You guys I did it!!!! I made macarons!!

It's been something I've been wanting to do for such a long time, but have been way to chicken to try it. Ha!  I made them a few years ago with a mix that my friend Clara and I bought, and we had no idea what we were doing!  They actually turned out semi-decent, but I knew I wanted to make them properly, from scratch.

Now, these definitely took a few tries....and I already can't wait to make them again and improve!  But, I am super proud of them, and I hope you enjoy!

I adapted this recipe from the lovely Linda Lomelino's Lime and Lemon Macarons, and if you browse around her site (and the internet...haha), you'll be sure to find even more tips and tricks to making macarons.  I'm no expert - yet!

One of the most important things to do before you start is to make sure to separate and measure your egg whites, and age them a day before you use them.  They must be at room temperature before you start the recipe!

Remember, practice makes perfect!

r a s p b e r r y   m a c a r o n s

recipe adapted from: Linda Lomelino - Lime & Lemon Macarons

Ingredients:

100 grams blanched, ground almonds (grind more than 100 grams!)

200 grams powdered sugar

110 grams egg whites (around 3 egg whites, depends on the size of your eggs.) *it's very important to let your eggs age at least 1 day, and for them to be at room temperature before you start baking - don't skip this step!

50 grams granulated sugar

3 drops red food colouring (or until you've reached your desired colour)

1/2 tsp raspberry extract

Directions:

1) Grind the ground almonds further by using a food processor/blender. *Careful not to grind them too much, or for too long at a time, otherwise you'll end up with almond butter!

2)  Use a sifter to get rid of any large pieces that are left over.  Now you can measure out 100 grams and set aside.

3)  Use a sifter to mix the ground almonds together with the powdered sugar.

4)  In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high until the eggs start to foam.  Then, slowly add your granulated sugar, food colouring, and raspberry extract, and continue mixing until the mixture becomes quite stiff. (If you hold the bowl upside down, it shouldn't be able to slide out!)

5)  Gently fold the dry almond/sugar mixture in using a spatula.

4. Fold the dry mix carefully and slowly into the meringue using a spatula. Add food coloring if desired until fully mixed. Don't overmix! The mixture should flow like a ribbon when you lift the spatula. If you want to test if the batter has good consistency, just dollop some batter on a piece of parchment paper. If the dollop slowly “flattens”, you’re good to go. If not, keep folding.

5. Fill your piping bag and pipe the macarons onto baking sheets. Remember that the shells will “flatten” once you’ve piped, so don’t make them too big. About 2,5-3 cm (1 inch) is enough. Let them set for 60 minutes to form a dry skin.

6. Preheat oven to 300° F. Bake for about 11-13 minutes. You can test if they are done by touching the tip of a macaron, if it “wobbles” they are not done. Let cool completely, then fill and sandwich together. Store in airtight container in the fridge, preferably for a day or two before eating.

Ingredients:

3 cups icing sugar

1 tsp coconut extract (or to taste)

1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)

2-5 tablespoons cream

Directions:

1)  In a medium bowl, mix together icing sugar, coconut extract and butter until smooth.

2)  Gradually add in cream until the desired consistency is reached.

I am so excited to be working with Silpat for this post!  Our family have been long-time believers in their mats.  The no-stick is wonderful, it keeps things from getting too brown on the bottom, and is a breeze to clean.  I tried out the Silpat "perfect macaron" mat, and it was a lifesaver.  Trying to pipe perfectly round, consistent sized macarons is a lot harder than it looks, and the guidelines on the macaron mat were wonderful.  I tried a batch on parchment....and they definitely weren't as pretty.  Haha.

Since I always love seeing "failed" recipes or attempts from other bloggers, I thought I'd share a couple of embarrassingly terrible photos of one of my previous attempts (from my phone, so excuse the quality). 

I had used a different recipe and it didn't have a weight measurement for the egg whites.  We collect our own eggs from our chickens on the farm....and let's just say their eggs are quite a bit above average. 
Long story short, I ended up with the soupiest batter ever, and quite possibly the ugliest macarons ever baked.  I also realized halfway through baking that I had used our normal almond meal....not blanched.  So in addition to being a soupy mess...they also had brown flecks in them. It was quite an experience!   

I am nervously looking forward to making these again soon!

-Kelsey