February 14, 2011

Guava Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 02 February | Tags: , , , , |
[7] Comments 

Guava Macarons

Guava Macarons

February 14: Valentine’s Day

Those who are gaga for guava will love getting guava macarons as a gift for Valentine’s Day. The tropical fruit is Islander’s favorite flavor for cakes (specifically, DeeLite Bakery’s guava chiffon cake) and she indulges in drinking its nectar whenever she is in Hawaii. There is a guava tree in the back yard of her childhood home on Oahu where her parents still live, and she and her brother have visited the Guava Kai Plantation on Kauai (before its unfortunate closure).

Guava

Guava Kai

Her hubby, Highlander, also enjoys eating Hawaiian guava jelly and jam on his breakfast breads—and now as a filling between macarons. So in lieu of the usual chocolates as a sweet treat for her Valentine, Islander made guava macarons in a passionate pink color and filled them with guava jam. These guava macarons were made with aloha (love) for Valentine’s Day!

 

Recipe

For the guava macarons (Italian meringue method)

  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar, granulated white
  • ½ cup water
  • rose pink, red and orange food coloring (we used Wilton brand’s concentrated gel icing colors)
  • guava drink powder mix

Directions

Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. Grind in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps (optional). Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Make a simple syrup to stabilize the egg whites by boiling the sugar and water together until it reaches a temperature of 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until it reaches a soft ball stage). Pour into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy.

Guava Macarons

Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.” Tint the macaronage with pink, red and orange food coloring until a desired shade of “guava pink” color is reached. Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet.

Guava Macarons

Lightly sprinkle the tops with the crystals from the guava drink powder mix. Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to brown or burn the macarons. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs.

Guava Macarons

Spread guava jam as a filling. Refrigerate the macarons to set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Guava Macarons

Notes

  • Aloha ke Akua (God is love)!
  • Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) to Islander’s parents for the guava jam and to sistah Nan N. for the guava drink powder mix.
  • Guava, like pineapple, was introduced to Hawaii from Latin America. There are various types of guava cultivated in the tropics.
  • Guava macarons are our entry into the MacAttack #16 challenge on the MacTweets website. Happy Valentine’s Day to the MacTweets ‘ohana (family)!

 

 

 

February 3, 2011

Elmo Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 02 February | Tags: , , , , |
[13] Comments 

Elmo Macarons

Elmo Macarons

February 3: Elmo’s Birthday

Islander LOVES Elmo!!! She just can’t resist the Sesame Street star with the bright red fur and big eyes, nose and smile. He exudes energy, optimism, cheer and playfulness—all of which are positive qualities that we need more of, not just in “Elmo’s World” but in ours. Islander has an accumulation of toys, clothing, cups and party decorations (gifts from Highlander, family, friends and even herself!) that rivals any kid’s collection.

In honor of Elmo on his birthday, Islander gave macarons a makeover by piping on his famous facial features to add a peppy personality to the petite French cookies. Elmo is her muse and the inspiration behind the dessert decorations. Pictured below in the visual tutorials are a variety of her beloved Elmo “models” who joined her in our kitchen while making macarons. Happy birthday, Elmo!

 

Listen to Elmo’s Song.

 

Recipe

For the basic macarons (Italian meringue method)

  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
  • ½ cup sugar, granulated white
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • red food coloring

Directions

Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. Grind in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps (optional). Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Make a simple syrup to stabilize the egg whites by boiling the sugar and water together until it reaches a temperature of 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until it reaches a soft ball stage). Pour into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy.

Elmo Macarons

Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.” Mix in the vanilla flavoring. Tint the macaronage with red food coloring. (We used a combination of red liquid drops and red concentrated gel icing color but recommend the latter for a more vibrant hue and less liquid in the macaronage.) Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet.

Elmo Macarons

Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to brown or burn the macarons. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs.  Make the filling.

Elmo Macarons

 

For the chocolate ganache filling

(Adapted from Baker’s Chocolate)

  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate squares (we used Baker’s brand)

Directions

In a saucepan, heat the whipping cream on medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the chocolate squares. Pour the cream into the melted chocolate. Stir until well combined. Let cool to thicken. Whip the chocolate ganache until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Elmo Macarons

Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe in the filling and sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the filling set.

Elmo Macarons

 

For Elmo’s face decorations

  • 1 tube white frosting (for the eyes)
  • mini chocolate chips (for the pupils)
  • 1 tube orange frosting (for the nose)

Directions

Pipe two small rounds (eyeballs) with the white tube frosting near the edge of a macaron. Add the mini chocolate chips (pupils) on the point of the white icing of the eyes.

Elmo Macarons

Complete the facial features by piping in a small round (nose) with the orange tube frosting. Let the orange frosting dry for a few minutes before gently pressing down on any tips of the nose. Refrigerate the macarons to set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Elmo Macarons

 

Notes

 

 

January 1, 2011

Matcha Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

Matcha (Green Tea) Macarons

Matcha Macarons

January: National Tea Month

East meets West when finely milled green tea powder mixes with ground almonds to make matcha macarons. Japanese green tea adds color and flavor to the famous French cookie in this unique recipe combination. Fusion foods like this are frequently featured in our home since we are a mixed married couple. Often our mealtime menus include items reflecting Highlander and Islander’s cultures, giving us a taste of the best of both worlds!

We made these matcha macarons by adapting a recipe from a Japanese author’s cookbook and using the French meringue method. They are perfect as a tea time treat, especially during National Tea Month.

Recipe

(Adapted from I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita)

For the matcha green tea macarons

 

  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (we used C&H brand)
  • 2 tablespoons matcha green tea (we used Teavana brand)
  • 3 egg whites (aged overnight at room temperature)
  • pinch of cream of tartar
  • ¼ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)

Directions

Sift together the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar and matcha. Whip the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add the granulated white sugar while continuing to whip the eggs whites until peaks form. Stir in the green almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.”

Matcha Macarons

Fill a pastry bag with a large round tip. Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet. Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to brown or burn the macarons. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs. Make the filling.

Matcha Macarons

For the matcha (green tea) and white chocolate ganache filling

(Adapted from Matcha Source)

  • 2 ounces (2 squares) of white chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon matcha green tea (we used Teavana brand)

Directions

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate as directed on the package. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cream until smooth. Cool completely. In another bowl, beat the remaining cream with the matcha green tea until well blended. Add the white chocolate-cream mixture and continue beating until soft peaks form. Refrigerate to thicken the ganache. Re-whip again until it is a filling consistency. 

Matcha Macarons

Fill a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe in the filling and sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the filling set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Matcha Macarons

Notes

  • Click on our Mac Attack page to see more macarons.
  • January is also known as National Hot Tea Month while June is known as National Iced Tea Month.
  • Learn more about the health benefits of green tea from the Green Tea Library—AFTER consuming calories from sugary-sweet macarons!
  • Thanks to Lisa L. for sending us ground almonds from Germany. Our dear friend is also in a mixed marriage—she is German-American and her husband, John, is Welsh.

  • We have corrected/updated the original matcha-white chocolate ganache recipe. This yields enough filling for the matcha macarons. If our recipes have errors, please refer to the source from where we adapted them. We apologize for any inconvenience.

 

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »