Strawberry French Macarons
A classic French patisserie treat that's both elegant and delicious. These delicate French macarons feature a vibrant pink shell, filled with a luscious strawberry buttercream.
Nutrition
Calories: 81kcalCarbohydrates: 11.2gProtein: 1.3gFat: 3.6gSaturated Fat: 1.2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 5mgSugar: 10.2g
Ingredients
For the Macarons
- 3 large egg whites
- 75 g caster sugar
- 140 g icing sugar
- 100 g ground almonds
- A few drops of pink food coloring
For the strawberry filling
- 1 tbsp butter or margarine
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1 large or a couple of small strawberries
Instructions
For the Macarons
- Preheat the oven to 160oC and line 2 flat baking trays with baking parchment.
- Sift the ground almonds and icing through a seive - this is important as it makes sure the mixture is very fine and not grainy.
- Set to one side and put the egg whites into a large, spotlessly clean bowl. Have the caster sugar ready in a smaller bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until they turn white and begin to thicken. Then add the caster sugar a little at a time, whisking continuously. The mixture should be stiff and not move when the bowl is turned upside down.
- Working quickly but gently, add a few drops of pink food coloring and tip in half the almond mixture into the meringue and fold in. Then add the remaining mixture and continue to fold until you have a smooth and runny batter. You can add more food coloring as desired.
- Spoon the batter into a piping bag. You could use a nozzle to pipe, but I just cut the end off a disposable piping bag.
- Pipe small circles of the mixture onto the baking trays, leaving adequate space between each one, because they may spread a little as they bake.
- Leave for at least 20 mins to allow the macarons to form a 'skin'. They should be resistant and not sticky to the touch.
- Tap each tray onto the counter to get rid of any air bubbles, then bake in the middle of the oven for 15 mins.
- Remove from oven and transfer the macarons, still on the baking parchment, to wire racks to cool. Once thoroughly cooled, peel the macarons away from the baking parchment and set aside.
Making the filling
- Finely chop the strawberries (or give them a quick whiz in a blender, depending on how smooth you want the filling) then place in a bowl with the butter and icing sugar (sifted).
- Whisk to a smooth, creamy mixture. It should be stiff enough to spread on the macarons; add more icing sugar if it is too runny.
- Use a palette knife to spread some buttercream on one macaron shell and sandwich together with another. Repeat until all the macarons are done.
- Leave to set completely, then serve.
Notes
- To avoid a messy situation when transferring the macaron mixture, put the piping bag into a tall glass or cocktail shaker and turn the top over to hold in place. It makes it much easier to spoon in the mixture.
- To store your French macarons, keep them in the refrigerator for 7 weeks. They will retain their original taste during this time.
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