Espresso Blackberry Macarons Food

ESPRESSO BLACKBERRY MACARONS

Steps:

• Make macarons batter:
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Grind almond flour or almonds with confectioners sugar in food processor until powdery, 30 seconds for almond flour, about 2 minutes for almonds. (If using grinder, grind in small batches.) Sift through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl (if not fine enough for almost all of nuts to go through sieve, regrind). Sift again into a large bowl.
• Stir together espresso powder and vanilla in a cup until powder has dissolved.
• Beat egg whites with salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in granulated sugar, a little at a time. Increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 minute. Add espresso mixture and mix at low speed until incorporated. Fold meringue into almond mixture with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate and batter will be loose.)
• Pipe and bake macarons:
• Put small dabs of batter under corners of parchment to secure to baking sheets.
• Spoon half of batter into pastry bag. Holding bag vertically just above baking sheet, pipe 1 1/2-inch-wide mounds of batter about 1 inch apart, stopping pressure and flicking tip sideways to avoid peaks (tamp down any peaks with a wet finger). Refill pastry bag and repeat. Let macarons stand, uncovered, at room temperature until a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Bake macarons, switching position of sheets halfway through, until crisp and interior does not give easily when gently pressed, 22 to 28 minutes total. Cool completely on baking sheets (to harden bottoms) on racks, about 30 minutes. Loosen macarons from parchment with offset spatula (they will be fragile).
• Assemble cookies:
• Sandwich flat sides of macarons together with a thin layer of jelly.
• Layer macarons between sheets of parchment in an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 hours to soften before eating.
• Variations:
• Chocolate earl grey macarons: •Add 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona) to almond flour or almonds when grinding. •Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. •Grind 1 teaspoon Earl Grey tea (from 1 tea bag) to a fine powder in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon (reserve remainder) on macarons before baking. •Fill with chocolate Earl Grey ganache: Bring 1/2 cup cream and remaining 3/4 teaspoon tea powder to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in 3 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (60% to 64% cacao if marked) and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until smooth. Chill, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a sealable bag. Snip off a corner and pipe to fill macarons. (There will be ganache left over.)
• Grapefruit macarons: •Add 2 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest to almond flour or almonds when grinding. •Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. •Beat 6 drops red food coloring into meringue. • Fill with grapefruit marmalade.
• Coconut passion-fruit macarons: •Add 1 cup unsweetened grated dried coconut (3 ounces) to almond flour or almonds when grinding. •Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. •Beat 6 drops yellow food coloring into meringue. •Fill with passion-fruit curd: Whisk together 1/3 cup thawed passion-fruit purée, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 large egg yolks, and a pinch of salt in a small heavy saucepan. Add 1/2 stick butter (cut into pieces). Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking, then simmer, whisking constantly, until curd is thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool completely. Transfer to a sealable bag. Snip off a corner and pipe to fill macarons. (There will be curd left over.)
• Pistachio-cardamom macarons: •Substitute 1/3 cup unsalted shelled pistachios plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom for half of the almond flour or almonds when grinding. •Omit instant-espresso powder and vanilla. •Beat 4 drops green and 3 drops yellow food coloring into meringue. •Fill with apricot jam.

ESPRESSO MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.
• Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.
• Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.
• The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add instant-espresso powder, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.
• Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.
• Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.
• With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
• Sift espresso powder over half of unbaked rounds.
• Filling: Dissolve instant-espresso powder in 1/4 teaspoon hot water; mix into Swiss meringue buttercream.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.