HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
With such tasty fillings and their wide variety of colors, it is no wonder why they are a French classic! Add these little French touches to your party to create an elegant effect that will surely please your guests. With our helpful tips and delicious recipe, you can create and package your own delectable macarons that all your guests will enjoy!
P.S. For those who may be wondering, a "macaroon" is the American version ofthis French cookie--it's made with coconut and resembles a minihaystack.
- 3 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- ½ tsp. Vanilla extract
- 3 cups Amond meal
- 6 Egg whites
- Pinch Salt
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- Preheat oven to 240 degrees.
- Whip egg whites in a mixer with whisk attachment until frothy. Rain in granulated sugar slowly. Whip until the egg white is a soft peak. Add salt, vanilla extract and food coloring.
- Continue to whip until a medium peak forms. Do not over whip.
- Sift powder sugar and almond meal together. Fold powder sugar and almond meal into egg white mixture.
- Fold together until mixture is the consistency of slow moving lava. (About 20-30 seconds of folding.) Be careful not to overmix.
- Fill pastry bag fitted with 828 tip with macaron mixture.
- Pipe into small silver dollar size rounds on parchment covered sheet pans.
- Once all rounds have been piped, allow it to sit out for 30 minutes to dry and create a shell.
- Bake at 240 degree’s for 9-11 minutes. Rotate halfway through baking process so cookies are evenly baked. Cookie tops will pop up creating a macaron “foot” below the shell top.
- Allow to cool before piping filling.
- Fill with your favorite butter cream, preserve, or chocolate ganache filling.
Baking Tips:
Since oven temperatures vary, test this recipe before your big day to ensure the cookies bake perfectly.
If the cookies crack on top, your oven might be too hot. Turn your oven down by 5-10 degrees. The cookie should have a smooth shell top.
Chose three different food colors for your cookies and decide what flavor will correspond with the color. Example: A pale green macaron filled with mint chocolate.
Gel based food-coloring works the best. Divide your batter mixture into three separate bowls, and add a different color per bowl. This will allow you to have three different colors and flavors.
Use a toothpick when adding the food coloring. A little goes a long way.
Color and Flavor Coordination:
Coordination is key--after all, you eat with your eyes first. Take that into consideration when you are making your French Macarons.
Choose three flavor and color combinations that complement each other and suit your party style. For example, if you choose the color green, complement it with mint chocolate or pistachio (very French).
Don't go crazy with too many color combinations: less is more, and simplicity is elegant.
Personalization:
Adding a personalized custom label to your favor is a sweet touch that is simple and inexpensive.
You can buy sticky label sheets from Staples and print out your own designs that you create on the computer.
Or, for something fancier, go to MyOwnLabels.com--a terrific online label shop that has a variety of customizable label templates and colors that will be shipped to you.
Packaging:
Choosing recycled eco-friendly cardboard or a clear favor box is a creative way to show off your colorful French macarons.
Don't try to squeeze more macarons than needed, be sure that you leave enough space so that their form and texture won't be affected.
After filling these boxes with macarons, tie a satin ribbon around it, and voilá! Your party favors are complete.
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