I found these pretty cupcake boxes recently and couldnt wait to use them, instead of putting cupcakes in them, I made macarons to put in them, they are prefect for presents for the beloved ones ❤
My fridge was full of macarons :-P such a view! (oh and a small banoffee pie too)
Recipe adapted and modified from Pierre Herme:
Salted Caramel Macarons
Ingredients
For the macaron shells
300g icing sugar300g ground almonds
220g egg whites at room temperature, aged 7 days
4.5g pink food colouring (I used pink here, you can use other colour of your choice)
75 ml mineral water
300g granulated sugar
For the Salted-Caramel cream
300g sugar335g creme fraiche
65g French salted butter
290g French butter, softened
Method
To make the salted-caramel cream:
1. Put 50g of the sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan. Cook the sugar on medium heat and incorporate another 50g of the sugar. Repeat 4 more times until all the sugar has melted, stir occasionally carefull for the sugar to caramelize. Meanwhile, bring the creme fraiche to boil and remove from heat.2. Once the sugar turn to a deep amber color and remove from the heat. Add the 65g of salted French butter while mixing with a wooden spatula carefully as the mixture is extremely hot. Add the creme fraiche in several additions and keep mixing with the wooden spatula.
3. Place the pot back onto the hob and boil on low heat and cook until it reached 108'C. Pour in a deep dish, cover on contact with cling wrap and refrigerate until cold.
4. Meanwhile, beat the remaining 290g of butter for 8 to 10 minutes, until light and fluffy and incorporate it to the caramel cream in two additions. Place in a pastry bag with a plain 1cm tip.
To make the shells
1. Line 2-3 silicon baking mats with macarons circle-shaped template underneath. (You can draw a parchment with circles 1.5in/3.8mm wide around a shot glass, spacing them ¾in/2cm apart, turn the paper over and use it as a template). You can also use baking sheets with baking parchment, but silicon baking mats do make better macaron shells.2. Sift the icing sugar, ground hazelnuts and ground almonds into a large bowl. (I usually skip this step as I don’t see much difference with the shells)
3. Divide the egg whites into two equal portions.
4. Mix the food colouring into one portion, pour to the bowl with the icing sugar and almonds do not mix it.
5. Put the mineral water in a small pan and add the granulated sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil the syrup using a thermometer to track its temperature.
6. Meanwhile, put the other half of the egg whites in a bowl and plug in the electric beaters. When the syrup reaches 240F/115C, begin to beat the second quantity of egg whites to soft peaks.
7. Once the syrup reaches 244F/118C, pour it slowly on to the whites, beating all the time. Keep beating until the mixture returns to a soft peak consistency and has cooled to 122F/50C. (This egg white-syrup mousse is what chefs call an Italian meringue.)
8. Add the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the icing sugar and almonds, mix until it is incorporated without trying to fold in too much air.
9. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain tip. (Depending on the size of your piping bag, you’ll probably need to do this in three or four batches.)
10. Pipe the mixture onto silicon baking mats with the template underneath or baking sheets lined with the parchment paper marked with circles.
11. Tap the baking sheets on a work surface covered with kitchen towel to release the air bubbles from the macaron shells.
12. Let the shells stand for half an hour, until a skin forms on the surface. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
13. Slide the baking mats/sheets into the middle or lower shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 12 minutes, quickly opening and shutting the oven door twice during the cooking time to let the steam escape.
14. Take the baking mats/sheets out of the oven. Slide the mats/sheets of parchment paper with shells onto a work surface and leave to cool.
To assemble the macarons
1. Pipe a generous amount of salted-caramel cream onto a shell, then top with another shell, twisting lightly so that the filling spreads and bulges enticingly.2. Store the macarons covered in the fridge for at least 24 hours to allow the inside of the macaron shells to soften.
3. Bring back to room temperature before eating.
Pistachio Macarons
Ingredients
For the macaron shells
300g icing sugar150g ground almonds
150g ground pistachio
220g egg whites at room temperature, aged 7 days
4.5g yellow food colouring
75 ml mineral water
300g granulated sugar
For the pistachio ganache
300g whipping cream300g white chocolate
80g pistachio paste (or 80g unsalted pistachios, blended with the cream)
Method
To make the shells
1. Line 2-3 silicon baking mats with macarons circle-shaped template underneath. (You can draw a parchment with circles 1.5in/3.8mm wide around a shot glass, spacing them ¾in/2cm apart, turn the paper over and use it as a template). You can also use baking sheets with baking parchment, but silicon baking mats do make better macaron shells.2. Sift the icing sugar, ground pistachio and ground almonds into a large bowl. (I usually skip this step as I don’t see much difference with the shells)
3. Divide the egg whites into two equal portions.
4. Mix the food colouring into one portion, pour to the bowl with the icing sugar and almonds do not mix it.
5. Put the mineral water in a small pan and add the granulated sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil the syrup using a thermometer to track its temperature.
