French Macarons

One of my major finds in Paris is the French Macarons. They are these little colorful delights that instantly makes my mouth water....not trying to be gross or anything.



THESE ARE HEAVENLY. I've tried these macarons from several French bakeries while I was in Paris...including the famous Laduree on Champs-Elysee. This alone could warrant another trip to Paris in the future.

Lucky for me. I found this awesome recipe for them. I can't wait to take a stab at making these tonight.

The French Macaron is a grown up almond cookie that is delicate and perfect as a wedding favor or stocking stuffer this holiday season. Each almond sandwich cookie is filled with creamy buttercreams, preserves or rich chocolate ganache. Here are some helpful tips on making your own! –from Vanilla Bakeshop

Ingredients

3 ½ cups Powdered sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla extract
3 cupsAlmond meal
6 Egg whites
Pinch Salt
½ cupGranulated Sugar

Helpful tips before you get started:

*Oven temperatures vary. Test this recipe first, before you begin production to ensure the cookies bake perfectly. If the cookies crack on top, your oven might be too hot. Turn your oven down by 5-10 degree’s. The cookie should have a smooth shell top.

*Chose three different food colors for your cookies and decide what flavor will correspond with the color. Example: A pale green macaron filled with mint chocolate ganache.

*Gel based food-coloring works the best. Divide your batter mixture into three separate bowls, and add a different color per bowl. This will allow you to have three different colors and flavors.

*Use a toothpick when adding the food coloring. A little goes a long way.

Instructions
Pre-heat Oven 240 degree’s

1. Whip egg whites in a mixer with whisk attachment until frothy. Rain in granulated sugar slowly. Whip until the egg white is a soft peak. Add salt, vanilla extract and food coloring.

2. Continue to whip until a medium peak forms. Do not over whip.

3. Sift powder sugar and almond meal together.

4. Fold powder sugar and almond meal into egg white mixture.

5. Fold together until mixture is the consistency of slow moving lava. (About 20-30 seconds of folding.) Be careful not to over mix.

6. Fill pastry bag fitted with #828 tip with macaron mixture.

7. Pipe into small silver dollar size rounds on parchment covered sheet pans.

8. Once all rounds have been piped, allow it to sit out for 30 minutes to dry and create a shell.

9. Bake at 240 degree’s for 9-11 minutes. Rotate halfway through baking process so cookies are evenly baked. Cookie tops will pop up creating a macaron “foot” below the shell top.

10. Allow to cool before piping filling.

11. Fill with your favorite butter cream, preserve, or chocolate ganache filling.<> 12. This recipe yields 40 French macaron sandwiches.

Pictures coming up in the next post!