This recipe is particularly close to my heart, because it’s the one I presented at the French amateur macaron competition in Paris on 14 March, in chef Arnaud Lahrer’s kitchen. I’ll tell you more soon about that unforgettable day! I wanted to try new flavours, so I went for a jasmine macaron with a mango jelly insert. I hesitated for a long time between that and a lemon verbena macaron, and after many trials and tastings (my colleagues must still remember them), I went with the first.
The hardest part was finding the perfect balance between the jasmine and the mango, so that each flavour comes through when tasting. But it’s not easy, because with the very same macaron, some people will find the jasmine too pronounced while others will struggle to detect it. It really depends on everyone’s taste (and habits). Same for the amount of mango… It’s up to you to experiment! 🙂
As for the look, I’m a little disappointed, as the whole thing is a bit “bland” — let’s say I changed my mind at the last minute and didn’t have time to try other shell colours. Ideally, use more yellow colouring, or an orange colouring, to get closer to the colour of mango!
Ingredients & preparation
4 components · Full recipe
Mango Jelly (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) mango purée
- 20 g (0.7 oz) sugar
- a little lime juice
- a little agar agar
Preparation
1
Mix a little lime juice into the mango purée, add the sugar, then the agar agar, and bring the whole mixture to the boil for 1 minute.
2
Pour the mixture into a frame to obtain a jelly approximately 3 mm thick. Set aside in the freezer.
Shells
Ingredients
- 2 × 52 g (1.8 oz) egg whites
- 150 g (5.3 oz) icing sugar
- 150 g (5.3 oz) ground almonds
- 50 g (1.8 oz) water
- 150 g (5.3 oz) caster sugar
- white food colouring
- yellow food colouring
Preparation
1
Blend the icing sugar and ground almonds together, then sift the mixture.
2
Prepare the syrup by placing the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil until the temperature reaches 118°C / 244°F. When the syrup reaches 110°C / 225°F, gradually whisk 52 g (1.8 oz) of egg whites to stiff peaks. Once the temperature of 118°C / 244°F is reached, slow the mixer speed and pour the syrup over the whisked whites. Increase the mixer speed again to cool the meringue. Check with your finger — it should be warm but not cold.
3
Switch the whisk attachment on your mixer for the paddle and incorporate the remaining 52 g (1.8 oz) of egg whites, then gradually add the ground almond and icing sugar mixture. Leave to run until the mixture becomes smooth, glossy and falls in a ribbon.
4
Divide the batter in two and add either white or yellow powdered food colouring. Mix again until the right consistency is achieved.
5
Transfer each batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Don’t hesitate to use a tall glass to support the piping bag — that way you can use both hands.
6
Pipe small domes of approximately 3.5 cm (1.4 in) in a staggered pattern on a sheet of baking paper. For evenly-sized macarons, I use a template downloaded from Pure Gourmandise. Tap the baking tray to flatten the domes, then leave to form a skin for around twenty minutes.
7
Bake at 120°C / 250°F for 22–24 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before removing the shells. They are ready when they come away very easily.
Step by step
Not quite comfortable with macaron shells yet? I’ve put together two full step-by-step picture guides to help you get it right every time:
Jasmine Whipped Ganache
Ingredients
- 50 g (1.8 oz) Valrhona ivory chocolate
- 25 g (0.9 oz) full-fat liquid cream
- 75 g (2.6 oz) cold full-fat liquid cream
- 3 g (0.1 oz) neutral honey
- 8 g (0.3 oz) jasmine
Preparation
1
In a small saucepan, heat the liquid cream with the jasmine tea bags. Leave to infuse for around twenty minutes.
2
Remove the tea bags after squeezing them well. Return the jasmine-infused cream to the heat and add the honey. Stir until combined and bring to the boil.
3
Meanwhile, break the white chocolate into pieces in a bowl (you can melt it slightly in a bain-marie or the microwave).
4
As soon as the cream begins to simmer, pour one-third of the cream over the white chocolate and stir to create an emulsion. Then pour in the second third, followed by the third, to obtain a perfectly smooth mixture.
5
Add the 75 g (2.6 oz) of cold cream and mix gently.
6
Press cling film directly onto the surface and refrigerate for several hours (ideally, overnight).
Assembly
Two methods for the mango jelly insert
- Allow the mango jelly to set in the freezer, then cut it into small cubes to place in the middle of the jasmine ganache. (Pro: cleaner; Con: the jelly warms up quickly, so you need to work fast.)
- Put the mango jelly in a small piping bag and pipe the jelly directly into the heart of the jasmine ganache. (Pro: quicker, no freezing needed; Con: the jelly can appear on the edges of the macaron, which looks less pretty.)
Preparation
1
Whip the ganache like a firm chantilly and transfer to a piping bag.
2
Pipe a small amount of jasmine whipped ganache in the centre of one macaron shell, place a disc of mango jelly in the middle, cover with a thin layer of ganache, then sandwich with the second shell.
3
Refrigerate the macarons and wait 24 hours before eating. The macarons should spend the first night in an uncovered container (to prevent them becoming damp), then close the box if you want to keep them for longer.
4
Note: for the mango jelly insert, I tested two methods, each with its own pros and cons — see above for details!
Gallery
