Mini Berry Cake Macarons

Makes about 26 Cake Macarons  (13 filled Cookie Cakes)

*
*1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Almond Flour, Sifted (Discard unsifted pieces)

*1 cup Powdered Sugar, extra for dusting/topping

*1/4 cup Special Dark Cocoa, like Hershey’s

*1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

*3 Egg Whites, room temperature

*1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tatar

*1/4 cup Sugar

*Blueberries, as needed

*Raspberries, as needed

*

Ganache

*
*4 ounce Bittersweet Chocolate, like Bakers, chopped small

*1/2 cup Whipping Cream

*1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

*pinch of Sea Salt

*
In a bowl sift the powdered Sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt and discard pieces of almond that won’t pass through sifter. Set bowl aside.

*
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.

*
Remove beaters from the whipped mixture. Then with a rubber scraper fold in 1/3 of the dry almond mixture in the whipped mixture and fold, about 12 folds. Repeat by folding in another 1/3  of the almond mixture and again 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 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.

*
When consistency has been achieved. Place/scoop the batter in a pastry bag (2/3 full) with an 803 tip attached, pipe on medium-small (2 and 1/2 inch circles) of batter onto a Silpat covered 1/2 baking sheet, 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.

*
Smooth down with your finger any piping tips that might poke up on the top of each macaron.

*
Now let the piped macarons set for 20 minutes or until macarons don’t stick to your finger when touched. A smooth semi gloss crust develops and then bake in oven.

*
In a pre-heated 300 F. oven, place filled macaron 1/2 baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Lindy