ONE TWO THREE MACARONS

Posted in macarons by sallybr

One color, two colors, three colors, that is…

Starting from the simplest, the idea is to try to match the shell with the sprinkle, and then choose a contrasting tone for the drizzle. Easy-peasy. What I loved the most about these macarons? The filling. Black Sesame Ganache. It cuts the excessive sweetness of the white chocolate, and echoes the nut component of the shell. I will be making that again for sure. For all macarons, use the basic recipe below.

ONE COLOR

BLACK SESAME MACARONS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

For the shells:
200g Icing/powdered sugar
115 g Ground Almonds/Almond Meal
115 g egg whites at room temperature (approx. 4 eggs)
1/8 tsp of cream of tartar
100 g granulated sugar
¼ tsp vanilla paste or extract

for the black sesame ganache:
300 g white chocolate, cut in small pieces
100 g heavy cream
1 tablespoon black sesame powder
1 tsp black sesame seeds

to decorate:
Candy melts + food gel dye + sprinkles

Make the shells:
Line 3 heavy baking sheets with parchment/baking paper or Silpat mats. Layer the powdered sugar, and ground almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal, about 12 pulses. Pass through a sieve and transfer to a small bowl or to a sheet of parchment/baking paper. Set aside.

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure that the bowl and the whisk are impeccably clean. Starting on medium speed, whip the whites with the cream of tartar until they look like light foam. The whites should not appear liquid. The foam will be light and should not have any structure.

Slowly rain in the granulated sugar in five additions, trying to aim the stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Turn the speed up to high. Continue to whip the meringue until it is soft and shiny. It should look like marshmallow creme (marshmallow fluff). Add the vanilla. Whip the egg whites until the mixture begins to dull and the lines of the whisk are visible on the surface of the meringue. Check the peak. It should be firm. Transfer the whites to a medium bowl.

Fold in the ground almond/almond meal mixture in two increments. Paint the mixture halfway up the side of the bowl, using the flat side of a spatula. Scrape the mixture down to the center of the bowl. Repeat two or three times, then check to see if the mixture slides slowly down the side of the bowl. Put the mixture in a piping bag fitted with your choice of piping tip (for rosette macarons, use a Wilton 1M type). If you don’t have a macaron mat, draw circles on baking/parchment paper about 2inches/5cm in diameter & turn the paper over before placing on the baking sheets. Pipe shells, I like to count numbers in my head and use the same count for each shell so they end up similar in size.

I pipe inside the circles to about 1 ¾ inches/4.5cm but you can go to 1 ½ inches (3.8cm) & the macarons will spread & fill the circle while drying.

Slam each sheet hard four to six times on the counter/worktop. Do not slam the sheets if you are making rosette macarons, just let them dry. Let the unbaked macarons dry until they look dull but not overly dry. Drying time depends on humidity. In a dry climate, the macarons can dry in 15 to 20 minutes; in a humid climate, it can take 35 to 40 minutes. Rosette macarons benefit from longer drying time.

While the macarons are drying, heat the oven to 300 F (150 C/130C Fan oven/Gas Mark 2). Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack. Check in 11 minutes. If the tops slide or move (independently of the ‘feet’ when you gently twist the top), then bake for 2 to 3 more minutes. Check one or two. If they move when gently touched, put them back in the oven for 1 to 2 more minutes until they don’t move when touched. Let the macaroons cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. The macarons should release without sticking.

For the black sesame ganache:
Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan, add the black sesame powder (you can grind enough sesame seeds in a spice grinder until you get the right amount, or use store-bought powder). Bring to a gentle boil, shut down the heat, cover the pan and allow it to sit for 20 minutes. Bring it gently back to a simmer again, drizzle on top of the chocolate. After a couple of minutes, gently mix with a spatula until the chocolate melts. Add the sesame seeds. Bring to room temperature or place in the fridge for a couple of hours. Use a handheld mixer to whip the ganache lightly before using to fill the shells.

Assemble the macarons: match two shells similar in size and add ganache to the bottom of one of them. Place another shell on top and gently squeeze to take the filling all the way to the edge.

To decorate the macarons, melt Candy Melts in the microwave, add black food dye and use to drizzle the top. Add sprinkles before the candy melt hardens.

Store the macs in the fridge for 24 hours for perfect texture.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The ganache made a little more than I needed for all the shells, I used it later to make some shortbread sandwich cookies, and it worked quite well also. The only thing to be concerned about when you do a white chocolate ganache is to make sure to increase the proportion of chocolate, or you will end up with a filling that is too soft, even if you whip it. I hope you try this filling.

