Macarons can be one tough cookie. They are fickle and finicky and many things can go wrong while baking them. But never fear, with just a few simple tips, you can easily master these delicious and oh so trendy cookies. 

Start with aged egg whites. What does this mean? Leave your cracked eggs in a covered container for up to three days. This dehydrates them, so you have a stable and firm meringue. 

Your almond meal should be fine enough that you can sift it through a sieve. Most store bought almond flours are too course. The easiest fix? Give it a quick pulse through a food processor and you should be good to go. 

Liquid food coloring will alter the recipe more than you'd think. Make sure you use gel food coloring so your recipe stays true to its original balance. 

Once you've piped your macarons onto your baking sheet. I love to tap my baking sheet on the edge of the counter harshly to work out any remaining air bubbles. 

To prevent cracks in while baking, allow your piped macarons time to dry before backing. I suggest waiting at least 30 minutes, then just touch the top with your finger and if nothing sticks, you are good to go. 

Hopefully these tips gave you one or two ah-hah! moments. You can find Peggy's famous LAVENDER LEMON MACARON RECIPE HERE. Happy baking!

Popovers are my fave. They are fluffy, buttery, and full of carbs. Who wouldn't love that combo? This particular popover recipe is my favorite because you can utilize just a regular old muffin tin rather than purchasing a fancy popover pan. The less gadgets cluttering my kitchen, the better, right? 

My husband was utterly impressed impressed by this recipe and ate half the pan before I could even try one! They were even better when topped with our Lavender Apple Honey found HERE. 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon butter, melted 

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a blender, mix everything together until it looks frothy. Let the popover batter rest while the oven pre-heats to 450 degrees. Use a large muffin tin pan that serves 6. Put the empty muffin tin in the oven for 2 minutes to warm it up. Remove it from the oven and melt an extra 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave, and then divide the butter between the cups. Pulse the batter in the blender once more to make it bubble and then fill each cup. Bake for 15 minutes. Resist the urge to open the oven door while they bake or you will unpop your popovers. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes. Your popovers should be golden brown and dry to the touch and sound hollow when you tap on them. 

Eat and enjoy! I'm hungry just thinking about it! 

Sometimes your food is just so delicious, you don't care about taking a pretty photo. These rolls speak for themselves, so let your taste buds rather than your eyes do the talking. 

(Taken from the Nelson Family Cook Book)

2 tbs dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Beat eggs well and add to yeast. Scaled milk, stir in sugar and salt and eggs. Let cool until warm. Add yeast to mixture. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, beating well with fork. Gradually add the remaining flour. Keep the dough rather sticky. Lift out dough and grease bowl on all sides. Knead dough in bowl for 2 minutes. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Punch down dough and knead for 15 seconds. Let rise for another hour. Form into desired shapes and place in buttered pans. Let rise for at least an hour. Bake at 375 for 12-17 minutes or until light golden brown. Yields 1 1/2 dozen, feel free to double or triple the recipe! 

Bon Appetite!