Prep Time: 10 minutes plus resting time
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Yield: Approx 10 – 15
Ingredients:
- 198g Icing Sugar
- 113g Ground Almonds
- 113g Manx egg whites
- A pinch of Cream of Tartar
- 100g Caster Sugar
For the filling:
- 75g IOM Creamery butter, softened
- 150g icing sugar
- Flavouring (mango, raspberry, cocoa powder)
Method:
This is the basic recipe for macarons. You can make coloured macarons by (sparingly) using a food colouring paste/gel/powder rather than liquid food colouring. The colour should be added to the egg whites just before whisking with the sugar.
Macarons need a steady, low-ish temperature to cook properly, too high and they easily burn, too low and they don’t cook through. These temperatures are a guideline, adjust to suit your oven.
Preheat the oven to 160°C / ESSE dial guide MODERATE (aim for the dial reading to be at the low to middle end of MODERATE).
- Sieve the icing sugar, followed by the ground almonds, into a large mixing bowl and carefully mix together.
- In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Add the colour (gel or powder) followed by the caster sugar, a little at a time and continue to whisk until the whites are very thick and glossy (ideally, you should be able to hold the bowl upside down without the whites falling out. Gently stir in the icing sugar and almond mix. Around the bowl and down the middle of the mixture. This is called macaronage (great word for scrabble). The mixture will lose some air and become quite loose, don’t worry, this is the way it should be.
- Using a piping bag with a 1cm / 1/3″ nozzle, fill with the macaron mixture. Place the silicon mat or baking parchment onto a baking sheet. Pipe small blobs onto the sheet remembering that less is more at this stage because the mixture will settle and form into the allotted spaces.
- Gently tap the baking sheet a few times on the work surface to help the macaron mixture to settle and to break any air bubbles, then leave to dry for at least 20 minutes – the surface of the macaron will go from shiny to matt.
- Bake the macarons in the preheated oven for 7 – 8 minutes, open the door to release any steam, close the oven door and cook for a further 7 – 8 minutes. The macarons are cooked when they feel firm and are slightly risen.
- Slide the mat or greaseproof paper onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely. Do not be tempted to remove the macarons from the mat until they are cold or you will break them.
- Fill with your favourite flavour 😊
Top Tip:
Close all windows and don’t boil a kettle. Macarons do not like any moisture in the air!
Macaron fillings – Christmas flavours
Chestnut Buttercream
Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup pureed chestnuts
Method:
In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.
Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes. Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time. If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again. Add in the chestnuts. Makes 2 cups.
Eggnog Filling
Ingredients:
- ½ stick softened unsalted butter
- ½ cup organic powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 3 tbsp eggnog
Method:
Whisk together softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, eggnog, and nutmeg until smooth. Using a pastry bag (or ziplock bag with a hole cut in the bottom corner) pipe about 1 tsp of filling onto the bottom side of a macaron, sandwiching it with its matching size.
Seal the macarons in an airtight container in the fridge and mature for at least 1 day for optimum taste/texture. This is the secret to soft macarons. Even if you overcooked your macarons, give them 1-2 days in the fridge for maturation and they will be amazing. The delicate cookies need the moisture from the filling, but it also infuses the eggnog flavour.
Xmas pudding filling
Ingredients:
- 2½tbsp Mincemeat
- 60g Butter (salted) softened
- 50g Icing sugar
- 1tsp Orange extract (I use Nielsen-Massey) Orange or Cointreau….
Method
Make the filling by whizzing the mincemeat in a food processer until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk together the icing sugar and the butter with the orange extract until light and fluffy. Stir in the mincemeat than put in a piping bag.
Georgie Revill creates recipes using her ESSE Electric Range Cooker. Georgie is the proprietor of The Cook Shack in beautiful Bride on the north coast of the Isle of Man.
The Cook Shack is a cookery school/experience where everyone is welcome with open arms. The emphasis is on having a really good time together whilst cooking delicious dishes and consuming the delights.
The Cook Shack achieved Special Recognition at the Isle of Man Food, Farming & Fishing Awards for the promotion of all things local.
