More macarons?? Yes indeed… Barbapapa-shaped macarons, because frankly, it’s much more fun that way, and with a Tagada strawberry ganache! Completely nostalgic, in the end, for grown-ups and little ones alike. Just like the other fun macarons I’ve made before, I use a template to pipe the shells, and then all you need is an edible-ink pen to draw the face. Easy-peasy! I took the Tagada strawberry whipped ganache recipe from the blog Les petits plats dans les grands.
You can really taste the Haribo sweets, but I’m not a huge fan — I prefer more “natural” things 😉
Ingredients & preparation
3 components · Full recipe
Shells
Ingredients
- 70 g (2.5 oz) egg whites
- 140 g (4.9 oz) icing sugar
- 80 g (2.8 oz) ground almonds
- 20 g (0.7 oz) caster sugar
- strawberry red food colouring
- a black food-safe pen
Preparation
1
Blend the icing sugar and ground almonds together, then sift the mixture.
2
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, add the caster sugar in 2 additions and whisk at maximum speed to achieve the “bird’s beak” stage. Add a little strawberry red food colouring and mix again. I use powder colouring and add a knife tip’s worth.
3
Gradually fold in the almond and icing sugar mixture using a rubber spatula. The mixture should be glossy, smooth and fall in a ribbon. Once the right consistency is achieved, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Don’t hesitate to use a tall glass to support your piping bag — this way you can use both hands.
4
Pipe Barbapapa-shaped mounds in a staggered pattern on a sheet of parchment paper. For even macarons, I use a template I made myself (click here to access all the templates). Leave to form a crust for about 20 minutes. If after an hour the surface of your macarons is still not dry, there’s a good chance they won’t form a crust at all. There can be several reasons for this — in any case, there’s no point waiting any longer. Bake the macarons anyway, but be prepared for the fact that they probably won’t have a foot.
5
Bake at 120°C / 250°F for 24 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before removing the shells. The shells are baked when they can be removed 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:
Tagada Strawberry Ganache
Ingredients
- 60 g (2.1 oz) Tagada strawberry sweets
- 40 g (1.4 oz) full-fat liquid cream
- 20 g (0.7 oz) white couverture chocolate
- 110 g (3.9 oz) full-fat liquid cream
- a little pink food colouring
Preparation
1
In a saucepan, gently heat the 40 g (1.4 oz) of liquid cream with the Tagada strawberry sweets until everything is melted. Dissolve the white chocolate in the same pan (I added a little strawberry red food colouring to deepen the colour). Remove from the heat.
2
Add the 110 g (3.9 oz) of full-fat liquid cream and refrigerate overnight (or 30 minutes to 1 hour in the freezer if you’re in a hurry like me).
3
Whip the ganache to a chantilly and set aside.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Preparation
1
Sort your macarons so that the ones you pair together are the same size.
2
Using a black food-safe pen, draw Barbapapa’s face on half the shells.
3
Place a small amount of ganache in the centre of one macaron shell and sandwich two shells together.
4
Refrigerate and wait 24 to 48 hours before eating. The macarons should spend the first night in an unsealed container (to prevent them from becoming moist), then close the box and keep them in the fridge for a further 24 hours. They’ll only be better for it. Find all the tips and tricks in my previous article: macaron shells (step by step in pictures).
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