The flowers are blooming and the sun is shining which in my opinion is the perfect excuse to bake an elegant pastry and share it with family and friends.
The macaron made its way from Italy to France during the 1500s and the first written recipe appeared in France in the 17th century. These adorable cookie sandwiches have been popular and trendy ever since and many variations have been made of the original version.
Macarons are made up of almond flour, egg whites and powdered sugar and are often confused with macaroons. Macaroons also originated from Italy but are made with shredded coconut instead of almond flour. They became popular with the European Jewish community. When it comes down to it, both types involve egg whites and sugar but when it’s all said and done, they look and taste completely different. Though they may be pricey to make and require a delicate process, you will be glad you made them in the end.
Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
Instructions
The night before you make them, separate the egg whites and put them in a container in the fridge overnight to age. Take them out about 1 hour before you make them and bring to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 320° Fahrenheit and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, in a food processor blend the almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt until you get a fine texture. Next, sift the mixture into a medium sized bowl. If you don’t have a food processor just skip that step and sift the mixture twice. Set aside.
With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until you get a frothy consistency. Then slowly add the sugar. Once the egg whites turn white and you are able to see some lines forming, go ahead and add the cream of tartar. Whip until soft peaks form. Next, add the vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form.
Slowly add a little of the almond flour mixture to the egg whites and gently fold. Keep adding more of the flour mixture until it’s all mixed in. Continue to fold until you are able to make a figure 8 with the batter.
On your lined baking sheets, begin to pipe very small (about 1u0022 diameter) rounds using either a piping bag or a cake decorating tool with a large rounded tip.
Tap the pans on the table about 5 or 6 times to release any air bubbles. Using a toothpick, carefully poke the big air bubbles trapped under the surface and smooth over. Let sit for about 30 minutes or until you are able to run your finger across each cookie without getting batter on it.
Bake them for about 14 minutes or until they have slightly risen and pull away from the parchment without sticking. Let them cool completely before removing from the pans and filling with the buttercream and ganache.
Take one cookie shell and fill with either the ganache or raspberry buttercream. Place another shell on top and gently push down a little. Store in a container in the fridge. Enjoy!
We all know making macarons isn’t the easiest of tasks but there are some secrets I learned along the way:
1. How you prepare the egg whites makes all the difference. Do not forget to age them overnight and bring to room temperature before whipping. This reduces the moisture in them and gives it a fluffier consistency.
2. Do not leave out the cream of tartar! Some recipes may not use it, but it gives the whites more volume and whips faster. The cookies may flatten in the oven when baking and not rise properly if you don’t use the cream of tartar.
3. There is no need to place dots of batter in the four corners of your baking sheet. It just wastes batter and makes a mess.
4. Pipe SMALL amounts of batter. If you put too much, there’s no going back. It will level out once it has a chance to set. It’s always good to start small and keep adding.
Simple Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
Instructions
Place all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and heat for one minute. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes then whisk until smooth. Place into the refrigerator for 20 minutes until thickened. Pipe small amounts onto the cookie shells.
Raspberry Buttercream
Ingredients
Instructions
Cream the butter and cream cheese until fully combined and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and blend. Then, add the jam, vanilla and salt. Once mixed together, add the milk and blend until smooth. Pipe small amounts onto the cookie shells.
#SpoonTip: Macarons make a cute gift! Arrange them in a festive box with some homemade confetti.
It’s up to you how fancy or traditional you want to get. In this day and age, there are SO many varieties to try. Once you master the basic recipe, you can start getting creative with different food colorings and combinations. Macarons definitely take a little trial and error but are so satisfying and delicious when you get them right. Make a batch and invite your friends over for a tea party or save them for yourself.