Macarons
Macarons are a true dessert of luxury - delicate, intricate, and fragile. I was always curious on how these were made, but intimidated by the process. My first batch gave me promising results, while the second one faltered. Trial and error, but don’t be discouraged! These gems take time and practice to learn, but the reward is worth it. This recipe by Tasty is one of the easiest to follow with many positive reviews. I've added 3 flavor variations for the buttercream below.
Ingredients
1 ¾ Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Almond Flour, Finely Ground
1 Teaspoon Salt, Divided
3 Egg Whites, at Room Temperature
¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Gel Good Coloring
Filling
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, 2 Sticks, at Room Temperature
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
Directions
Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and almond flour. Pulse at least 10 times in a food processor or blender. Sift this mixture into a bowl. The finer the flour mix = smoother macarons!
Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt to egg whites. Whip to soft peaks, then begin adding granulated sugar in 3 parts (whip, add, whip). Whip to stiff peaks. Add desired flavoring extracts + food coloring (gel works best).
Add the blended flour mixture to the whipped egg whites in three parts. Lift and fold (no need to be too gentle, you actually want to take most of the egg white air out). If you can easily make a figure 8 with your batter then it is done and do not keep mixing. If the 8 keeps breaking, keep mixing.
Put batter into a piping bag with round tip. Pipe macarons to 1- 1.5 in diameter on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Tap and rotate pan to remove air bubbles. Let macarons rest from 30-60 min, or until you can smoothly run your finger across the top.
Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 min. If the macarons are still sticking to parchment paper, bake for another 1-2 min.
To make the buttercream, whip butter & add powdered sugar in thirds. Use heavy cream to thin out frosting if needed.
For earl grey buttercream, brew some earl grey tea and add some cream. Cool to room temperature and use this instead of heavy cream to thin out frosting.
For lemon buttercream, add a tablespoon or more of lemon juice instead of heavy cream. A tsp or so of lemon zest too.
For strawberry buttercream, add a tablespoon of jam to the frosting.
Cool macarons before filling with piping bag.
