Macaroons and me is a little like “I love you, me neither”. I am madly in love with macaroons and the result is so satisfying when it works! But what bothers me is that this is not a recipe you can do on a whim (main reason I love Cookies). Before starting this blog, I was the queen of macaroons, I made them all the time by following the instructions of the great website by Marina Pure gourmandise. When I started Fashion Cooking, I wanted to redo some to put the recipe online and bam, two failed attempts in a row, I had changed my oven and I didn't know it as well… It got me discouraged for a while and I haven't done them in 3 years.

I talked about it with my girlfriend Aurélie who told me she never failed them (so successful!) Since she used the technique of Italian meringue. I stored this info in a corner of my head until I fell upon the heart-macaroons by Delectable deliciousnessseveral months ago. If I were to re-attack macaroons, might as well try them for Valentine's day. For the Italian meringue, I turned to the absolute specialist for macaroons: Mercotte, whose technique I carefully followed step by step. First attempt, I remember why I don't do macaroons any more, it's long, you need so many utensils, it bothers me… I fail the heart shape, I do a few of them round and I still bake them. And miraculously, they rise like I've never seen macaroons rise, proud and beautiful!!! I am conquered by the recipe, just have to tame my oven because they are still a bit overcooked and especially to control the shape heart. I reduced this first attempt to pieces (it can always be used for sprinkling on ice cream or dessert) and I start over the next day, not even scared. This time, I printed hearts to draw them more easily (you can download the template here: Heart-macaroons), Once slid under the sheet of parchment paper, it helped me to draw cute little V with my pastry bag and I managed to make my first heart-macaroons. Here are all the instructions, I mixed the advice of Mercotte and Marina, I added my own, then you have to believe in yourself and with a little patience, you may be able to dazzle your Valentine.
Before you begin, necessary utensils to prepare macaroons:
- a sieve (for me a fine one)
- an electric balance
- a blender
- a mixing robot (or an electric mixer but it is more hassle because you have to spend time over the bowl to beat the egg whites)
- cooking thermometer
- a spatula (or better yet, a horn)
- 2 baking trays that overlap (in addition to the oven tray so you'll have three superimposed layers)
- a pastry bag (may be replaced by a freezer bag cut in a corner)
- a round socket size 10 (I did not I cut the tip of my pastry bag)
- baking paper (and non baking)

Heart macaroons with liquorice

Based on revenue Mercotte and Marina

Prep: 20 minutes the day before, 50 minutes on the day of serving
Cooking: 13mn

For thirty heart macaroons

White snow:
- 80g (40g x2) egg whites
- 20g sugar
- 3g of powdered dried egg whites (optional)
- 1 pinch of salt

Sugar syrup:
- 100g sugar
- 35g water

Mix almond powder:
- 100g ground almonds
- 100g icing sugar

- food coloring powder (by 1/2 teaspoon of carmine)

Ganache:
- 180g white chocolate to melt
- 10cl of liquid whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons of powdered licorice (Lakrids)

THE DAY BEFORE:

Separate the egg whites: Weigh 2 times 40g egg whites and keep them in the kitchen at room temperature in 2 small containers covered with plastic wrap.

Prepare the mix of almond powder: Weigh 100g of powdered almonds, roast it 10 minutes at 150 ° on a sheet of baking paper in the oven and let cool. Weigh 100g fine icing sugar. Place the roasted almond powder and icing sugar in a blender and blend the mixture for a long time then sift into a bowl. This step is very important because it will affect the smoothness of your macarons shells (I had not mixed long enough for my second attempt and my shells were not completely smooth). Film the bowl and set aside.

Prepare the ganache: Pour the cream and licorice powder in a saucepan. Bring cream to a boil to brew licorice powder. When the cream boils, add the white chocolate into small pieces, reduce heat and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let cool. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

THE DAY YOU SERVE

Get ready for combat:
- Prepare 20g of sugar to beat the egg whites and add 5g of powdered dried egg whites (optional) and a mini pinch of salt.
- Weigh separately in a small saucepan, 100g white sugar and in a small glass 35g of water to achieve syrup.
- Print your Heart-macaroons
- Cut 2 sheets of baking paper to the size of your trays. Prepare two baking sheets
- Prepare a bag with a size 10 socket, block the top to make it ready for use. I personally do not use a socket and I prepare my pastry bag open with edges outward in a measuring cup, then I only have to fill it and cut the end to form the macaroons.
- Keep close the dyes, possibly a strainer with cocoa powder to decorate the tops of macaroons (or crushed gavottes, black sesame seeds, crushed pistachios, cardamom powder ...
- Preheat oven to 145 ° rotating heat by putting on 2 racks, 3 solid plates that heat simultaneously. It may be that you can only cook a plate at a time. Heat a smooth plate placed on the oven rack. I cooked a plate at a time, I preheat my plate in the oven, upside down to place my other baking plates over it. For my oven, the rotating heat function doesn't work very well, so I preheat to 180 ° in a baking rotary mode, once the macaroons are in the oven (at the bottom of the oven so they don't overcook on top), I go to 150 ° rotating heat only and pre-heat for the next batch. Your turn to test your own oven.

Gently rise 40g egg whites reserved with a pinch of salt. When they start to foam, add the sugar in 3 times.

Meanwhile add the 35g of water in small saucepan with the 100g of sugar, stir a bit before putting back on medium heat, immerse the thermometer in it, especially not to stir until 110° are achieved.

Monitor the egg whites. Increase the speed a little, they become firm and shiny.

When the syrup is at room temperature, slow down the robot and gently add the boiling syrup by pouring slowly down the sides of bowl. This is the Italian meringue! No precipitation. When all is poured we have time because everything has to cool, about 10 minutes, this can vary depending on the amount. Slightly increase the speed of the robot.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 40g of egg whites with the powders (almond and icing sugar) well sifted and incorporate and add the dye.

When the meringue is warm, around 40 degrees, stop the robot.

Stir to blend the Italian meringue with the powder-white-and dye and macaroon (ie: smooth the batter with a spatula to make it flexible until it forms a ribbon; pull the dough from the bottom to top with a spatula while smoothing the top of the dough with the flat of the flexible spatula) For about 2-3 min to have a smooth and shiny dough. The mixture should be soft, almost liquid but not too much, it must fall back in ribbons when you lift it. If you do not macaroon enough, you'll have a little spike on the top of the macaroon.

Pour the entire dough in a pastry bag and start drawing hearts on the sheet of parchment paper with the template below. Follow the external shape of hearts to form a kind of V which spreads a little to form a perfect heart. I get exactly two plates with 27 hearts with these proportions, which will give a thirty macaroons total. Do not forget to remove the template before baking macaroons!

If necessary shake the plates on the edge of the table to smooth. Sprinkle with any chosen decor and bake without waiting the two plates at the same time resting on flat and hot plates for 13 minutes ! Personally, I crust the macaroons by letting them rest 20 minutes before baking, I superimpose two baking plaques that I put on the hot plate from the oven and I bake a batch at a time.

At the exit of the oven put the plates on wire racks, cool, macaroons will come off by themselves, no need to put water under the paper! They have a nice collar, they are smooth and cooked to perfection. Wait until the two batches are cool before placing the ganache.

Using a pastry bag containing the ganache, garnish the macaroons forming a V on one shell and then closing with a second shell.

Refrigerate, eat the next day it's even better.

Freezing : One can only freeze the shells to garnish 1 day before serving.

Copyright Photo: Astrid Templar - Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard

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