Macarons

Macarons are one of the most delightful little biscuits and I thought one of the most difficult to master. The meringue has to be at the right consistency, the almond meal has to be the right texture, and the temperature and humidity in your kitchen has to be just right.  The flavour and filling combinations are endless.  Today with the help of my Tefal Cuisine Companion and my Tefal Mini Bowl I made peppermint and strawberry macarons filled with chocolate ganache. It is best to cook these with a conventional oven (top and bottom heat only) not fan forced.

Consistency of mixture before piping into rounds

Piped macarons waiting to dry out before baking

Note: Pour 1 teaspoon of vinegar into Cuisine Companion bowl and wipe vinegar around bowl with paper towelling, dry with another sheet of paper towelling. This is important to make sure your bowl is thoroughly clean.

100 gms almond meal
110 gms pure icing sugar (not icing sugar mixture)
100 gms egg whites at room temperature
1/4 tspn cream of tartar
100 gms caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint essence or 1/2 teaspoon strawberry essence
Pink or Green gel food colouring

Insert Mini Bowl with blade.
Add almond meal and icing sugar
Pulse 1min 30sec scraping bowl every 15sec
Sift through a fine mesh sieve to remove any larger pieces and set aside.

Insert Whisk. Stopper out.
Add egg whites and cream of tartar
Start Sp6:40deg:6mins. After 3 minutes add caster sugar slowly with a spoon then after 5 minutes  add essence and colouring. Remove whisk and scrape whisk and sides of bowl with spatula.
Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add half of the combined almond meal and icing sugar mixture
Sp3:10sec. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula.
Add rest of combined almond meal and icing sugar mixture
Sp3:25sec
Remove blade and fold through gently 2 or 3 times with spatula any unmixed mixture. Don't overmix.
Pipe 3-4cm rounds on baking paper lined baking trays, tap the trays twice on the bench top to remove air bubbles and leave to dry out for 1 hour or until mixture is dry to the touch.
Bake 120 deg conventional oven (top and bottom heat only) not fan forced for 18-20 mins (turning baking tray around after 10 minutes) or until macarons are firm to the touch. Leave to cool on trays.
Remove by sliding a small metal spatula under macarons.
Fill cooled macarons with ganache or a flavoured buttercream.