Macarons Fillings Food

FRENCH MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F using the convection setting. Line 3 baking sheets with silicone mats. Measure the confectioners' sugar and almond flour by spooning them into measuring cups and leveling with a knife. Transfer to a bowl; whisk to combine.
• Sift the sugar-almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to pass through as much as possible. It will take a while, and up to 2 tablespoons of coarse almond flour may be left; just toss it.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add the superfine sugar and beat until stiff and shiny, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Draw a rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until incorporated, giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold.
• Add the food coloring and extract (see below). Continue folding and turning, scraping down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thin flat ribbon, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Holding the bag vertically and close to the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/4-inch circles (24 per sheet). Firmly tap the baking sheets twice against the counter to release any air bubbles.
• Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the tops are no longer sticky to the touch, 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the humidity. Slip another baking sheet under the first batch (a double baking sheet protects the cookies from the heat).
• Bake the first batch until the cookies are shiny and rise 1/8 inch to form a "foot," about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat, using a double sheet for each batch. Peel the cookies off the mats and sandwich with a thin layer of filling (see below).
• Almond-Raspberry:
• Tint the batter with 2 drops neon pink gel food coloring; flavor with almond extract. Fill with seedless raspberry jam (you'll need about 3/4 cup).
• Mint-White Chocolate:
• Tint the batter with 2 drops mint green gel food coloring; flavor with mint extract. For the filling, microwave 3 ounces chopped white chocolate, 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon mint extract and 1 drop mint green gel food coloring.
• Blueberry Cheesecake:
• Tint the batter with 3 drops royal blue gel food coloring; flavor with vanilla extract. For the filling, mix 4 ounces softened cream cheese and 3 tablespoons blueberry jam.
• Lavender-Honey:
• Tint the batter with 2 drops violet gel food coloring; flavor with almond or vanilla extract. For the filling, mix 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon ground dried lavender.
• Pineapple:
• Tint the batter with 2 drops lemon yellow gel food coloring; flavor with vanilla extract. For the filling, press 3/4 cup pineapple jam through a sieve, discarding any large pieces.

MACARONS FILLINGS

Steps:

• French Buttercream: Silky smooth French buttercream (crème au beurre) slightly resembles the Italian meringue-buttercream, though instead of egg whites the yolks are being used. This amount uses the yolks left over from making the macarons shells. The buttercreams may also be used as the topping of cupcakes. 1. Make sure that the yolks are room temperature. Whip them slightly. 2. Put the granulated sugar into a small kettle and add the water. Bring it into a boil, lower the heat to medium high and boil the sugar without stirring until it reaches 118°C (takes about three minutes). 3. Slowly pour the hot sugar as a thin stream into the egg yolks while they're still being beaten. Do not pour it too close to the edge so it won't be caught there. Keep whisking until the yolks have chilled and lightened in color. 4. Add the room temperate butter as small pieces while still whisking the yolks. You will end up with a fluffy buttercream. 5. Add the flavoring and food coloring if desired.
• Fruit Jelly: 1. Moisten the gelatin. 2. Put the chopped fruit or berries into the kettle with the sugar. If the fruit is dry then you may replace some of it with juice. The mixture should become runny while it's boiling. 3. Bring the mix into the boil with the lid on and keep boiling it in a high heat for about 8 minutes until the fruit has softened. 4. If berries are used then separate their seeds, flower remains etc. by rubbing them against a sieve, for example with a spoon. It's done when the juice and pulp no longer loosens from the coarse mass. 5. If large fruit is used then then turn it into a puree, for example with an immersion blender. 6. Add the gelatin into the hot puree and mix it even. 7. Allow the jelly to to first cool down to the room temperature and then in the fridge until it has the right thickness for piping. It will take at least an hour. The jelly will get even firmer so do not allow it back into the fridge until it's between the shells.
• Vanilla or Chocolate Ganache: ⚜️ = While using a vanilla pod Note that the amount of cocoa solids in the chocolate affects its thickening qualities. That is why the recipe has different amounts of different chocolates. 1. Put the cream into the kettle and also vanilla seasoning if desired. 2. ⚜️ Flatten the vanilla pod on a cutting board and make a long incision to the surface, without cutting the whole pod in half. Spread it open from one end and scrape the seeds out starting from it. 3. ⚜️ Put both vanilla seeds and the pod into the cream. 4. Bring the cream into the boil on medium high and and turn the stove off. 5. ⚜️ Remove the vanilla pod. 6. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a water bath. 7. Gradually add the hot cream into the chocolate and mix well. While slightly chilled put it in the fridge, covered with a plastic wrap. Keep it there overnight. 8. When the ganache has set the next day, bring it to room temperature and mix it supple again before use.
• Nutella Cream: Mix the ingredients even.
• Caramel filling: 1. Pour one third of the sugar into a thick and wide bottomed kettle (so the sugar forms a thin layer), cover it with a lid and heat it on medium. The kettle may be turned while the sugar melts - do not mix it otherwise. The caramel won't crystallize when the sugar is melted separately like this. 2. When the sugar has melted and changed slightly golden yellow, turn the heat to low and add another third. Melt it in while still gently turning the kettle. Then add the rest of the sugar until all of it is molten. 3. Turn the heat to medium when the sugar has a beautiful golden brown shade. Slowly add the cream, mixing gently to avoid too many hardened spots. The mix will froth, so be careful. 4. Once all the cream has been added and the mix is even take the kettle off the stove and add the cold and diced butter. Mix the caramel smooth and even. 5. Once the caramel has cooled enough, keep it in the fridge until it has thickened.

