Have you joined the ranks of macaron maniacs? This pretty little French confection has taken over the sweet tooths of America, as evidenced by the lines out the door at L’Aduree on Madison Avenue. Made with only egg whites, sugars, almond meal, salt and food coloring, the macaron is commonly filled with ganache filling spread between two shell like biscuits.  I always assumed that making macarons at home would be a challenge reserved for top pastry chefs, but to my delight a KDHamptons reader, self-described “dessertarian” Robert Baier, shares an simple recipe below that can be executed with ease. For more great recipes, be sure to follow Robert’s baking blog and on Instagram at:  The Robbylicious

Happy Baking!

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

90 gr. Egg white (room temperature)

25 gr. Sugar (granulated)

1 Pinch of salt

Powdered Food Coloring (½ Teaspoon)

120 gr. Almond Meal

200 gr. Confectioners Sugar

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

* Combine the almond meal and the sugar together and sift at least three times.

 

* Beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until they foam. Add the granulated sugar bit by bit until firm. Add the coloring at the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Add half of the almond mixture into the (colored) egg white and gently incorporate it with a spatula. Add the rest, when the mixture becomes homogenous. The batter should be shiny and smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Fill your pastry bag with a 10 mm tip and place small shells on your baking sheet. Leave some room between them. Or better use a silicon-lined baking paper (which I prefer). So the shells are easily all the same size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Leave the piped out shells for at least one hour aside (but not longer than two hours). They need to develop an outer crust for their typical look.

 

* Heat up your oven to 140°C/285°F (air circulation) and then put your shells in for approx. 15 min. Cooking times may vary according to the oven.

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO MAKE THE GANACHE:

“One of my favorite fillings is the Ganache. You only have to do this one day ahead. This sounds odd, but it is best for a firm filling and you need not more than 15 min. to make it.”

INGREDIENTS:

* 200gr. White chocolate (with at least 35% cocoa) – with 90 gr. cream

* Or 150 gr. Milk chocolate – with 100 gr. cream

* Or 100 gr. Dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa) – with 100 gr. cream

* It depends whether you want to color your filling (then use the white chocolate). If you use milk chocolate or dark chocolate depends on your taste. I prefer the dark chocolate.

* Powdered food color (only)

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

*Chop the chocolate. Heat the cream up to 40°C +/- 45°C (105°F +/- 115°F) and take away from the heat. Put 1/3 of the chocolate into the cream and let melt. Bit by bit put in the rest. If necessary put the cream/chocolate mixture back to the heat – but take care, that it does not get too hot.

 

*Work with a spatula until you have a homogenous mixture. If you wanna have a color put in the powdered food color into your melted white chocolate now. Fill into a small bowl. Cover with a foil (perforate with a needle to avoid condensate) and leave aside over night.
The next day blend the mixture with a handheld electric mixer and fill into your pastry.

 

*Heat the cream up to 40°C +/- 45°C and pour over the chocolate. The chocolate should melt easily. Work with a spatula until you have a homogenous mixture. Cover with a foil (perforate with a needle to avoid condensate) and leave it in the fridge over night.

 

* After the shells cool, spread the ganache on one side of the shell and top it off with another.

 

TIP: Take the ganache out of the fridge right before your fill your macaron shells. Stir slightly with a spatula and fill your pastry bag.

 

Concerning the Ganache:

1.)    Dark chocolate: It is better to use the normal dark chocolate and NOT the 70% cocoa chocolate. The Ganache could become too firm.

2.)    It is more comfortable if you blend the Ganache with a handheld electric mixer before you fill it into you pastry. It improves the volume and the texture is better for the filling.

 

 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT TIPS:

 

* Please be true to the measurements.

 

* The coloring must be powdered. No liquid ones, that will essentially alter the consistence of the egg white.