I Am Thankful For Sugar, Almond Flour, and Eggs.
Heres to trying again…and again.
I have yet to perfect the french macaron (and something tells me that I may not until I learn from a french man at a prestigious pastry school). Still, I try.
Edit to original recipe: (for smoother shell and chewier texture)
Hardware: Electric stand mixer
Will also need parchment paper or silicon mat
Ingredients:
2 Cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Cup almond flour
2 large egg whites, separated and AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 large egg whites, separated and AT ROOM TEMPERATURE > (4 total eggs whites but keep them in separate batches, do not combine all into one bowl)
1 Cup granulated sugar
1/3 Cup water
1/2 Tsp. clear vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 310 F and prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
1. Combine powdered sugar and almond flour in a pan lined with parchment paper. Let air dry for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Transfer almond flour and powdered sugar mixture to a bowl and add 2 large egg whites. Mix until combined. It will be like a thick paste or very sticky dough. At this stage, you can add different flavors (I added 1/4 Tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 Tsp. pumpkin spice for a Pumpkin Spice Macaron).
3. Add the remaining 2 egg whites to a stand mixer fixed with the whisk attachement. Do not start whisking quite yet!
4. Combine granulated sugar and water in a small pot and heat over medium heat. After about 3 minutes, turn on that stand mixer. When the egg whites get to soft/medium stiff peaks, add SLOWLY the boiling sugar syrup to the egg white. Do not stop whisking throughout this process.
5. Add vanilla extract and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
6. Add the egg white mixture, half at a time, to the almond flour paste mixture.
7. Fold carefully with a flexible spatula until well combined.
8. Transfer mixture to large piping bag and begin to pipe using round (2A wilton) tip, 1 inch circles onto prepared pans. Leave about 1 inch between each macaron. Do not move the tip around and keep it as upright and centered as possible. The batter will spread on its own.
9. Tap the bottom of the pan with your hands or against the table a few times and LET SIT FOR 25 MINUTES. This step is so crucial - you will regret it if you are impatient!
10. Bake at 310 F for 10 minutes, rotating the pan 5 minutes in.
Depending on the flavor of macaron, make appropriate filling. For vanilla macaron, use a basic buttercream or vanilla frosting filling. In this case, I made a Pumpkin Spice Macaron with…
Cream Cheese and Neufchatel Cheese filling as follows:
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. Salted Butter
1/4 (8 ounce) package of Nefchatel Cheese
1/4 (8 ounce) package of Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
Directions:
1. With the paddle attachement, mix butter and cheeses until smooth and creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar, tablespoons at a time until desired consistency. For me, it was about 1/2 Cup.
Assembly:
Match macarons up by pair according to size. Using a piping bag and round tip, pipe filling onto one side of the macaron. I make a small outline of a circle along the inner edge of the macaron. Carefully place cookies together and you have the french macaron!
Pictures at each stage to come soon. I find that adding the sugar in syrup form creates a more chewy texture that I love so much in macarons. I also find that this technique holds up better. Make sure to let the batter sit - the top needs to dry enough so that it bakes from within and does not explode outwards. If you are finding that you’re macarons are cracking and looking more like mountains than anything, it is because you did not let them sit long enough or you somehow hit the pan before going into the oven and breaking that dried up pre-shell that formed. I find this recipe is better for a smooth, glossy shell but the foot is still not perfect. Perhaps next time I will get the best of both worlds.
Oh and STORE IN REFRIGERATOR!
Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving, Lovelies!