TWO COLORS

CHERRY BLOSSOM MACARONS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

basic macaron recipe above
Divide the batter in two portions, keep one white
Add a drop of pink food gel to the second portion

Place small amounts of batter in alternating colors over a layer of plastic wrap. Enclose the batter by wrapping the plastic around it, then place it inside a piping bag fitted with your choice of piping tip (see composite picture below).

Add sprinkles right after piping, before a skin forms.

for the filling:
8 ounces white chocolate
1/2 cup black cherry jam
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 tsp Sakura essence

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water on low heat. Stir chocolate until melted. Remove from heat, and whisk in jam, heavy cream and Sakura essence. Cover and chill 2 hours, or until cold. Whip it with a hand-held electric mixer until it reaches a good consistency for piping. Transfer ganache to a piping bag and use to fill shells.

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The way you place the different colors inside the piping bag will affect the final look of the shells. In this case, adding them in a random pattern, you’ll get quite unique swirls as you pipe along, it’s really a lot of fun. Yes, I know, I am too easily amused. You could omit the sprinkles and go just for the swirl look, but I liked the added layer of decoration they provided. Plus, I need to justify my compulsion to buy sprinkles so if there is ANY chance of incorporating them into a cookie… there they shall be.

THREE COLORS

PISTACHIO MACARONS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

same basic recipe as above

Divide the batter in 3 portions. 3/4 will be dyed very light green (I used Sugar Art Master Elite Kiwi); the remaining will be divided in two small portions, and dyed darker green (I used Artisan Accents Forest Green), and coral (I used Sugar Art Master Elite Flame). Place the light green batter in a regular piping bag fitted with your favorite tip. Place the other colors in small piping bags, no tips needed. Cut a small opening right before using.

Pipe a slightly smaller shell than you need using the light green batter. Make about 6 shells and stop. Immediately use the other two colors to make your chosen designs. Continue piping until you use all the batter. If you have leftovers of any color, just pipe small macs or donut macs to use them up. Bang the tray very gently to release bubbles and bake.

for the pistachio ganache:
150 g white chocolate, cut in small pieces
40 g heavy cream
2 tablespoons pistachio paste
tiny amount of green food color (optional)

Bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil in a saucepan. Add to the chocolate together with the pistachio paste, and whisk until melted. You might need to use the microwave very briefly. Add green food dye if you like. Leave it at room temperature or in the fridge for a couple of hours, then whip lightly with a handheld mixer. Use to fill the shells.

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These are SO MUCH FUN! A little departure on my first attempt at a similar decoration technique. Ok, I admit that if you are a beginner at macaron adventures, it might be better to practice a bit with a regular macaron, then move to the two-color version before attempting these. The only problem is that you need to work fast. But the possibilities for designs are endless, really. I also think that for this particular type, you are better off with the French meringue method. It is a bit too convoluted to do the Italian meringue and divide it in three portions, considering you have to divide the egg whites and the colors in meringue and almond-sugar portions, so the whole thing becomes a bit too complex for my taste. Two-colors would be doable, but three or more? I prefer to stick with the French meringue. But if you find a way to do it and the Italian meringue is your favorite method, let me know your secrets…

My first post in the 12th year of blogging had to be my favorite thing to bake. No matter how many mirror glazes, mousse cakes, sourdough breads, or cookies I make, macarons will always have a special place in my heart.

ONE YEAR AGO: Marshmallow Macarons

TWO YEAR AGO: Fujisan Bread

THREE YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Tomatoes with Hazelnut Pesto & Halloumi Cheese

FOUR YEARS AGO: Red Velvet Layered Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Lemon-Lavender Bars

SIX YEARS AGO: Quinoa Fried Rice

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

EIGHT YEARS AGO: The Secret Recipe Club: Granola Bars

NINE YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

TEN YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

6Jul2017

KALEIDOSCOPIC MACARONS

Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

One more take on my ongoing obsession… But first, a relevant question: how far can we stretch the boundaries of these adorable cookies and still be comfortable calling them macarons? Apparently the boundaries are very blurry. From colors, types of fillings, decorations on top of the shells, we see endless variations. I cannot call myself a purist, as I am often taking liberties with classics, but I think my standards would be: macarons must be prepared with almond flour as the main component. If other ground nuts are added, let them be a very minor player. Must contain a meringue incorporated with the flour by the macaronage method. Must have discernible feet. Other than those three requirements, I’ll accept anything. Savory fillings, neon-like colors, cute alternative shapes. For this batch, I experimented with a color effect. Some newbie errors took place, but I still performed better than I do at the golf course. Much, much better.

