French Macarons

I really think that these are one of the best and most delicious desserts ever. French Macarons are definitely one of the favorites with our customers too. They are delicate, beautiful to look at, and most importantly, these little bites of deliciousness are sometimes hard to make. However,with practice you can soon be an expert when it comes to making these delicious cookies. I found the recipe online a few years ago and I have been using it ever since. This recipe is from" Laduree-The Sweet Recipes" book that you can purchase on Amazon if you want.However, I would recommend to you to go on You Tube if you want some video instructions on how to make these delicate cookies. You can make any filling you want, buttercream, chocolate ganache, caramel, strawberry, raspberry, etc. So give it a try!

Mersiha  


Laduree's Macarons 

From Ladurée's Sucre: The Recipes 
Macaron shells 

• 275g (2 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp) ground almonds (almond flour)
• 250g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) confectioners (icing) sugar
• 210g (6 1/2) egg whites (I used fresh egg whites)
• 210g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• a few drops of food coloring gel if you want them in color

PREPARATION 
Macarons

1. First sift the powdered sugar and almond flour.

2. Then whip the egg whites with the granulated sugar to hard peak. Add the food coloring if you want.

3. Then fold the almond flour into the whites and continue to fold the mixture until combined and they are shiny and lava like.

4. Pipe your cookies onto parchment or silicone baking mats (I used parchment and a Ateco round #11 tip) and then allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before baking or until you can lightly touch them without being sticky(skin can form).

5. Bake them in the preheated oven at 300F  for 15 minutes or until you can cleanly peel the macaron away from the paper.

6. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before you fill them.

 Strawberry Buttercream( adapted from allrecipes) 

• 1  cup diced strawberries
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Use a sieve to strain out the seeds and place the strawberry puree in a small pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and stirring frequently, cook until it reduces by half. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
2. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla and beat on low until combined. Add in ⅓ of the strawberry puree and beat to combine, followed by 1 more cup of powdered sugar. Repeat with another ⅓ of the puree and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add in the remaining ⅓ of the strawberry puree, beating until combined, and then the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add a few drops of red food coloring if desired to enhance the color.

To assemble the macarons:

1. Take 2 similar sized macarons and pipe or spread some of the buttercream onto the flat side of one of the cookies. Place the flat side of the second cookie down on the buttercream. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
2. Macarons are best once they have aged at least a day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes, before eating. They also freeze very well.

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate,finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan add your cream.  Place on a stove and gently bring to a boil. 
2. Meanwhile place chocolate in a bowl.  Place bowl over a pot of simmer water (making sure that no water is touching the bowl and gently stir until the chocolate is melted). Add the heavy cream and stir until well combined.
3. Place your ganache mixture into your fridge until it is at the right pipping consistency.  This should take about 20 minutes.

• Enjoy!