Since I got my KitchenAid, I’ve set my mind on making macarons with Italian meringue (what an ordeal before I had the mixer!). Well, it’s not easy! Being used to making macarons with a French meringue, it upends all my habits — you have to start again from scratch, or almost. For the first batches, I had a huge number of cracked macarons, and for the others, the “foot” developed on one side only, really strange! A half-foot had never happened to me with French meringue (and yet I’ve had my share of failed macarons ^^). Despite everything, and without really understanding why, I managed to save a few shells that turned out rather well.
Since then, I’ve tried again several times, and when I don’t get cracked macarons, I get half-feet. I’ve tried every tip I’ve been given, but for the moment it’s not very conclusive. My last batch was already much better, though (only the macarons all around the edge of the tray had half-feet; in the middle they were a success). Another secret to crack!
Ingredients & preparation
4 components · Full recipe
Salted Butter Caramel (can be made ahead)
Ingredients
- 95 g (3.4 oz) sugar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) + 100 g (3.5 oz) glucose syrup
- 50 g (1.8 oz) milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 200 g (7.1 oz) heavy cream
- 2 g (0.1 oz) fleur de sel
- 70 g (2.5 oz) butter
Preparation
1
In a small saucepan, heat the cream, milk, 50 g (1.8 oz) of glucose syrup, the vanilla pod and the fleur de sel.
2
In a separate saucepan, cook the sugar and the remaining 100 g (3.5 oz) of glucose syrup until the mixture reaches 185°C / 365°F.
3
Off the heat, deglaze with the hot cream mixture. Take care — it will splatter.
4
Return to the heat and cook to 105°C / 221°F, stirring constantly with a spatula. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve if needed.
5
Allow the caramel to cool slightly. When it reaches 70°C / 158°F, add the butter cut into small pieces. Blend with a hand blender and transfer to an airtight jar. The caramel keeps for 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator once opened.
Shells
Ingredients
- 2 x 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
- food colouring
Preparation
1
Blitz together the icing sugar and ground almonds, then sift.
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, begin gradually whisking 52 g (1.8 oz) of egg whites to stiff peaks. Once the temperature hits 118°C / 244°F, reduce the mixer speed and pour the syrup onto the whipped whites in a thin stream. Increase the speed again to cool the meringue. Check with your finger — it should be lukewarm but not cold.
3
Switch the whisk for the flat beater (paddle) attachment on your stand mixer and incorporate the remaining 52 g (1.8 oz) of egg whites, then gradually add the ground almond and icing sugar mixture. Let it run until the batter becomes smooth, glossy and falls in a ribbon.
4
Once the right consistency is reached, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle. A tall glass makes a useful support for the piping bag so you can use both hands.
5
Pipe small domes of approximately 3.5 cm (1.4 in) in staggered rows onto a sheet of baking parchment. For even macarons, use a template (printable ones are available online). Tap the baking tray to smooth the tops, then leave to form a skin for about 20 minutes.
6
Bake at 120°C / 250°F for 22–24 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before removing the shells. They are done when they come away from the paper 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:
Vanilla Whipped Ganache
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) white couverture chocolate
- 50 g (1.8 oz) cream
- 85 g (3 oz) very cold cream
- 1 teaspoon neutral honey (acacia honey, for example)
- 2 vanilla pods
Preparation
1
In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the honey and the split and scraped vanilla pods.
2
While the cream heats, break the white chocolate into pieces in a bowl (you can melt it slightly in a bain-marie or microwave if you like).
3
As soon as the cream simmers, pour (through a sieve) one third of the hot cream over the white chocolate and stir to create an emulsion. Add a second third, then the last third, until you have a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
4
Stir in the 85 g (3 oz) of cold cream gently.
5
Cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate for several hours (ideally overnight).
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Preparation
1
Sort your shells so that the ones you pair together are the same size.
2
Place a small amount of vanilla ganache in the centre of one shell, add a little salted butter caramel, then sandwich the two shells together.
3
Refrigerate the macarons and wait 24–48 hours before eating. They should spend the first night in an uncovered container (to prevent them from becoming soggy), then seal the box and keep in the fridge for a further 24 hours. They’ll only be better for the wait.
Gallery
