January 1, 2011

Matcha Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , , , |
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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.

 

 

December 31, 2010

Champagne Macarons

Posted by HI Cookery under 12 December | Tags: , , , , |
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Champagne Macarons

Champagne Macarons

December 31: National Champagne Day

Champagne is synonymous with special occasions. Whether ringing in the new year, toasting a happy couple at a wedding, launching a ship or celebrating other events (such as getting “feet” on macarons after several failed baking attempts!), champagne certainly adds a touch of class.

We gave our macarons a glamorous makeover by using the special sparkling wine as an ingredient. Both the shells and buttercream filling contain a bit of the bubbly. Serve champagne macarons on New Year’s Eve and National Champagne Day to add prestige to your party!

Recipe

For the champagne 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
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon champagne (we used pink champagne)

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.

Champagne Macarons

Stir in the vanilla and champagne. Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.”

Champagne Macarons

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.

Champagne Macarons

For the champagne buttercream filling

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2+ tablespoons champagne (we used pink champagne)
  • edible pearl dust (we used Wilton brand orchid pink color to enhance the rosé hue)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a pinch of salt until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Thin to a spreadable consistency with champagne. 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.

Champagne Macarons

Using a dry, food-safe brush, paint both sides of the macaron shells with edible pearl dust to give them some sparkle.

Champagne Macarons

Bonus Recipe

Champagne Macarons with Caviar-Cream Cheese Filling

Champagne Caviar Macarons

Mac Attack #14 challenged us to create a macaron with a sweet and savory flavor combination. Our entry at MacTweets was a champagne macaron shell (recipe above) sandwiched with whipped cream cheese filling and rimmed with capelin caviar (directions below). YUCK! No offense to our friends who indulge in the overpriced and overrated fish eggs, but we probably just have beer tastes over a champagne budget!

For the caviar-cream cheese filling

  • Cream cheese, whipped
  • Caviar, chilled

Directions

Make the sweet champagne macarons. Prepare the savory filling. Whip the cream cheese to a spreadable consistency. Generously coat one half of the macaron shell with the cream cheese. Place another shell on top of it as a sandwich. Press the caviar on the sides of the cream cheese filling with a spreader. Serve immediately as caviar is perishable.

Champagne Caviar Macarons

Notes

  • Caviar is considered to be a rich, upscale and luxurious delicacy. It pairs well with champagne or vodka.
  • Highlander first sampled the salty spread in his college Russian class. Islander’s Ukrainian friend, Olga, introduced her to the reeky roe.
  • Caviar is typically served straight from its container on crushed ice, inspiring our final photo food photo above. It is usually spread with crème fraiche on lightly buttered toast as canapés (appetizers) at fancy functions. We substituted the crème fraiche for cream cheese just for the photo because it was a solid spread that did not make the macaron shells soggy.
  • Our pink champagne macarons baked into a bare blush hue. We recommend painting the shells with edible pearl dust (gold, white or orchid pink) to correspond to the type of champagne used in the macaron ingredients (sparkling wine, blanc or rosé).
  • See our Mac Attack page for more macaron recipes.

 

 

November 21, 2010

Gingy Macs

Posted by HI Cookery under 11 November | Tags: , , , , , |
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Gingerbread Macarons

Gingy Macs

November 21: National Gingerbread Day

Let us shine a spotlight on a spice of the season—ginger—with which we have made a variety of gingerbread recipes, from cookies and cakes to muffins and now macarons. We filled our version of Gingy Macs with basic vanilla buttercream boozed up with cinnamon schnapps! Combined with other condiments, such as nutmeg and cloves, the gingerbread spice blend adds a distinctive fall flavor to these famous French cookies. Gingerbread macarons are our unique take on a blog recipe post for National Gingerbread Day and our monthly entry into the MacAttack challenge.

Recipe

(Adapted from Tartelette)

For the macarons

  • 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
  • 1 cup almond flour/meal
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • yellow food coloring (we used Wilton brand lemon yellow gel icing color)

Directions

Separate the eggs and age the whites at least the night before. Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. If necessary, grind them in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. 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).

Gingy Macs

Whip the egg whites until peaks form. Pour the simple syrup into the egg whites while whipping until stiff and glossy. Stir in the dry mixtures and fold until the consistency “flows like magma.” Tint the macaronage with a little yellow food color to create a soft ginger hue.

Gingy Macs

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.

Gingy Macs

For the filling

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon schnapps (we used DeKuyper brand Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapps liqueur)
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • water

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a pinch of salt until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon schnapps. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Thin to a spreadable consistency with water. 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. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Gingy Macs

Notes

  • These gingerbread macarons were made by using the Italian meringue method because it stabilizes the egg whites better. This technique has given us more reliable results for macarons made in our kitchen.
  • The medley of the gingerbread ingredients in these macarons is subtly spicy and sweetly speckled but not overpowering—delicious fall flavors are packed into these tiny treats!
  • The cinnamon schnapps gives the filling a slight pink tinge. Use the leftover buttercream as an icing accent for other gingerbread recipes.
  • This is our entry into the MacAttack #13 challenge. See our MacAttack page or search our blog for other macaron posts.
  • The photo prop is of Gingy from the “Shrek” movie series.
 

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