Happy Sunday!
Being a lover of Pavlova, I figured I should try making those cute macarons. They seemed to emerge out of nowhere the last years, and could literally be seen everywhere. I thought they were alright, but did not really understand the hype surrounding it.
Until I made my own. Because how delicious are these little cookies really?? I must say though, if you are not in the possession of a sweet tooth, this might not be your thing. They are completely filled with sugar, and almost taste like cotton candy in your mouth.
Honestly, making the perfect macarons is truly an art. There were lots of things going wrong when I tried them for the first time, and the next, and the next. Practice makes perfect. Still however, they aren’t nearly as flawless as they should be. But that kind of adds to the whole homemade vibe, doesn’t it?
The key to making the most majestic macarons is in the piping. Everyone can pipe small blobs on a baking sheet. But to ensure that the top of the cookie is flat is piping on a professional level.
Vertical piping is the answer. This way there’s an even amount of batter. To get the top flat, tap the baking tray on the kitchen counter. If this does not work, use a toothpick or palette knife to smoothen the top.
Fun thing about this recipe, is that you can colour the cookies any way you want to. Personally, I’m not a big fan of artificial food colouring, so I use natural substitutes.
- Pink – Beet juice
- Green – Matcha tea powder or wheatgrass powder
- Brown – Cocoa powder (you will taste this in the macarons)
- Yellow – A pinch of turmeric powder
- Orange – Carrot juice
Good luck making these macarons! I promise it will all be worth it in the end! 🙂
Pink Macarons
Ingredients
- 100 grams (3 and 1/2 oz) icing sugar
- 75 grams (2 and 1/2 oz) almond meal
- 2 egg whites (room temperature)
- 75 grams (2 and 1/2 oz) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon beet juice
For the filling
- 100 grams (3 and 1/2 oz) icing sugar
- 50 grams (1 and 3/4 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon beet juice
Used kitchen appliances
- Oven
- 2 baking sheets
- Baking foil
- Food processor with whisk attachment, or electric whisk
- Piping bag with plain nozzle (3cm in diameter)
- Mixing bowl
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 150C or 300F. Line the baking sheets with the foil. Use the nozzle to trace circles on the sheet with a pencil, leave a space of 3cm in between them. Turn the paper so the pencil lines are on the bottom.
- In the mixing bowl, stir the icing sugar and almond meal until combined.
- In the food processor, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Proceed to gradually add the caster sugar while whisking. Finally, add the beet juice and whisk. The mixture now should be stiff enough to turn the bowl upside down, without it falling out.
- Fold in the almond mixture, spoon by spoon. Use a silicone spatula to do this, and be gentle.
- Transfer the batter to the piping bag with the nozzle in it. Pipe the mixture in the middle of each circle, while holding the bag vertically.
- If there are peaks on the top, bang the baking sheets down, or use a toothpick or palette knife to flatten the tops.
- Bake the macarons in the oven for 20 minutes. Test one of the cookies by pressing on the surface, at which point the top should crack.
- Leave to rest in the oven for at least 20 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, whisk the softened butter, icing sugar, and beet juice together until smooth.
- Use the piping bag to put the buttercream on the bottom of the macaron, or a spoon. Top each macaron with another one.
The macarons, without any filling, can be stored for about 3 days in an airtight container.
Basil and Oil 
They look simply divine!
LikeLike
Thanks! They taste that way too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They look great. I am interested in using beet juice as a coloring but thought I had to use powder. Does the liquid affect the outcome or does it work out well? People keep mentioning not to use liquids in the recipes. But yours certainly look fine.
Also, if peeks don’t flatten out on their own, the batter needs a bit more folding to loosen it up.
I have the issue of overbaking to the point of browning, so they will be fully cooked and unstick. Tends to ruin the color, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Using beet juice worked out great for me, and I didn’t need to change the rest of the recipe. It’s such a vibrant colour that you need so little -depending on what you want your macarons to look like ofcourse.
And for your issue with browning, maybe there’s too much batter? That it needs to be less big? Or maybe lower the temperature of the oven so they cook slower but don’t brown? Good luck and thanks for your comment!!
LikeLike