Rose Macarons with Raspberry GanachePrint Recipe

 
I know I am very late to jump on the macaron bandwagon, but here they are – finally. No reason for my trepidation other than the fact I have never made them before. Scaredy cat that I am.

A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to win a copy of Mad about Macarons (thanks to Paris Patisseries) and have been flicking through it every week waiting for some sort of sign. That sign came to me yesterday when I took refuge from a storm in the entrance of La Maison Du Chocolat. While I waited out the pouring rain I had nothing more to do than stare into the window at their macaron display. It was like looking inside a treasure chest – all their pretty pastels and jewel tones, looking so delicate and luscious. Clearly it was time for me to try my hand at these sweet confections.

Surprisingly they were not as difficult as I thought, although I did get my knickers in a knot during the piping process when I realised that they were all different sizes. And then again, when they I thought they look a little haphazard rather than the perfectly round macaron I was striving for. Anyway, there is beauty in irregularity and I eventually saw it in these – somewhat mismatched and sandwiched together with a decadent smear of raspberry ganache.

Thanks to the wealth of knowledge in Mad about Macarons, I am no longer a scaredy cat de macaron. I am going to make more soon and include a step by step guide (because you should try them too!) – I am thinking pistachio or maybe something pretty and purple, I am visualising sugar coated violets…

Macarons
270 grams/9.5 ounces pure icing (confectioners) sugar
180 grams/6.3 ounces almond meal
150 grams/5.3 ounces egg white (aged about 4 days and left out overnight)
100 grams/3.5 ounces caster (superfine) sugar
4-5 drops rose food colouring

Ganache
1/3 cup pouring cream
170 grams/6 ounces white chocolate
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
a few drops of rose food colouring

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk egg whites till soft peaks form, add the caster sugar gradually and beat until glossy firm peaks form. Add food colouring and whisk till incorporated.

Sift the ground almonds with the icing sugar using a medium sieve. Discard and large pieces of almond. Mix well to incorporate the icing sugar and almonds.

Incorporate the beaten eggs whites into the dry ingredients using a large spatula, then works on the mixture using a large scraper. Press down with the scraper, going backwards and forwards along the bottom of you bowl, to press out any oxygen from the whites. Do this for no more than 5 minutes, the result should form a smooth and brilliant mixture that forms a ‘ribbon’ on the scraper. It can also be described as ‘magma like’.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a plain nozzle (1cm round the tip). Twist or clip the bag above the nozzle to stop the mixture from escaping.  Pipe out the desired size of rounds (3cm for your standard medium sized macaron). Leave a good space between each round as they do spread slightly.

Leave for 30 minutes – 1 hour to set. This helps produce the feet that define a macaron. They are ready to go into the oven when they are hard to touch and no mixture sticks to your fingertips.

While they are setting, preheat your oven to 160c/320f. Bake in the centre of the oven, 1 tray at a time for about 10 – 12 minutes. (test after 8 minutes – touch the top of the macaron and gently move your finger side to side), if there is a wobble, cook for 2 – 3 minutes longer till firm.

When ready, leave on the baking tray until cool and then scrape them off carefully with a palette knife.

Meanwhile, for white chocolate and raspberry ganache, bring cream just to the boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stand until melted (5 minutes), stir until smooth and glossy. Add the raspberry jam and a few drops of the rose food colouring (or more should you so desire). Refrigerate until firm yet pliable and spoon into a piping bag with a 1/4 inch nozzle.

Match up the discs in pairs on the greaseproof paper, one row flatside up and one row flat side down. Pipe the filling  onto each upturned shell. Place its partner on top, using a circular motion to squash the shell down on the filling.  Do not use too much filling but use enough so you can see a hint of it between the macarons.

* the use of this recipe and relating material is by kind permission of Waverley Books *

Notes: It is very important to to leave your macarons in the fridge for 24 hours prior to eating to let the filling infuse into the shell. Also, leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving – this will give the macarons their soft inside and crisp exterior.

When it comes to the ganache, it is best to use a concentrated flavour which is why I have used a jam over fresh raspberries. Mixed with a little cream and white chocolate, it creates the perfect filling to infuse into the meringue.

And regarding the egg whites that have been aged for 4 days, this means seperated from the yolk. I was lucky enough to have a fridge full of old egg whites after I made the Crack Pie a week ago.

Source:Macarons from “>Mad about Macarons by Jill Colonna, Ganache recipe is my own

© 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.