In 2015 I managed to miraculously make French Macarons. After two failed attempts, it was a big deal. Honestly, this is the type of cookie that has to be made often for practice.
Ha, or maybe that’s just me!
Anyway, my instructions from that year are still pretty solid, if anything I should mention how important it is to let the liquidity macaron “dry” on your parchment paper (before you place them in the oven) for at least forty-five minutes to one hour. This is so important! I’ve skipped this step so many times and thought, “Ten minutes will be fine!”
HA. No. There’s nothing more disappointing than a cracked French Macaron.
Let’s talk about equipment. You will need a baking sheet, parchment paper and time. I usually spend half a day making French Macarons—it’s worth it! You will also need a good electric mixer, I use this one. A food processor, and a good sifter. A cake decorating kit for piping the macarons onto your parchment paper. This recipe makes around forty macarons, which makes it the perfect cookie to give away! These boxes are perfect for transporting your cookies to friends and family :)
INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup almond meal or ground almonds
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature and preferably aged up to 3 days
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp dried lavender buds, I purchased mine from Williams Sonoma
+Pulse confectioners’ sugar, almond flour and lavender in a food processor. Sift the mixture and set aside.
+ Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy.
+ Add five tablespoons of sugar gradually. Stop beating when stiff peaks form.
+ Add food coloring. I added like eight drops of purple food coloring and after they were baked the macarons faded to pink. Next time I will add more!
Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, almond meal and lavender mixture. I usually count twenty-five folds and then fold and spread until mixture resembles pancake mix. Layout at least three sheets of parchment paper and pipe little macarons! Give them some space. I used this piping kit recently and it worked like a charm! Rap the baking sheet firmly two to three times. This smooths out the tops and helps form the frilly foot on the bottoms of macarons.
Allow at least forty-five minutes to one hour of drying time. Macarons should be a glossy and non-sticky on top. Preheat your oven to 280ºF, and position two racks in the lower section of the oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Halfway through, rotate the baking sheet for even baking.
Honey Buttercream Filling. It’s so good! I used local honey from Colony Urban Farm Store. I’m so proud of our local honeybees, they make the best honey!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, since I’m dairy free I use palm shortening.
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbsp honey
*optional: Tbsp coconut milk
Beat butter (or palm shortening) until creamy, add honey and beat until mixed. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and whisk until incorporated. Add coconut milk (one tablespoon at a time) if the buttercream is too stiff. When the macarons are fully cooled, assemble the macarons with honey buttercream filling. Macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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