweet: a shower of gifts for baby and mom

Happy 2013, friends! The new year is off to a great start, especially for my friend April, who's expecting a baby girl in a just few weeks. Since I missed her baby shower (stupid flu!) she and I had a make-up date recently. I gave the customary onesies and hats for baby (above, materials: yuzen paper from Kate's Paperie, plain gold paper, broad purple ribbon, sheer gold ribbon, and a little pearl charm), but wanted to give April a little something, too.

So I made her a mix of nice tunes to enjoy on her own, or as she's rocking her baby to sleep. I didn't have a lot of time to wrap it, so I just dressed it up with a cute bow.

Lastly, a yummy treat. I've become obsessed with macaron cookies lately, so made a little batch for April. Macarons are exquisite sandwich cookies made of egg whites, sugar, and almond flour with a flavorful filling. They are also the most beautiful google image search subject ever. It was fun to package them in a simple box with Tim Holtz tissue tape, a narrow ribbon, and a cute Eiffel Tower charm. (Because macarons are SO Parisian!) Sweet occasions call for sweet prezzies, right?

Stand by for another post on macarons, a cute and colorful one! Until then, take care and give pretty.