Recipes & Video
French Buttercream
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks (3.5 fl oz)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1/2 cup corn syrup (164 g)
- 2 cups unsalted butter (1 lb)
- flavoring 2-4 tablespoons
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale in color.
- In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup and heat over medium until sugar is dissolved, while stirring constantly. Bring to a boil with large bubbles covering the entire surface. Turn off heat and pour into a liquid meausuring cup to stop the cooking.
- With mixer running on medium, slowling stream the syrup into the egg yolks. Pour down the side of the bowl or aim for the spot where the yolks meet the side of the bowl. After all syrup is added, beat for several minutes until the mxiture is cool.
- Cut butter into 1 tablespoon sized pieces. Add to the cooled egg mixture, 1 piece at a time. Add flavoring. See notes for flavoring ideas.
- If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment and beat on medium for several minutes to smooth out.
Notes:
Chocolate: melt up to 6 oz of chocolate, stream in.
Fruit flavored: add 1/2 cup fruit puree and 2-3 drops of extract or essence if you have.
Maple: replace corn syrup with maple syrup
Orange: orange zest and 2 tablespoons of an orange liqueur
These are just ideas. Have fun with flavors. Taste as you go.
Macaron Shells - Italian Method
Yield: 144 shells
Recipe adapted from "Macaron" by Pierre Herme
Ingredients
- 300 grams powdered sugar
- 300 grams almond flour (finely ground, not almond meal)
- 220 grams egg whites
- 75 grams water
- 300 grams granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp gel food coloring
Instructions
- At least 24 hours in advance, separate eggs and measure out 220 grams clean egg whites. Loosely cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Clean large metal mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer well. Make sure there is no trace of grease.
- Prepare piping bags with 1/3 inch piping tips. Prepare three or four baking trays by lining with non-stick parchment paper or very clean silpat mats (wipe down with lemon juice or vinegar).
- Sift almond flour and then weigh out 300 grams.
- Sift powder sugar and then weigh out 300 grams.
- Sift together powdered sugar and almond flour.
- Divide egg whites in to two equal parts so you have two portions of 110 grams. Place 110 grams of whites in bowl of mixer.
- Add remaining 110 grams of whites to powdered sugar/almond flour mixture. Combine with a rubber spatual until well blended and a thick paste.* Cover and set aside.
- In a small sauce pan, combine 75 grams of water and 300 grams granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat until candy thermometer registers 239F. Once the thermometer reaches 239, being beating egg whites (use whisk attachment) on high speed.
- Continue heating syrup until thermometer reaches 244F. Turn off heat. Reduce mixer speed to medium and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl, into the egg whites. Do not pour directly on the egg whites. If your pot is not good for pouring, pour syrup into a glass liquid measuring cup immediately after the syrup reaches temperature.
- After all the syrup is added, beat on medium high for 1 minute, then reduce speed to medium and beat until meringue has significantly cooled and you have reached medium firm peaks. Look for the "bird's beak" shape. The peaks should droop slightly. It will not stand straight up like firm peaks, and will not fold over like soft peaks. Please reference the video to make sure you have reached the right stage.
- Fold meringue into the almond flour mixture. Add food coloring before you start folding if it is not already mixed into the almond flour mixture. Fold using the method demonstrated in the video. You want to deflated the meringue as you fold. It will start out very thick and begin to thin out. Stop folding once you have reached a shiny mixture that flows like lava off of the spatula when lifted up. You should be able to draw an unbroken figure 8.*
- Pipe shells, leaving at least an inch in between cookies. Pipe using even pressure and hold the bag perpendicular to the cookie tray.
- After you've pipe an entire tray, set piping bag aside. Rap tray three or four times to bring air bubbles to the top. Use a toothpick to pop and fill in any air bubbles. Allow to rest for 30 minutes, or until a skin form on top of the shells.
- Preheat oven to 320F. Once a skin has formed on the shells, bake, one tray at a time, for 15-22 minutes.* Shells are baked when they do not have any give when you nudge them with your finger. They should be firm. Remove from oven and slide parchment paper off pan to allow cookies to cool on the counter.
- Allow to cool completely before trying to remove from mat or parchment. If cookies are still sticking, even after completely cool, pop them in the freezer for few minutes. They should be easier to remove after that.
- Fill with desired filling and then allow to ripen in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Cookies may be frozen filled or unfilled for several months. Store in fridge, removing 30 minutes before eating.
Notes:
*For more than one color, portion out into separate bowls, equal by weight. Add food coloring to each bowl. If you make two colors, use 3/4 tsp gel color in each. If you make three colors, use 1/2 tsp in each. Feel free to mix colors.
*This is the most difficult step. Underfolding and over folding each cause different problems. It is better to err on the side of under mixed batter. Batter that is too thin will spread too much and not form "feet" when baked.
*Baking time and temperature are highly variable. Start with this suggested temperature and time and make adjustments. If cookies start to brown before they are firm, reduce temperature.
