Ok, so I can't begin to tell you guys how excited I am to have a macaron in Paris from Laduree! Is it wierd that this is the thing I am most excited for on my vacation? Wierd or not, I can't wait! Since I have been thinking about Paris, and macarons especially, I decided to make some of my own. Now, I wish I could make macarons as lovely as the Laduree ones...maybe one day. Even though these macarons aren't as appealing as Laduree's, they sure were delicious! Yes, I did pink macarons again-what can I say? I'm a pink girl:) But this time I made a coconut swiss merignue buttercream for the filling. It was delicious! I was eating it by the spoonfulls. I hope you guys have a chance to try them. Macarons really aren't that hard, I think they look more intimidating than they really are. So until I share with you some Laduree macarons, here are some of my yummy coconut macarons:)
next time I make them I will go heavier on the color.
Basic Macaron Recipe
3 egg whites or 100 g. weighed
50 gr. granulated sugar
110 gr. blanched almonds, whole or ground
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue.
2. Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and give them a quick pulse if you use already ground almonds. It will break the powdered sugar lumps and combine your almonds with it evenly. If you use whole almonds, pulse thoroughly for a minute or so.
3. Add them to the meringue, and start to give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flatten on its own, you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more folds.
4. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Let the macarons sit out for an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 10–12 minutes, depending on their size. Let them cool completely before filling.
6. Pipe or spoon some of your filling on one shell and sandwich with another one
Basic Swiss Meringue Buttercream
3 large egg whites, room temp
3/4 c. sugar
pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces at room temp
flavorings of choice (for coconut buttercream use 1 tsp coconut extract)
In a large bowl combine egg whites and sugar. Set bowl over simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160 on an instant read thermometer), about two minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on hgih speed, beat the egg white mixture until it is fluff, cooled to room temp, and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
With the mixer on medium low speed, add the salt and the butter a few pieces at a time, beating well after each additions. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the flavorings of choice and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use right away.
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