Dessert is something I do not make often, but when we do make something we do it big! These macarons are simply the best; made from pure ingredients, dyed with natural (YES NATURAL) food colorings that are made from vegetables and are super cute! I decided, since Daniel is away on a business trip (I hate this) to make his FAVORITE macarons for when he comes home, expect this time I decided to make them smaller instead of regular size. You can make these any size you want. If you make them a normal macaron size, bake for 16 minutes not 10 minutes.
A lot of people love to say how 'hard' macarons are to make and how 'much' goes into them. Let me tell you these are not 'difficult' at all to make! They are literally super easy. All you need is some time, and you will be fine; just breathe and relax...you got this!
You Will Need:
1 Cup Organic Confectioner's Sugar
3/4 Cup Almond Flour (homemade or Bob's Red Mill)
2 Large Organic Pasture Raised Eggs (room temp)
1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar
Natural Food Coloring
1/4 tsp Organic Coconut Extract OR
(1/4 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract)
1/4 Cup Organic Pure Cane Sugar
Organic Coconut Shreds, optional
Macaron Template:
Pastry Cream:
8 tbsp Organic Butter, Softened
1 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
1-2 Cups Organic Confectioners Sugar
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees; do not freak out, you will be lowering this after you pipe the macarons
Sift the almond flour, and powdered sugar together; into a separate bowl, set aside (keep your sifter aside you will need it again)
In a deep bowl, separate the room temperature eggs
Start whisking the eggs, either with a hand mixer or KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Once the egg whites begin to foam (as you see) add cream of tartar
Also add the extract (you can use vanilla, but I love coconut)
Add your fine sugar as well (you can add food coloring here, I forgot too and folded it in later)
Now whisk those egg whites until stiff peaks form. You will know they are stiff if you start to tilt the bowl and they move around, keep going. Once stiff you will be able to tilt the bowl upside down without them moving
Stiff peaks!
Re sift the almond flour and confectioners sugar (into the egg whites- you can see the red dye I added- since I forgot)
This step is VERY important- do not over do it. You want to FOLD (not whisk or mix) the batter until shiny; this takes roughly 60 folds (in a circle)
Put batter in your piping bag, I used a 10 in bag, use 12 in or 14 in; I had a mess with trying to add more batter in
Add shredded coconut on top of the macarons, fast as they start drying out quickly. Now lower your oven from 375 to 325 degrees. Take the macarons on the baking sheet and bang in on the counter a couple times; this pops all the air bubbles. Let the macarons sit for 30 minutes or until they have a hard crust on top
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes; 1 pan at a time! Once you remove the first pan, up the temperature in the oven to 375 degrees, once preheated again, lower to 325 degrees and add the second pan into the oven; baking for 10 minutes (unless you have bigger macarons)
Cool the macarons on baking sheet 5 minutes and on cooling rack for 5 minutes (still on the unbleached parchment paper the whole time- then remove)
Mix your pastry cream, did not take pics as that was tricky part (cannot mix and hold camera- sorry)
Find like sized macarons, and pipe some cream in middle
Place another macaron on top and gently push down
These beauties are SO YUMMY and so EASY to make! Give them a try and let me know how they turn out! Remember to use pure ingredients not junk and remember you can use vanilla instead of coconut (just add a tsp of vanilla)
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