Macarons are a tricky cookie to make but once you know how to make them, you will love making them as much as I love making them.
Years ago when I made my first batch, it failed miserably .And it happened quite a few times until I knew I had to get them right. So if you don't get them right the first few times, don't fret ,they'll still be delicious.
A few tips that have helped me are as follows:
You need to use super fine almond flour.
Your eggs need to be on room temperature, this will make it easier for you to separate yolks from the whites.
Every oven is made different and the heat setting may be the same but the actual thermostat may be different. You can use an oven thermometer to know the exact inside temperature of your oven.
There is absolutely no need to get fancy silicone mats ,parchment paper works just fine.
You can customize the color and flavor of your macarons easily by adding different food colors and flavorings.
It is important to rest your macarons after piping them , the time varies depending on where you live and or the humidity in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Fine Almond flour
1 cup Confectioners sugar
2 large egg whitest room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 -3 drops of brown food coloring
1 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
For the filling:
4 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder dissolved in teaspoon of hot water
1/4 powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Recipe yields about 20 cookies.
Tools you will need:
A stand mixer or a hand mixer
a large sieve/sifter
parchment paper
cookie sheet
piping bag and a half inch plain tip, I use Wilton#10
spatula
two large mixing bowls
Directions:
Step 1: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. And preheat oven to 300°F ( remember to take in account your oven, you may need to lower or turn up your heat setting).
Step2:Combine powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and pulse into a fine powder, scraping sides with a spatula and pulsing it a few times to ensure it grinds evenly.
Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl through a large sieve and discard the bigger chunks.
Step 3:Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or in your stand mixer at medium speed until foamy and then add cream of tartar, beat some more and add coloring and cardamom powder.Gradually add granulated sugar ,beating at high speed for 3 minutes or until mixture forms stiff peaks , scrape bowl occasionally .
Step 4:Add half of flour mixture to the egg whites and stir with a spatula to combine ,about 12-15 strokes .Move the spatula from inside out, making sure you incorporate all of the mixture evenly.Mix about 12 to 15 more strokes ,until batter is smooth and shiny.It is easy to undermix or overman the batter . It should have a peak that can make a figure 8 back into the batter without breaking.This process is called the Macaronage and is has to be done right in order for you to have perfect macarons. It is a bit tricky but easier to do once to get the hang of it. Be patient and don't rush it otherwise you have a chance of overtaxing the batter, it will become runny and hard to pipe.
Step 5:Scoop the batter into the piping bag and pipe 1 inch circles about 2 inches apart on the parchment lined cookie sheets. Tap cookie sheets on a flat surface to remover air bubbles. If you still see any, use a tooth pick to burst them gently and using a damp finger, lightly press the indentation.Let the macarons rest ,uncovered until the tops form a surface. This can anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour depending on the humidity in your kitchen. Gently touch top pf macaron to check. If batter doesn't stick to your finger, the mixture is ready for the oven.
Step 6:Bake your macarons on the center rack for 12-15 minutes . Rotating halfway through. Cool completely on cookie sheets.Once the macarons are completely cool, they are ready to be filled.
For filling:
Add room temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer for a minute, add powdered sugar, cream and coffee powder and mix on high until its fluffy.Transfer into a piping bag and fill your macaron shells.