KALEIDOSCOPIC MACARONS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, slightly adapted from Craftsy.com,

Yield: About 72 shells; 36 assembled macarons

for the shells:
198 g powdered sugar
113 g almond meal
1/8 teaspoon dried lavender
113 g egg whites (I aged mine for three days)
1 g or a pinch of cream of tartar
100 g granulated sugar
Purple Gel color from AmeriColor
2 drops vanilla extract
for the filling:
chocolate ganache with finely chopped hazelnuts
recipe in this post

Line 2 or 3 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Layer the powdered sugar, almond meal and lavender in a food processor or mini processor. Pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal, about 15 seconds. Pass through a sieve and transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.

Place the egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure that the bowl and the whisk are impeccably clean. Starting on medium speed, whip the whites with the cream of tartar until they look like light foam. The whites should not appear liquid. The foam will be light and should not have any structure.

Slowly rain in the granulated sugar, trying to aim the stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Turn the speed up to medium-high. Continue to whip the meringue until it is soft and shiny. It should look like marshmallow creme. Add the gel color and the vanilla. Staying at medium-high speed, whip the egg whites until the mixture begins to dull and the lines of the whisk are visible on the surface of the meringue. Bet until firm peaks form. Transfer the whites to a medium bowl.

Fold in the almond meal mixture in three increments. Paint the mixture halfway up the side of the bowl, using the flat side of a spatula. Scrape the mixture down to the center of the bowl. Repeat two or three times, then check to see if the mixture slides slowly down the side of the bowl. Open a plastic wrap on the counter, paint three lines of gel color of your choice separated by one inch. Pour the dough on top, wrap the plastic around, and insert the whole thing in a piping bag, making sure to have an opening in the wrap connected to the piping tip. Pipe shells on the prepared baking sheets.

Slam each sheet hard four to six times on the counter. Then fist bump each end of the sheet’s underside twice. Let the unbaked macarons dry until they look dull but not overly dry. Drying time depends on humidity. Ina dry climate, the macarons can dry in 15 to 20 minutes; in a humid climate, it can take 35 to 40 minutes.

While the macarons are drying, heat the oven to 330 F (170 C/gas mark 3). Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack. Check in 11 minutes. If the tops slide, then bake for 2 to 3 more minutes. The macarons should release without sticking. Check one or two. If they stick, put them back in the oven for 1 to 2 more minutes. Let the macaroons cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Assemble the macarons: find two macarons similar in size and add a good amount of ganache to the bottom of one of them. Place the other on top and squeeze gently to take the filling all the way to the edge. Ideally, store in the fridge for 24 hours for best texture.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I know it’s hard to believe but I used three different colors for the shells, the green is barely noticeable, only in a few of them. Many of the shells got zero color. Puzzling? Read on, and the mystery will be solved. There are essentially two types of strategies to get more than one color in the macaron shell. You can make the dough, divide it in two (or three) portions, color each one separately, add them to the piping bag and allow them to mix during piping. I decided not to do it, because I was a bit insecure as to when to divide the dough, and maybe deflate it too much when mixing with the colors. I normally add the color very early in the process. That brings me to method number two, which gives a very interesting marbled effect, when done correctly. You start by opening a plastic wrap over your counter. Then, you paint two or three solid lines of gel color over the plastic. Pour your dough with the optimal lava consistency over the plastic, wrap it around, and insert the whole thing inside a piping bag. See the photo below.

I realize it’s hard to see the lines of gel color on the first picture, but trust me, they are there. To my disappointment, the first 20 or so shells I piped were totally white! The reason is, when painting the lines they must go all the way to the icing tip, otherwise obviously you’ll get no color until the dough moves through and gets in touch with the gel. Alternatively, you can use a long brush and paint the inside of the piping bag itself, making sure to reach down all the way to the tip. I must re-visit this technique and get the effect I was hoping for. It was quite frustrating to keep piping shell after shell, with no color, and then a little bit here and there. But hopefully practice makes perfect, and I will succeed next time.

As I mentioned before, the parallels between making macarons and golf are truly amazing! Once you take that golf club back, it’s over. For macarons, a little misjudgment and you don’t get what you want. The Macaron Gods are not very forgiving. And I’ve probably been extra naughty lately. You’d think?