Originally posted in March of 2015, I always start to crave these in the Spring.
A little crisp, light meringue bite with a bit of filling in the center. They freeze beautifully - and thaw quickly, not losing any of their taste or texture.
Almond Macarons
1 c confectioner's (powdered) sugar
3/4 c fine, good quality almond flour
2 egg whites, room temperature
pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 c superfine granulated sugar
optional: 1/4 - 1/2 t extract flavor of your choice (or leave plain and flavor the filling)
optional: 1-2 drops food color
Mix the confectioner's sugar and almond flour very well either by pulsing in a food processor until combined or using an electric stick blender or electric whisk, etc. This time around (see photo) I just poured them through a wire strainer and pressed on the little lumps to quickly and easily make sure it was very fine.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add a drop or two of food color if you are using it, a drop or two of flavor extracts if you are using them, and the superfine white sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip if you have one, or if not, leave the round 1/2 inch opening of the bag or the white plastic piece you would normally put a tip on, and pipe rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Drag the pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks.
Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Option one: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
Option two: If you bake a constant 300 or 325 without adjusting the temperatures, it takes about 17 minutes to bake crisp. I tested both ways and found both to work for me.
Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling of your choice. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
****NOTES****
I never use 'fresh' eggs for anything as I've found eggs that are 1-2 weeks old work best in almost all recipes and are the 'secret' to perfect hard boiled eggs every time.
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| I just pressed the almond flour and confectioner's sugar through the wire strainer to make it 'fine' with no lumps. |
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| Added a bit of green food color to this batch! |
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| An action shot - the mixer was running |
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| I didn't do them in perfect circles and didn't worry about the point as it's just for our little family this time |
Sutra GOLD: Our family always has almond milk and coconut milk on hand so it was natural for me to use almond milk for my review. I used a mixture of hot, 190 degree water and almond milk for the GOLD. As a drinker of chai tea, this was absolutely a close cousin. The spices of ginger and vanilla bean softened the cayenne, black pepper and turmeric, while the Stevia naturally sweetened the drink. It absolutely has a bit of a 'kick' to it but it's subtle.
Key Lime Pie
I use Thick-It-Up Low Carb Food Thickener
by Dixie Carb Counters in place of using flour as a thickener. You absolutely can use flour if you don't count carbs. It doesn't use all that much. But if you have this on hand anyway, it works like a charm. 
and although I like to use it on pork and even chicken, I rarely resort to using it on steak. But oh, how good it is on this pork roast!