Macarons
Par Laurie le 18 juillet 2016, 15:44 - French pastry bites - Lien permanent
Macarons were the joy of my kids' existence when they were younger. Every time I went to Paris, I had to stop at Ladurée's and buy a box of those enticing little things that were gobbled up in no time when I came home.
They come in two sizes and tons of different colors and flavors. You can even make them as appetizers with foie gras and gingerbread flavor, for Pete's sake! They're good, really, though, to me, macarons are sweet. Period.
Anyway, how did I finally decide to give it a try? Well, I have to admit, I like a good challenge and when was cooking not a competition for me?!
This is the result of my first attempts and the photos. See, being honest about it. Sight-wise, they were less than satisfying but the taste... My kids gobbled them up as if they were baked in their favorite pastry shop.
So, on with the recipe and tips, because vanquishing this recipe is all about tips. The recipe is made with 3 egg whites and I advise you to start with just one and try the recipe for 7 small macarons or 4 big ones.
For 20 small macarons (meaning 40 shells):
200g (about 2 cups) confectioners' sugar
100g (about 1 cup) almond flour
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
flavoring and/or coloring (be careful with that one and remember that less is more)
filling (depending on the taste of the macaron, lemon curd, butterscotch, ganache, jam...)
Blend the sugar and almond flour. Whisk the whites with the salt. Add the flavoring and/or coloring.
As I had not anticipated making macarons the first time I tried them, I simply used red coloring I use for red velvet. The tip of a knife was more than enough for one third of the recipe.
The mixture must be smooth, sticky and glossy. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 mn, uncovered.
Fill in a piping bag and make circles on lightly greased baking sheets. To make small macarons, you need about a tsp of dough. For larger ones, a little less than a Tbsp.
Tap the sheets on the counter to remove any large bubble. Let sit at room temperature, uncovered, for an additional 45 mn.
Bake at 325°F for 10 mn or even less, rotating at half time. My own oven is tricky and I baked my macarons for 10 mn but it was too long and they were not moist and they were hollow too though I had left a small bowl of water in the oven.
Cool on wire racks before filling. My own first macarons being red velvet, I opted for two ganaches – one with dark chocolate and the other one with white chocolate. The white one was perfect in sight and taste. The dark one was good too. If you add cocoa to your macaron or coffee extract, use butterscotch filling. If you opt for fruit macarons, use jelly and if you add lemon or orange juice or extract to the dough, use curd for the filling. Be creative and hashtag me your creations on Twitter or Instagram ;)