Saturday, March 1, 2014

French Macaron Recipe

French Macarons


Active Time: 30 min.

Total Time: 2 hr., plus refrigeration time

Makes: 20 to 25 sandwich cookies



Ingredients for cookie: (Check what filling you'd like to make before baking, some include additional ingredients for cookies.)


-2/3 cup sliced blanched almonds (71 grams)

-1 cup confectioners' sugar (117 grams)

-2 large egg whites, room temperature

-1/4 cup granulated sugar (53 grams)




Step 1: Grind almonds
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.


Step 2: Sift dry ingredients
-Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remain in sieve.


Step 3: Whip egg whites
-Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.


Step 4: Customize meringue
-The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add flavoring and food coloring if desired, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.


Step 5: Fold in almond mixture
-Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.


Step 6: Prepare to pipe
-Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.


Step 7: Form rounds
-With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.


Step 8: Bake, fill, and refrigerate
-Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling (recipes below) on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining cookie half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.



Filling Recipes:


-Toasted Hazelnut and Chocolate


Cookies:
- Substitute toasted skinned hazelnuts for almonds.
Filling:
-Heat 1/4 cup heavy cream in a saucepan until bubble begin to form. Add 1 and a half ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter; stir to combine. Stir in 3 tablespoons store bought chocolate-hazelnut spread. Let cool until thick and spreadable.

(Best eaten after 1 to 2 days of refrigeration.)

-Chocolate Mint


Cookies:
-Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and 2 drops leaf-green gel-paste food coloring. Finely grate bittersweet chocolate over half of unbaked cookie rounds.

Filling:
-Heat 1/4 cup heavy cream in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form. Add 1 and a half ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter; stir to combine. Let cool until thick and spreadable.

(Best eaten after 1 to 2 days of refrigeration.)


-Espresso


Cookies:
-Add 1/2 teaspoon instant-espresso powder. Sift more powder over half of unbaked cookie rounds. If you want mocha espresso, substitute the confectioners' sugar in cookie recipe with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Filling:
-Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon instant-espresso powder n 1/4 teaspoon hot water; mix into 2/3 cup Swiss meringue buttercream. (for the recipe, go to marthastewart.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream.)

(Best eaten after 3 to 5 days of refrigeration.)


-Vanilla Bean


Cookies:
-Add seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean and one drop copper gel-paste food coloring.


Filling:
-2/3 cup Swiss meringue buttercream (for the recipe, go to marthastewart.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream.).

(Best eaten after 3 to 5 days of refrigeration.)



-Rose Raspberry


Cookies:
-Add 1/4 teaspoon rose water and 3 drops rose-pink gel-paste food coloring.

Filling:
-1/2 cup raspberry jam (with seeds).
(Best eaten after 1 to 2 days of refrigeration.)

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