Macarons are always a good idea…

I absolutely love macarons. I mean, what’s not to love???? So much goodness packed into this small cookie. And the flavour possibilities are endless.

I agree, there is a lot that can go wrong when making macarons, but if you follow some simple rules, it can all go right.

 

The recipe below is for the pistachio macarons we make in class, using the Italian Meringue method. Although I teach the French Meringue method as well, I prefer the Italian meringue method as it gives you a more stable meringue and the resulting macaron is chewier.

Start by ageing your egg whites. Some don’t do this and it’s probably okay, but given how tricky macarons are, I want to make sure I follow all the steps.

Remember, you want to make sure you don’t over whisk the meringue – stop once you have the ‘Elvis Quiff’ .

You don’t want to over mix the batter – stop once you get to the ‘ribbon stage’ or you can easily draw a few figure 8’s with the batter that falls off the spatula.

And make sure you let the piped macarons sit for at least 30 minutes to form a ‘skin’. When you lightly touch the surface of the macaron, the back of your finger should remain clean with no batter left on your finger.

Macarons don’t like humidity, so if it’s been particularly wet, I’d recommend turning on the de-humidifier if you have one.

Please give the recipe a go and let me know what you think. Follow us on Instagram for more recipes.

Ingredients

200g ground almonds

200g icing sugar

2 X 80g aged egg whites

200g caster sugar

75g water

Pinch of egg white powder

Green food colouring – Gel / Paste / Powder

 

1. To age the egg whites, separate them from the yolks ideally 4-5 days in advance, place them in a clean bowl covered in cling film & poke holes on top to allow the air to get to the egg whites. Store in the fridge until the night before use, then leave out at room temperature overnight before using.
2. Sieve the ground almonds and icing sugar ( also called Tant pour Tant )
3. To the sifted almond flour and icing sugar add 80g of egg whites and the colour of your choice.
4. Heat the water and caster sugar. When it reaches 105°C turn on the whisk and whisk the other 80g of egg whites ( and the egg white powder – totally optional)
5. Pre- heat the oven to 140°C.
6. When the water and sugar syrup reaches 115°C, take it off the heat and add it slowly to the whipped egg whites.
7. Keep whisking until you have the Elvis quiff and the sides of the bowl are cool to touch.
8. Add the meringue to the almond/sugar / egg white mixture in 2 inclusions and ‘macaronner’ until smooth and shiny.
9. Once you’ve reached the ribbon stage, stop mixing. 
10. Fill a large piping bag with the mixture and pipe little macarons on a silicone mat or baking paper.
11. Let the macarons rest for at least 30 – 40 minutes until the macarons have formed a skin and are dull in appearance.
12. Bake for 14 -16 minutes in the pre – heated oven.

Fill with a filling of your choice. Allow the macarons to mature in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Allow them to come to room temperature before consuming. These will freeze very well, perfect for a cup of tea on a rainy day!

 

Love,

Uma x