French Macarons with Vanilla Filling
Ingredients
130 grams 10X confectioner’s sugar
130 grams almond flour
100 grams egg whites (room temperature)
¼ tsp cream of tartar
90 grams superfine (caster) sugar
Gel food coloring (color of choice – do not use liquid)
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees using convection setting
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper – cut and flatten it to provide a smooth flat surface for piping to prevent spreading of the batter into odd shapes
Draw 1¼ inch circles on one sheet of parchment paper creating a template (Note: you only need one template; place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the template to pipe the batter and then slide the template sheet out from underneath and reuse the template again and again)
In a food processor, grind the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour until fine
Sift the combined confectioner’s sugar and almond flour mixture into a larger bowl; toss any large pieces that won’t go through the sifter
Beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy
Add the cream of tartar with a mixer on medium speed
Increase the speed to medium high until egg whites start leaving visible tracks
Gradually add the superfine sugar (minimum 1/3 at a time)
Add 1-3 drops of gel color at this point if you want all one-color macaron
Continue to beat egg whites on medium high until stiff and shiny (about 5 minutes)
The egg whites should appear firm and stand up vertically pointing upwards without falling back into itself. Test by flipping the bowl upside down; the egg whites should stay firm without moving inside the bowl. DO NOT OVER BEAT
Sift the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour mixture into the bowl with beaten egg whites minimum of 1/3 at a time (Note: this will be the second sifting of the sugar/almond mixture)
Macaronage the batter to fully incorporate into one mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently scrape around the bowl, go under the mixture and then towards the middle and draw halfway through the mixture and fold in the egg whites until incorporated; rotating the bowl a quarter turn with each fold
Fold DO NOT STIR the batter
Gently take the spatula and sweep against the top of the batter and around the sides of the bowl to properly deflate some of the air in the mixture but do not dump the mixture back into itself
Test batter for consistency; with a spatula, pick up the batter and drop it back into the bowl. It should flow very slowly (like honey) in a ribbon forming a figure “8” (it should not “plop” down into the bowl)
DO NOT OVERMIX the batter or it will become runny
If you want multiple colors instead of a single color, separate the batter into smaller bowls and add the food coloring to match the fillings flavors
Continue folding and turning the batter gently until the food coloring is fully incorporated
Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with Wilton #12 (or equivalent) round tip (you can just snip the end of the bag if you’re comfortable piping)
Place template sheet on a baking sheet and place another sheet of parchment on top
Starting from the center of the circle, holding the pastry bag vertically and close to the baking sheet, pipe quarter-size circles onto the parchment paper; be sure to stay within the template circles because the batter will spread a little. Do not rotate the piping tip, leave it pointed in the middle of the circle and the batter will spread evenly to the edges of the circle
Make (35 small or 24 medium) consistent size macarons on each sheet; the goal is to make 48-60 individual size macarons, so you may have to adjust the number of macarons and baking sheets depending on the size pan that is being used and the size of the macarons being piped
Firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter (can place a towel underneath) to release any air bubbles in the macarons; tap it once or twice, rotate the pan and repeat
Remove the template sheet and place another sheet of parchment on top
Repeat the pipping process using the next sheet pan
Let the macarons stand at room temperature until the tops are no longer sticky to the touch (depending on the humidity in the room 15-60 minutes). The piped shells will develop a skin, appear dull and matte as opposed to glossy-like when first piped. When touched, the shell will not indent or stick to your finger
Bake each batch until the macarons are shiny and rise about 1/8” to form a foot on the bottom; about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the macarons. Total baking time may vary depending on the size of the macarons and the calibration of the oven so test after 10-12 minutes and continue to bake an additional 1-minute increments until the “feet” are firm and do not push back
Put another sheet pan on the top rack to keep the macarons from browning too much and/or bake on two sheet plans to keep the macarons from burning on the bottom
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR DURING THE BAKING PROCESS
Transfer baked macarons to a rack to cool completely
Lightly peel the macarons off the mats using an offset spatula
Add filling and sandwich with another cookie of equal size and shape
Preferably chill for 24 hours; bring back to room temperature, and then serve
Servings: 50 individual small size macarons (25 when filled and doubled)
Vanilla Filling
Ingredients
Tint the Macaron batter with 2 drops of food coloring (optional)
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup cream cheese
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
Combine the vanilla extract, cream cheese and powdered sugar in a bowl
Using a hand mixer, beat until well blended
Whip a cup of heavy cream to soft peaks
Pour the heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture and whip until well blended
Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with Wilton #21 (or equivalent) tip
Add the filling to the cookie and sandwich with another cookie of equal size and shape