If you have heard it once, I am here to tell you again. nMaking macarons is NO easy feat.
They are extremely temperamental things and need to be handled with the utmost care and patience.
When I started this batch, everything was going well, until I had to make my sugar syrup to pour into the meringue mixture. I messed it up two times and had to redo it – all because the first time round I stirred my sugar and second time had the heat on to high.
Other than that, if you follow these instructions to a T, (excuse the pun) then you should be able to make these fairly easily. I would advise having an assistant with you though 🙂
They aren’t perfect by any standards, but they are the first macaron that hasn’t failed me and are adapted from the ScranLine.
Good Luck! please tag me in any creations you make
Love,
Cat
Ingredients:
Makes 15/20 Macarons
For the macaron shells:
- 150g almond flour
- 150g icing sugar
- 55g egg whites (buy the 1l bottle at Woolworths)
- 150g caster sugar
- 30g water
- 55g egg whites
- 1 drops pink food gel colouring
- 1 drop yellow food gel colouring
- 1tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Rooibos Tea Bags
Frosting
- 1 batch buttercream frosting (just make a simple vanilla version)
- 1 drops pink food gel colour
- 1 drop yellow food gel colouring
- 2 Rooibos Tea Bags
- 10 ml hot water
Instructions:
Frosting
1. First make a batch of vanilla buttercream icing (any basic vanilla buttercream icing will do)
2. Next, remove tea leaves from first bag and soak in 10 ml of water. Pour this mixture into a big bowl of frosting
3. Then sieve the other Tea leaves (removed from 2nd bag) into the bowl
4. Add food gels and mix until well combined. Set aside.
Macarons
1. Add 2 tbsp icing sugar and tea leaves into a food processor/Nutribullet and process until the tea leaves have turned to powder
Add half the icing sugar and almond flour into the food processor and process until well combined. Repeat with the other half. Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, you may sift the two together around 5 times
3. Empty the almond mixture into a large mixing bowl, add the first portion of egg whites and mix until it forms a paste and set aside.
Now for the tricky bit.
4. Add the sugar and water into a small saucepan, giving them a very gentle stir to get them mixed together
5. Bring to a boil on medium high heat, then turn down to the lowest setting and let the sugar bubble slowly – DO NOT STIR. You can remove any crystalized sugar from the sides by wetting a pastry brush and wiping the sides down each time to dissolve sugar.
KEEP IN MIND: If your sugar starts to crystallize you will have to start again 🙁
6. Add a candy thermometer to the pot to help you measure the temp of the syrup
7. When the syrup reaches 110C, add the second portion of egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking them on medium/high speed until they get frothy
8. Check your sugar syrup again – when the syrup reaches 118C, take it off the stove
9. Now, slowly pour it over the egg whites in a steady stream. Whisk to stiff peaks for about 6 min
10. Add the food gel colours and vanilla extract at about the 3 min point, whisk into the meringue for a couple of minutes. When you can hold the bowl over your head and the meringue doesn’t fall out, you know you’ve reached stiff peaks.
11. Grab a spatula full of the meringue and fold it into the almond-sugar mixture, mix until well combined. Fold everything together by going around the bowl with a spatula then through the middle. Continue folding until the batter gets thin enough that it drips off the spatula and falls in a ‘ribbon’ which should when lifted disappear into the batter.
12. Spoon the batter into a piping bag and cut a small hole in the bag to form a round tip.
13. Pipe rounds of batter about 4cm/5cm in diameter, spacing them 2cm apart on (flat) baking trays lined with baking paper.
