Hello and welcome! It's been awhile since I've posted something delicious on this blog. I've been busy traveling, perfecting, and... well... consuming foods of all kinds!
By popular request (via photos on Facebook) I have been asked to post the secrets of making French Macaroons, a delightful little cookie with a lot of complex textures & consistencies; however, once perfected, they are the perfect bite-sized snack and are a treat every single time you make them. Plus, they can vary in both flavor and color, so eating these treats is never a bore (not that they will
ever be, but variety is the spice of life).
It had been awhile since I made these. Having a fully stocked kitchen has so many benefits and choices, it's hard to leave home and go to an empty kitchen, cooking with just the bare essentials. Every time I come home, I bake bake bake, because it's not worth buying a whole bag of sugar just to use one cup for a batch of cookies, not to mention teaspoons of baking soda, vanilla extract, flour, etc.
Don't worry if you don't have all those things in your kitchen! French macaroons are so easy, it requires only a few ingredients (which make it delicious. In cooking, sometimes less is more). Without further adieu, I present to you vanilla French macaroons with chocolate creme (or as I like to call it, black and tan).
Black and Tan French Macaroons
Vanilla Macaroons
3/4 cup ground almonds (you can buy bits/slices and grind them in a food processor)
1 cup confectioners' sugar (also known as powdered sugar)
2 extra large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 cup superfine sugar (also known as Baker's Sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 bowls
1 sifter
spatula
mixer
piping/pastry bag (I use disposable ones) with
.5 inch tip (I prefer smaller, since the batter is somewhat runny)
*Makes approximately 16 sandwiches (I prefer making smaller ones so I can eat "more" ^_^)
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the ground almonds and confectioners' sugar in a food processor for approximately 15 seconds. Sift the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
Beat egg whites in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks. Gradually beat in the superfine sugar to a glossy meringue. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Fold the almond/sugar powder into the meringue with a spatula 1/3 at a time, folding/cutting thoroughly. Your batter will look shiny with a thick, ribbonlike consistency.
Fill the piping/pastry bag with batter carefully. Pipe 32 small circles onto the baking sheets (I make them smaller and cuter so I can have more). Tap the baking sheet on the counter to extract air bubbles. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (this gives the macaroon the hard top shell).
Preheat oven to 325 F. Bake one sheet at a time on center rack for 10-15 minutes. This part is important! If you overbake, your macaroon will be hollow and have no chewy center, in addition to burning. If you underbake, your macaroon won't frill around the edges and won't peel off the parchment paper. Check your macaroon at 8 minutes, just in case. Your macaroon should look light tan and easily peel off the parchment paper. The smaller the macaroon, the shorter the baking time (not by much, maybe just a minute or three).
Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, removing the cookie from the pan. Make sure you cool completely. Ta-dum! You're done!
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Notice the glossy top & the frill around the edges.
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Chocolate Filling
3.5 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream (yes!)
Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until just boiling on med-low. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool for 15-20 minutes (I preferred refrigerating mine to make it a thicker, creamy texture) and stir. Use to sandwich pairs of macaroon cookies together!
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| Itty bitty bite sized treats! |
Hope you enjoyed this recipe. Remember to be patient and be careful. These cookies are extremely fragile but are worth the care. I had to make these while kiddos were ringing my doorbell for trick-or-treats! Best of luck to those who try this, and don't give up! If at first you don't succeed, try try again. :)
PS- what did we do with the egg yolks? We made white chocolate creme brulee. ^_~
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| The crayola crayon is pro at making this dessert :D |
