Here’s a recipe to make your own version of luscious macarons for your loved ones at home…
The perfect macaron should have a shiny, domed outer shell which is crispy. Upon breaking this shell you should find a chewy meringue centre and smooth ganache filling.
For best results, it is always wise to use ‘aged’ egg whites, you can achieve this simply by leaving your eggwhites out overnight at room temperature. Note: A macaron is different to a macaroon – learn about the macaroon here.
Follow this recipe from Australia’s Gourmet Traveller magazine for some delicious raspberry and white chocolate ganache macarons of your own.
Bon appetit!
Macarons with white chocolate and raspberry ganache
Serves: 40
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins (plus resting)
Ingredients
Meringues:
- 130g pure icing sugar
- 110g almond meal
- 105g eggwhite (about 2), at room temperature, left out overnight
- 65g caster sugar
- 4-5 drops of rose food colouring
White chocolate and raspberry ganache:
- 50ml pouring cream
- 100g white chocolate
- 45g raspberries, coarsely chopped (Note: If fresh raspberries are unavailable, substitute defrosted frozen raspberries)
Process
- Preheat oven to 140C.
- Mix icing sugar and almond meal in a food processor until finely ground, triple-sift into a large bowl and set aside.
- Whisk 90g eggwhite in an electric mixer until soft peaks form (1-2 minutes).
- Add caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously until incorporated and mixture is thick and glossy (2-3 minutes), then add food colouring.
- Stir in almond mixture in batches until incorporated and mixture slowly slides down sides of bowl when bowl is tilted.
- Add remaining eggwhite to loosen mixture, spoon into a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle, pipe 3cm-diameter rounds of mixture onto heavy baking-paper-lined oven trays, stand until a crust begins to form (4-5 hours).
- Bake macarons until firm but not coloured, swapping trays halfway through cooking (10-12 minutes), set aside, cool completely on trays.
- 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.
- Refrigerate until firm yet still pliable (45 minutes-1 hour) then stir until smooth.
- Add raspberries, stir to form a ripple effect, then spoon a teaspoon of ganache onto half the macarons. Sandwich with remaining macarons and refrigerate until set.
Macarons will keep for 1-2 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
(This recipe appeared in the July 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.)
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Cheers, Natasha
www.myLusciousLife.com
