Macaron Cookies may take many trial and error batches before achieving the technic of making these cookies. Watch videos on macarons it helps when trying to achieve the macaron cookie. Every Video can give a tip that might help you in having success with making macarons.
Also see our recipes at Tea Party Food for your next tea party.
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French Lemon Macaron Cookies
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*2 cups Powdered Sugar
*1 cup Almond Flour, Note: If you keep flour in fridge or freezer you will need to dry out flour in the oven 185*F. 10 minutes stirring halfway through.
*1 teaspoon Finely Grated Lemon Zest
*Pinch of Sea Salt, literally
*3 Egg Whites, separate then room temperature
*1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
*Food Coloring Paste
*1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
In a bowl sift the powdered Sugar, almond flour, salt and discard pieces of almond that won’t pass through sifter, for super smooth add to a food processor whisk/pulse, 30 seconds or so then sift again. Now stir in lemon zest and set bowl aside.
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Now in a clean grease free glass bowl. Add the 3 egg whites and whip eggs until frothy and then add the cream of tartar and continue whipping the egg whites until they become white in color and slowly add the granulated sugar a small amount at a time. Continue to whip the egg white mixture until stiff peaks occur and the whipped mixture in the beaters remain within beaters without dripping out when held up. Add food coloring and flavoring if desired and mix just until incorporated.
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Remove beaters from the whipped mixture. Then with a rubber scraper fold in 1/3 of the dry almond mixture in the whipped mixture, about 12 folds. Repeat by folding in a 1/3 more of the almond mixture and another 12 folds. Now add the remaining almond mixture fold in another 24 folds. Mixture should become lava like, flowing off the rubber scraper when scooped and let sheet down to the bowl taking about 30 seconds for the almost the entire mixture to sheet off the spoon and back into the batter bowl. Then the batter that is in the bowl will become smooth again in the bowl after 60 seconds of sitting. Note: This is where you can over or under mix/fold the mixture. The right air consistency is crucial in the success of these cookies.
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When consistency has been achieved. Place/scoop the batter in a pastry bag (2/3 full) with an 803 tip attached, pipe on small dots of batter onto a Silpat covered 1/2 baking sheet with macaron circles printed on the Silpat or pipe consistent circles on Silpat or parchment paper, try to make each macaron the same size. Hold the pastry bag with the tip straight down in the middle of the macaron circle close to the 1/2 baking sheet (space macarons at least one and a half inches apart). Fold down the open end of the pastry bag to batter level and holding fold squeeze the pastry bag until batter flows smoothly. Then place piping tip in the center of the macaron circle and squeeze out the batter until it almost reaches the drawn circle pattern. Repeat until all circles are filled. Pickup baking sheet a couple of inches from the table and drop the baking sheet, repeat 8 times, rotating baking sheet after each drop. This is to remove air bubbles.
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Smooth down with your slightly wet finger any piping tips that might poke up on the top of each macaron.
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Now let the piped macarons set for 20-35 minutes until macarons don’t stick to your finger when touched, a smooth semi-gloss crust will develop and then bake in oven.
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Macaron Batter fills 3 (1/2 baking sheets) making about 96 small macarons and 53 filled macaron cookies.
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In a pre-heated 295*F. oven, place piped macarons on 1/2 baking sheet (second to the lowest rung/rack) in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
Every oven varies in temperature, you may need to adjust for your oven temperature. This can affect the developing of the little feet of the macarons.
Lemon Filling
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*3/4 cup Powder Sugar, more if needed
*1/4 cup Butter, room temperature
*Drop of Yellow Food Coloring
*3 teaspoons Lemon Juice, more if needed for thinning
*pinch of Lemon Zest
*2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
*Sprinkle Sea Salt
Whisk together the ingredients until a nice piping consistency. Use a pastry bag and small round tip, pipe onto macaron and place on a second macaron making a sandwich like cookie. Repeat for each macaron.
Enjoy!
Lindy
