We already know that we have the most delicious, most reliable French Macarons recipe out there, but we're always trying to create new and exciting things to do with these elegant little confections.
We've made them into Bluebird French Macarons or Macaron Pops, and made Nut-Free French Macarons. We've made them into a French Macaron Woodland Topiary. We've even taken their inherent cheeseburger likeness to whole new levels and made Cheeseburger Macs or Macarons!
COOKIE RECIPE HELP
Kelly Says: “When I found out that Sarah was coming to town, I wanted to bring them something yummy to eat, and, knowing that Sarah needed something gluten free, I decided to try to push the macaron envelope a little further and make something really whimsical and different….”
You will need:
1 recipe French Macarons batter, tinted pink
1 recipe French Macarons batter, tinted yellow
1 recipe White Chocolate Lemon Ganache Filling
1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Curd (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup Seedless Raspberry Preserves
3 Tablespoons Seedless Raspberry Preserves (for flavoring the ganache in the yellow heart macs)
couple of drops of Pink Gel Food Coloring
Line 5 rimmed baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.
Cloth or disposable piping bags and couplers for the macaron batter
Disposable piping bags(for filling the macs)
2 Wilton #12 piping tips
2 Wilton #4 piping tips
2 Wilton #10 piping tips
Wilton silicone piping tip covers, use them to seal the end of the piping bags when not in use, optional
If you do not have them, place a piece of damp paper towel in the bottom of a large glass, and place the piping bag with the batter, tip side down into the glass
NOTES
1. After you make the PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER, and place it in a large piping bag, fitted with a Wilton #12 piping tip. Cover with a tip cover.
2. Make the YELLOW FRENCH MACARON BATTER and place it in the other large piping bag, fitted with a Wilton #4 piping tip. Cover with a tip cover.
STEP I: PIPE THE PINK MACARON BATTER WITH THE YELLOW DOTS
Refer to the French Macaron Recipe for tips.
1. Pipe the PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER on the prepared baking sheets; you will pipe 2 sheets.
Starting with the first sheet, pipe each macaron about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, so they make a nice two bite treat. Pipe each one about
1 1/2-inches apart. You will fill the sheet with 24 shells each; 4 across in 6 rows
2. When you have a full sheet of PIPED PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER, begin piping the YELLOW FRENCH MACARON BATTER as YELLOW DOTS, in rows, on top of the pink batter.
3. When the sheet is filled with PIPED PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER WITH YELLOW DOTS, gently tap the bottom of the sheet on the counter, to help remove any air bubbles.
After doing this, the macarons will be about 1 3/4 inches across.
4. Repeat Steps 1 – 3 on a second baking sheet.
5. Set the two baking sheets on a counter, uncovered, to dry for 1-2 hours. Doing this will help the PIPED PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER WITH YELLOW DOTS develop a beautiful foot when baked.
STEP II: PIPE THE HEART MACARONS
I thought it might be fun to switch things up and pipe pink hearts on the yellow macs.
1. Remove the tips from the bags, and wash and dry them.
Place the Wilton #12 piping tip on the YELLOW FRENCH MACARON BATTER filled piping bag.
Place the Wilton #4 piping tip on the PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER filled piping bag.
2. Pipe the YELLOW FRENCH MACARON BATTER on the prepared baking sheets; you will pipe 2 sheets.
Pipe each macaron about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, so they make a nice two bite treat. Pipe each one about 1 1/2-inches apart. You will fill the sheet with 24 shells each; 4 across in 6 rows
3. Pipe a small dollop of PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER, pulling the tip toward you, while letting off on the pressure. Repeat on the other side with PINK FRENCH MACARON BATTER, creating a heart shape.
4. When the sheet is filled with PIPED YELLOW FRENCH MACARON BATTER WITH PINK HEARTS gently tap the bottom of the sheet on the counter, to help remove any air bubbles.
After doing this, the macarons will be about 1 3/4 inches across.
5 Repeat Steps 2 – 4 on a second baking sheet.
6. Set the two baking sheets on a counter, uncovered, to dry for 1-2 hours. Doing this will help the PIPED YELLOW FRENCH MACARON BATTER WITH PINK HEARTS develop a beautiful foot when baked.
NOTE: You may have some batter left over. Continue to pipe plain, or patterned macarons on another prepared baking sheet, until you run out of batter. Set the two baking sheets on a counter, uncovered, to dry for 1-2 hours.
STEP III: BAKE THE MACARONS
1. Meanwhile, position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F for 30 minutes.
2. Bake one sheet at a time, for 10 to 11 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar.
Check at 30 second intervals because these cookies overbake very quickly; do not open the oven door to check, but rather peak through the opening in the oven door.
Bake until macaroons are slightly firm and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry).
SARAH SAYS: Letting the batter rest before baking and leaving the oven door slightly ajar during baking helps prevent the tops of the macarons from being too soft or fragile.
3. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Remove macarons from oven and transfer parchment to a cooling rack. When cool, slide a metal offset spatula underneath the macaron to remove from parchment.
STEP IV: FILL THE BAKED AND COOLED MACARONS
1. Sort the baked and cooled macarons into same size pairs. There will be some variation in the size of the shells, just make pairs with like-sized shells.
2. Place the LEMON CURD in a disposable piping bag.
3. Stir the SEEDLESS RASPBERRY PRESERVES, to loosen in, and place it in a disposable piping bag.
For the PINK FRENCH MACARONS WITH YELLOW DOTS SHELLS:
1. Place half of the WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON GANACHE in a piping bag filled with a #10 Wilton tip.
2. Take one pair of shells and pipe a ring of WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON GANACHE around the circumference of one of them.
3. Snip the end off the disposable piping bag and pipe a dollop of LEMON CURD in the center of the ganache.
4. Snip the end off the disposable piping bag and pipe a dollop of SEEDLESS RASPBERRY PRESERVES on top of the LEMON CURD.
5. Place the top of the macaron on the filling, pressing gently to spread the filling to the edge of the macaron.
6. Repeat filling the remaining macaron shells.
For the YELLOW FRENCH MACARONS WITH PINK HEARTS SHELLS:
1. Take the remaining 1/2 of the WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON GANACHE and stir in 3 tablespoons of SEEDLESS RASPBERRY PRESERVES.
Tint with a couple of drops of PINK GEL FOOD COLORING.
Put the resulting TINTED WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON- RASPBERRY GANACHE in a disposable piping bag flitted with a #10 Wilton tip.
2. Take one pair of shells and pipe a ring of TINTED WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON- RASPBERRY GANACHE around the circumference of one of them.
3. Place a dollop of LEMON CURD in the center.
4. Place the top of the macaron on the filling, pressing gently to spread the filling to the edge of the macaron.
5. Repeat filling the remaining macaron shells.
STORAGE
Macarons filled with Lemon Curd must be refrigerated in an airtight container where they will keep for a few days. Let sit to room temperature for
about 20 minutes before serving.
KELLY SAYS: “I have frozen the unfilled shells and they freeze beautifuly.
I put them in a plastic lidded container, with waxed paper between the layers.
When I wanted to use them. took them out of the freezer, opened the container and let them thaw for about an hour.”
