Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Macaron Day

How did you spend Macaron Day?  I hope you had some macarons.  Since it is Spring Break in Vancouver, I spent the day with my 3 nieces baking macarons.   We did maple buttercream, vanilla buttercream and chocolate mint - nothing fancy like Pierre Herme flavours.  12 trays of macaron shells and 6 boxes of macarons - now that is macaron heaven.  We had a good time.  I get to have fun with them, then send them home on a sugar high.  :)  My nieces tried this recipe for the first time and look how it turned out.

Piped macaron shells

Macaron

Want to try your hand at it too?



Macaron and Buttercream recipe Adapted from Cannelle et Vanille as I couldn't find all the ingredients that she called for.  It still turned out pretty ok.

Macarons

Ingredients:

180g blanched sliced almonds
240g icing sugar
145g egg whites (microwave in bursts of 5sec x 5 to mimic aging)
80g sugar
1tbsp vanilla

Directions:
  1. Blend together almonds and icing sugar till fine (dry ingredients)
  2. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks before adding sugar slowly.  Add vanilla and food colouring if you want here. 
  3. Add dry ingredients to the meringue and fold with a spatula until a shiny mass forms.  Batter should make ribbons.
  4. Place mass into a pastry bag and pipe into small rounds onto sheetpans lined with parchment.  Let dry for 45-60min before baking. 
  5. Preheat overn to 350F.  Place sheetpan in the oven and reduce the temperature to 300F.  Bake for 10min and rotate sheetpan and bake for another 5min.
Buttercream
50g egg whites
100g granulated sugar
150g unsalted butter at room temperature

Directions
  1. Whisk egg whites and sugar together lightly
  2. Place over waterbath until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to touch 
  3. Whip till stiff peaks form 
  4. Add butter, a tablespoon at a time while whipping 
  5. Add flavour to taste ( this time round, I added vanilla and maple)
Chocolate ganache 
100g dark chocolate
100ml cream 
A bit of butter

Directions
  1. Heat the cream to a simmer and pour over the chocolate and butter.
  2. Let it cool, then whip.



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