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Once I was a TV producer as stressed as could be
I always found peace while diving in the sea
Criss crossing the world, exploring reef by reef
Utterly transported by beauty beyond belief
One fateful Costa Rican underwater escape
My diving adventures took an entirely new shape
Single and excited I boarded the OKEANOS without dread
I was just jonzin’ to see hammerhead after hammerhead
Everyone’s tanks were hooked up to Nitrox with care
I stood there blinking because I really wanted to dive Air
Hmmm, a 36 hour crossing was time enough to take the test
But all I really wanted to do was go to my cabin and rest
One other diver, like me, didn’t want to study
So he asked me to be his Cocos Island dive buddy
While everyone else Nitroxed, we dove Air
That how we became the L&B scuba pair
We had so much fun, diving together was sublime
And it turned out we both lived in Munich at the time
And it turned out we both lived in Munich at the time
I admit I was captivating in my leopard print dive suit
And in a nerdy old red dive skin, Dr. B was so cute
I was super impressed with his diving style of zen
His dive medicine degree made me feel safe times ten
We spent 11 days frolicking with fishies, rays and sharks
Both of us sort of ignoring the igniting of sparks
I was super impressed with his diving style of zen
His dive medicine degree made me feel safe times ten
We spent 11 days frolicking with fishies, rays and sharks
Both of us sort of ignoring the igniting of sparks
But when we returned home, it became abundantly clear
I moved to Munich for more than work, Oktoberfest and Beer
From the alps to the sea, we’ve had an amazing romance
By motorcycle, convertible, train, boat, plane and chance
Egypt, Grenada, Thailand, Myanmar, Lisbon, Belize
Verona, London, Dublin, New York, LA, the Maldives
Las Vegas, Cortina, Berlin, Amsterdam, Isla guadaloupe
Vienna, Kitzbühel, San Francisco, Lake Guarda, Antwerp
By motorcycle, convertible, train, boat, plane and chance
Egypt, Grenada, Thailand, Myanmar, Lisbon, Belize
Verona, London, Dublin, New York, LA, the Maldives
Las Vegas, Cortina, Berlin, Amsterdam, Isla guadaloupe
Vienna, Kitzbühel, San Francisco, Lake Guarda, Antwerp
While together we traveled the world both above and below
I knew in my heart he was much more than my beaux
I had found an underwater creature that I never did wish
I knew in my heart he was much more than my beaux
I had found an underwater creature that I never did wish
To my surprise I’d hooked me an incredible husbandfish
So these macarons are dedicated to the one I love
From both under the ocean and on land up above
Our sea of love flows on even stronger today
And it’s still in the ocean where we love to play
Those lovely Mactweets ladies of macaron love, Jamie and Deeba, challenged us to create a Valentine’s Day macaron dedicated to the one we love.
Of course I thought about my husband, but mostly about the crazy way we met so I wrote a silly love poem to illustrate the story. People think it’s funny or wacky or bechert we met in Costa Rica diving with hammerhead sharks even though we both lived in the same city in Germany.
There’s a lot more to the saga involving the local frogfish being terrorized by an idiot dive master, my chronic inability to pull myself into a dingy, a ton of missed connections, an underwater kiss on the hand and a huge double rainbow. But I will save those details for another time.
The mac shells are plain, I just colored them and piped them into a heart shape. The addition of the chocolate liqueur to the buttercream really kicked up the flavor a notch.
Sea of Love Macarons with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Buttercream
For the Shells:
I used the Tartelette’s basic recipe (Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements) and adding extract and color.
Ingredients:
- 3 egg whites – aged at least 2 days. Let them sit out on the counter uncovered.
- 25-50 grams of fine granulated sugar
- 200 grams of powdered sugar
- 110 Grams of almond flour*
- 1 or more dabs of paste or gel food coloring
*You can buy almond flour that has been ground with or without the skin. I use the later (blanched). The former looks really nice if you are not coloring the shells. You can also grind your own almond flour by putting whole or sliced almonds in a food processor or blender. If you do, make sure you throw a little of the powdered sugar in to prevent the almonds from forming a paste.
Directions:
- Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together or pulse them together briefly in a food processor. Make sure there are no large pieces and set aside.
- Whip the egg whites. When they start to get foamy, slowly add the sugar. Continue whipping until you can turn the bowl upside down and nothing slides out. (I also add a pinch each of salt and cream of tartar)
- Add the powdered sugar/almond mixture to the egg white mixture and fold, using quick strokes at first then slow down. No more than 50 strokes all together. The batter should have a “flowing like lava” consistency. Here is where I added blue gel food coloring.
- Fill a Pastry bag and pipe V shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a Silpat.
- Let the macarons dry for about one hour until they harden.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- I keep the oven door propped open with a dish towel or wooden spoon. Try to refrain from obsessive peeping to see if they get feet.
- Let cool completely and then match up the shells into pairs according to size.
For the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Buttercream filling:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 stick butter softened
- 1+1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur
Directions:
- Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave.
- Beat butter until fluffy and add chocolate.
- Add liqueur and blend.
- Add powdered sugar a little at a time.
Fill a pastry bag or snip the corner off a zip lock bag, fill with the buttercream and pipe the filling into the shells.
8 comments
Excellent poem of your love history and travels! Makes your Sea of Love macs all the more meaningful. You are way creative, Lora. Always look forward to seeing your MacTweets posts!
Awwww. Lovely post Lora, love the colour of your macs. And veery good catch that husbandfish 🙂 I did my Nitrox dive with my dad as dive buddy, felt very safe 🙂 (Haven't dived since I left home though, can't stand the cold water!)
I absolutely love how the challenges bring out the best in you, and this one has to be the BEST one yet Lora! Beautifully written poem … MAGIC & fun!! I always look forward to your mac posts! HUGS!!
What a magical story of how you met and as a result a great macaron that is a little outside of the valentine box but fits perfectly.
it must have been fate, to meet your husband in costa rica when you guys were from the same place 🙂
love the color and the shells! I tried piping heart shaped shells and they turned out horribly mis-shapened!
That's my girl!
Oh this is such a lovely and love-filled, romantic post! And the macs are just as romantic and beautiful! How perfect is it?
Sounds like a mermaid's dream come true! Wow, you've been to some amazing places and your hearts look fantastic. I'm too scared to even try piping them they look really difficult.