6. Meanwhile, put the other half of the egg whites in a bowl and plug in the electric beaters. When the syrup reaches 240F/115C, begin to beat the second quantity of egg whites to soft peaks.
7. Once the syrup reaches 244F/118C, pour it slowly on to the whites, beating all the time. Keep beating until the mixture returns to a soft peak consistency and has cooled to 122F/50C. (This egg white-syrup mousse is what chefs call an Italian meringue.)
8. Add the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the icing sugar and almonds, mix until it is incorporated without trying to fold in too much air.
9. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain tip. (Depending on the size of your piping bag, you’ll probably need to do this in three or four batches.)
10. Pipe the mixture onto silicon baking mats with the template underneath or baking sheets lined with the parchment paper marked with circles.
11. Tap the baking sheets on a work surface covered with kitchen towel to release the air bubbles from the macaron shells.
12. Let the shells stand for half an hour, until a skin forms on the surface. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
13. Slide the baking mats/sheets into the middle or lower shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 12 minutes, quickly opening and shutting the oven door twice during the cooking time to let the steam escape.
14. Take the baking mats/sheets out of the oven. Slide the mats/sheets of parchment paper with shells onto a work surface and leave to cool.
To make the ganache
1. Break the white chocolate into pieces and put into a bowl. Boil the cream with the pistachio paste, and pour about a third at a time onto the chopped chocolate, mixing each time until well incorporated.2. Allow the pistachio mixture to cool to 122F/50C.
3. Pour into a wide dish. Press clingfilm onto the surface of the ganache and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe.
To assemble the macarons
1. Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1cm plain tip. Pipe a generous round onto a shell, then top with another shell, twisting lightly so that the filling spreads and bulges enticingly.2. Store the macarons covered in the fridge for at least 24 hours to allow the inside of the macaron shells to soften.
3. Bring back to room temperature before eating.
Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
For the macaron shells
300g icing sugar300g ground almonds
220g egg whites at room temperature, aged 7 days
4.5g purple food colouring (I used purple here, you can use other colour of your choice)
75 ml mineral water
300g granulated sugar
For the hazelnuts chocolate ganache
50g butter at room temperature100g best-quality plain chocolate
300g best-quality milk chocolate
400g whipping cream
Method
To make the shells
1. Line 2-3 silicon baking mats with macarons circle-shaped template underneath. (You can draw a parchment with circles 1.5in/3.8mm wide around a shot glass, spacing them ¾in/2cm apart, turn the paper over and use it as a template). You can also use baking sheets with baking parchment, but silicon baking mats do make better macaron shells.2. Sift the icing sugar and ground almonds into a large bowl. (I usually skip this step as I don’t see much difference with the shells)
3. Divide the egg whites into two equal portions.
4. Mix the food colouring into one portion, pour to the bowl with the icing sugar and almonds do not mix it.
5. Put the mineral water in a small pan and add the granulated sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil the syrup using a thermometer to track its temperature.
6. Meanwhile, put the other half of the egg whites in a bowl and plug in the electric beaters. When the syrup reaches 240F/115C, begin to beat the second quantity of egg whites to soft peaks.
7. Once the syrup reaches 244F/118C, pour it slowly on to the whites, beating all the time. Keep beating until the mixture returns to a soft peak consistency and has cooled to 122F/50C. (This egg white-syrup mousse is what chefs call an Italian meringue.)
8. Add the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the icing sugar and almonds, mix until it is incorporated without trying to fold in too much air.
9. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain tip. (Depending on the size of your piping bag, you’ll probably need to do this in three or four batches.)
10. Pipe the mixture onto silicon baking mats with the template underneath or baking sheets lined with the parchment paper marked with circles.
11. Tap the baking sheets on a work surface covered with kitchen towel to release the air bubbles from the macaron shells.
12. Let the shells stand for half an hour, until a skin forms on the surface. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
13. Slide the baking mats/sheets into the middle or lower shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for 12 minutes, quickly opening and shutting the oven door twice during the cooking time to let the steam escape.
14. Take the baking mats/sheets out of the oven. Slide the mats/sheets of parchment paper with shells onto a work surface and leave to cool.
To make the ganache
1. Cut the butter into pieces.2. Break all the dark and milk chocolate into pieces and put into a bowl. Boil the cream and pour about a third at a time onto the chopped chocolate, mixing each time. The mixture will separate and look grainy, but keep mixing and it will come together.
3. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool to 122F/50C.
4. Add the chopped butter, beat until smooth.
5. Pour into a wide dish. Press clingfilm onto the surface of the ganache and refrigerate until thick enough to pipe.
To assemble the macarons
1. Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1cm plain tip. Pipe a generous round onto a shell, then top with another shell, twisting lightly so that the filling spreads and bulges enticingly.2. Store the macarons covered in the fridge for at least 24 hours to allow the inside of the macaron shells to soften.
3. Bring back to room temperature before eating.
