Biscuits, Cookies and Slices: Macarons

Macarons

Before Christmas I had a little bit of a macaroon bake-a-thon. I then placed the unfilled shells in airtight containers in which they kept perfectly until Christmas (shells last unfilled for over a month - once filled they only last up to a week).

I personally prefer the Lavender, Rosewater, Orange Blossom and Vanilla over the Chocolate and Raspberry.

My biggest problem when I first made these was that my mixture was to light and airly! I didn't combine my mixture enough, therefore I recommend that when you combine the icing sugar and almonds your combine it thoroughly! Don't be afraid it it loses alot of volume.

Lavender
2 Teaspoons Dried Culinary Lavender
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
2 Teaspoon Blue Food Colouring
1 Teaspoon Red Food Colouring

Rosewater
2 Teaspoons Rosewater
2 Teaspoons Red Food Colouring

Orange Blossom
2 Teaspoons Orange Blossom
2 Teaspoons Yellow Food Colouring
1/2 Teaspoon Red Food Colouring

Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste
1 Teaspoon Yellow Food Colouring

Chocolate
2 Teaspoons Dutched Cocoa

Raspberry
1 Teaspoon Raspberry Essence
2 Teaspoons Red Food Colouring

Basic Recipe (Summarised From Dish)
Ingredients:
100g Egg Whites
Pinch of Cream of Tartar
2 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
140g Almond Meal
220g Icing Sugar

85g Butter, Softened 
175g Icing Sugar


1. Preheat oven to 150C.

2. Beat, using an electric mixer, egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

3. Add food colouring, caster sugar and flavouring and beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Sift almond meal and icing sugar into egg white mixture and fold in until well combined.

5. Spoon into piping bag and pipe small rounds about 3cm apart on to a lined baking tray.

6. Drop trays onto a hard surface about five times (this gets rid of any excess bubbles in the mixture and also creates nice round and flat macaroons).

7. Leave for 45 - 50 minutes until a good skin has formed on top of the macaroons, then bake for 12 minutes.

8. Leave to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.


Icing

Beat butter and icing sugar together with second measure of flavouring and colouring.


To assemble I just you a knife and spread dollop a little icing in the centre of a macaroon half, then place the other half on top and gently smush it down. This insures it forms a nice little circle of icing in the middle.