MACARON FILLING

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and sugar. Set mixer bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat mixture, whisking often, until it feels warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until mixture is stiff and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing until butter is thoroughly incorporated. The filling can be kept, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before stirring.
• Variations: To make hazelnut-honey filling: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of macaron filling with 1/3 cup finely ground hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons good-quality honey.

MACARONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites into a metal mixing bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring egg whites to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 280 degrees F (138 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a bowl. Beat the egg whites with salt in metal bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute; increase speed to high and gradually beat in superfine sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Gently fold almond flour mixture into whipped egg whites until thoroughly incorporated; spoon meringue into a pastry big fitted with a 3/8-inch tip.
• Pipe 1-inch disks of meringue onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies. The batter will spread. Lift the baking sheets a few inches above the work surface and hit them lightly on the work surface several times to remove any air bubbles from the cookies. Let the cookies stand at room temperature until the shiny surfaces become dull and a thin skin forms, about 15 minutes.
• Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake with the oven door open slightly until the macarons' surfaces are completely dry, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on a baking sheet before peeling parchment paper from the cookies.
• Spread half the cookies with any desired filling, top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight to let the cookies soften.

MACARONS

Steps:

• Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 15 times until fully combined. Sieve this mixture into a large bowl, discarding any particles that stay in the sieve. Add the first batch of egg whites to the almond mixture, mix to form a thick paste and set aside.
• Tip the second batch of egg whites into a spotlessly clean, heatproof bowl and have an electric whisk at the ready. Place 50ml water and the granulated sugar into a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the syrup registers 110C, using a sugar thermometer, at which time start to beat the egg whites on high speed. Once the syrup is at 118C pour it slowly down the side of the mixer bowl, avoiding the moving whisk. Continue to whisk on high until the mixture has cooled slightly and you have a shiny peaked meringue mixture - the bowl should no longer be hot to the touch, but still warm. Add the colouring and whisk to combine.
• Tip the meringue onto the almond mixture and gently fold together. It is important not to over-mix the batter - it should fall in a thick ribbon from the spatula. The ribbon should also fade back into the batter within about 30 secs - if it doesn't, fold a few more times.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3-4. Line three baking sheets with baking parchment. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Hold the bag vertically to the tray, with the nozzle about 1cm from it. Pipe rounds about 2.5cm in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave to rest for 30 mins, or until the macarons have developed a skin.
• Bake the macarons for 14 mins (this needs to be precise, so you could test a macaron first). Immediately slide the parchment onto the work surface and cool for a few minutes before gently peeling the macarons off the paper.
• To make the filling, place the cream in a small saucepan and the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream just to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for a few mins, then stir to combine. Add the butter and stir until smooth, then leave to set until thickened. Place the chocolate mix into a clean piping bag with a smaller nozzle and pipe around the edge of half the macarons. Fill the centre with jam and sandwich with another macaron shell.
• Once finished, the macarons will improve with an overnight rest in the fridge.