Vanilla Macarons

Hello everyone!

I’m currently in Bangkok, Thailand, for my student exchange programme. I’ll be here for about 5-6 months so there’ll definitely be less baking 🙁 Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on an oven or something! Otherwise, I’ll probably just update with the yummy desserts that I get to see around here 🙂

In other news, I got featured on Top Inspired’s Top 10 Fluffy Chiffon Cakes. Although I’m cooped up in the apartment right now due to demonstrations here, seeing this notification in the morning really made my day!

A couple of weeks back, I made about 100 macarons for my family X’mas party, and then another 100 as gifts for some friends & family. I used Pierre Herme’s Macaron shell that I used for the Pandan Coconut Macarons and filled it with my favourite SMBC. Yes, it’s really boring that I keep doing that but it doesn’t get any better than a solid vanilla macaron, does it?

Vanilla Macarons
Adapted from Pierre Herme’s Macarons
Makes about 72 macarons (144 shells)

Ingredients:

300g ground almonds
300g icing sugar
110 egg whites (aged)
Colouring of your choice

+

300g caster sugar
75g water
110g egg whites (aged)

Directions:

1. Sift together icing sugar and ground almonds. Stir food colouring into the first portion of egg whites. Pour them into the bowl of icing sugar and ground almonds but DO NOT stir
2. Bring the sugar and water to boil at 118˚C. When the syrup reaches 115˚C, simultaneously start whisking the second portion of egg whites to soft peaks
3. When the sugar reaches 118˚C, pour it over the egg whites, whisk and allow meringue to cool till 50˚C. Then fold it into the mixture of ground almonds and icing sugar
4. Spoon mixture into a piping bag to pipe (I used tip 20. Any round tip of that size should suffice).
5. Pipe about 3.5cm diameter, 2cm apart on baking trays with baking parchment. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes or more until shells form a skin
6. Preheat oven to 180˚C
7. Put baking trays in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes (try 11 first), briefly opening and shutting the door twice during cooking time
8. Take the shells out of the oven and slide them onto the work surface

SMBC 

100 g sugar
2 extra large egg whites
150 g butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 vanilla bean (optional)

1. Place sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl. Put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should be thick and sticky.

2. Place the egg white mixture into an electric mixing bowl. Using whip attachment, whip the egg white on medium-high speed until it reaches a stiff peak and is glossy. The meringue should be cool at this point.

3. Change to paddle attachment (of electric mixer) and continue beating meringue at medium-high speed . While the motor is running, add small chunks of room temperature butter one at a time. Continue adding all the butter and keep beating until the butter is blended in and the buttercream is smooth, very smooth.

4. Put vanilla into buttercream and mix well to combine.

5. Set aside until ready to use. If the room temperature is over 20C, chill about 20 minutes before using.

Assembly:

1. Pipe the amount of buttercream you would like per macaron on one shell and cover it with another.
2. Store in an airtight container over night and eat the next day. If your fridge is very crowded, clingwrap the box as well. It will prevent air from entering. If you would like to keep it for a long time, macarons freeze really well. Thaw them in the fridge / out in the open before serving.

Anyway that’s all I have for now! I’ll try my best to update as much as I can!

To everyone who just started school, have a great first week 🙂

Love,

Eugenia