Macarons

Macarons are decidedly Parisian and one of my favourite desserts.  I mean - how can one possibly resist the cute factor and the lovely abundant colours they come in! 

We cannot visit Paris without picking up a stash of these goodies at Macarons Gourmands.  Although Ladurée is a more recognizable brand (and has even recently opened a store in New York), we have found the ones offered by Macarons Gourmands to be delectable.   

Following some research, there are quite a few recipes / variations - some requiring, such as the classic Ladurée recipe, cream of tartar others requiring the skins be left on the almonds.  I've tried a couple of these recipes and, in all honesty, all have worked out for me.  The key is to understand the techniques and the consistency you are looking for at each stage.

Some quick tips:

1.       Egg whites should be at room temperature and several recipes require aged egg whites (some instruct to leave the egg whites at room temperature, slightly covered, for 24 hours, while others simply state to use egg whites that have been aged for 3 days).

2.       There are a few different takes on the speed at which the egg whites need to be whipped at - some say start low and increase to medium, while others call for whipping them at medium-high speed the entire time.  I tend to stick with a lower speed and then increase towards the end of the beating process.  

3.       Only start adding the granulated sugar once the egg whites have started to foam.  Slowly sprinkle the sugar a tablespoon at a time.  Do not dump it all in at once.   

4.       Stop the machine every few whips once you start seeing the whisk markings in the mixture.  You are done when you remove the whisk and the egg whites left on the whisk form a point that stands straight up (aka stiff peaks) instead of flopping over (known as soft peaks).  Be sure not to over whip the egg whites as they will turn back to liquid form. 

5.       An interesting tip I read was to add a few drops of lemon juice (or any type of acid, such as cream of tartar) to the egg whites to help with stability.  I have made some with and without the acid and they have both turned out.

6.       Almonds need to be ground as finely as possible.  The first time I made macarons, I had whole blanched almonds, which I ground with the icing sugar.  I did get around to purchasing some ground almonds; however, they were still a little too coarse for my liking, so I ended up grinding that batch with the icing sugar until the mixture was a fine as possible.

7.       Once you have folded the dry ingredients into the wet ones, you need to continue folding the mixture on itself to get the desired consistency.  This is almost like "kneading" dough, but not!!  Essentially, you want the mixture to be smooth, shiny and drips slowly off the spatula.

8.       Once your macarons are piped out, don't forget to bang the baking sheet on the table a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.

9.       I haven’t tried this technique as of yet, but wanted to pass along the tip of doubling up your baking sheets to prevent the bottom of the macarons from getting too browned.

The really challenging bit (for me anyways) was finding the appropriate placement of the oven racks to achieve the desired doneness, without overly browning them and still maintaining a slightly chewy texture in the center (my households preferred consistency).  I have seen recommendations to have the baking sheets placed in the lower third and upper third; others required both baking sheets be placed towards the bottom of the oven and others directly in the middle. 

Now everyone's oven is different, so I recommend starting with a test batch to see which placement works best for you.  I have found that I get the best results by baking only one sheet at a time, placed on the second lowest rack fitting.  Admittedly, this takes a little longer, but with all the care you have taken to get the batter appropriate and pipe them out to perfection, some extra tender loving care at this stage is well worth the effort.

The picture above is based on a variation of two recipes.  One by Hisako Ogita found at Style At Home, as well as, a variation of Hisako Ogita's original recipe adapted by Sara Yoo at Yum Sugar.

This is the basic recipe, which can then be modified to your heart’s content!  Most simply use food colouring to change the colour of the cookie and modify the filling to achieve the desired flavor.

 Ingredients

·         2/3 cup (3 oz/85 g) ground almonds

·         1-1/2 cups (5 1/4 oz/150 g) powdered sugar

·         3 large egg whites, at room temperature

·         5 tbsp (65 g) granulated sugar

·         1 tsp vanilla extract, or seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean

Steps: 

1.       Preheat oven to 280°C.

2.       Line baking sheets with parchment paper and draw 1 inch circles, spacing them 1 1/4 inches apart.  Be sure to flip the parchment paper before piping your circles so that the pen or pencil does not transfer to the macaron. 

3.       Double sift the ground almonds and powdered sugar.  Set aside.

4.       Using a stand mixer, begin whisking the egg whites on low speed until foamy.  Slowly sprinkle the granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated.

5.       Increase the speed medium and continue whisking until stiff peaks has formed.  Add the vanilla and mix until just incorporated.

6.       Fold the almond mixture into the wet mixture in two additions. 

7.       Once incorporated, continue folding the mixture onto itself, scrapping from the bottom and pulling across the bowl away from you.  Repeat until the mixture is smooth, shiny and drips slowly from the spatula.

8.       Using a piping bag, pipe 1 inch circles.  Bang the baking sheet a few times to remove any excess air. 

9.       Pat down any peaks, left from piping the batter, with a wet finger.

10.   Allow macarons to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is no longer sticky / tacky when touched.

11.   Bake for 2 minutes before propping open the oven door with a wooden spoon.  Continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops are hard and just starting to brown slightly.

12.   Cool the macarons on the baking sheet placed on a cooling rack.

13.   Baked macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Buttercream Filling:

It had been quite a bit of time since I had last made buttercream.  Had it been more recent, I would have surely remembered the extensive whisking involved, and (hopefully) been smart enough, to use an electric hand mixer rather than the manual approach.  All was not lost, as it gave me the chance to practice whisking with my left hand!

Ingredients 

·         7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·         2 egg yolks

·         1/4 cup granulated sugar

·         3 1/2 tablespoons milk

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps: 

1.       Cut the butter into small pieces and mash with a spatula until creamy and smooth in texture.

2.       In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the sugar and continue whisking until light and fluffy in texture, ensuring no sugar granules remain.

3.       Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan set over low heat.  Continuously whisk as you heat the egg mixture until it has thickened and has taken on a custard like consistency.

4.       Pour the mixture back into the bowl and continue whisking until the mixture has come to room temperature.

5.       Whisk the butter in, in 3 additions, then add the vanilla and continue whisking until combined.  Pipe or spread the buttercream on a macaron base and sandwich together with another macaron half. 

I added raspberry jam to the vanilla buttercream.  Very yum!!  It worked out, almost, perfectly!  Next time I need to remove the seeds.

Enjoy!