Macaron Experiments

I stole this from Tartlette (internet's premiere macaron blogger). Using a digital scale is critical; I previously tried using volumetric measurements, and was wholly unsuccessful.

A few thoughts on the recipe; baking on a silpat seemed to require a longer baking time, and macarons came out slightly soggy.

The oven temperature of 280 degrees F didn't work too well for me; 300 degrees F seemed to work better.

Others suggested aging the egg whites at room temperature for 24-48 hours. The aging process decreases egg white viscosity, and helps them whip better.

Some helpful macaron websites I referenced during my experimentation:

http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/2010/04/macarons-101-french-meringue.html

http://joepastry.com/index.php?cat=171

http://www.mytartelette.com/2009/08/recipe-coffee-chicory-macarons.html

And this website has an excellent step by step tutorial on making Italian meringue (cooked) macarons:

http://dessertfirst.typepad.com/



For macaron shells;

- 90 gr egg whites (about 2.5 large eggs)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 30 gr granulated sugar
- 200 gr confectioner's sugar
- 110 gr ground almonds
- 1 tsp espresso powder

1. Age egg whites for 48 hours at room temperature; let sit in bowl and cover with plastic film.
2. Add cream of tartar to egg whites.
   
3. Using whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks on highest speed.
4. Add in granulated sugar slowly, and beat until glossy meringue is formed and peaks are stiff (formation of "bird's beak").
   
5. Mix together confectioner's sugar, ground almonds, and espresso powder in separate bowl.
6. Add almond mixture to meringue. Stir in, don't be afraid to mix, scraping the sides.
   
7. Fold in with spatula; should take no more than 50 folds altogether according to Tartlette.
8. Pipe small rounds, ~ 1.5" in diameter, either on a parchment paper cum baking sheet, or silpat. I prefer parchment paper on baking sheet. Use just a piping bag and coupler.
   
9. After folding, mixture should appear smooth and shiny.
   
10. Let rest 45min - 1 hr before baking in order to form a skin.
    
11. Bake in preheated oven @ 300 degrees F on lower middle rack for ~16 minutes.
    
12. Let macarons cool 1/2 hour on wire rack before removing from parchment paper.
13. If you have trouble removing the macarons, remove parchment paper with macarons formed thereon, take a spray bottle and spray the cookie sheet with water, then replace parchment paper. Water will slightly steam, making macarons easy to remove.
    
14. Store in air-tight container.
    

For coffee paint;

- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 Tbsp hot water

For the buttercream:

- 1 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Black sesame macarons; feet slightly decreased in size since removing from oven.

3rd batch of espresso flavored macarons slightly improved over the 2nd batch; chiefly, they aren't as flat. I believe I addressed the flatness issue by piping smaller diameter, thicker rounds, as well as baking for a longer period of time (16 min. vs 13 min.).

I think they were quite successful! I tried the unfilled shells and thought they were ok, but somehow the composite of shells + nutella buttercream was perfect. The shells had a nicely crisp exterior and slightly gooey interior, and the nutella buttercream was a nice filling. I used a fake buttercream comprising some butter, cream cheese, and nutella.