It has been a while not baking macaron, a year I believe, until this week I feel like to bake this cute cookies again. And what happened ? I failed , I thought I already lost my 'magic power' , I waste my precious matcha powder! Not only the shell didn't have 'feet' but just flat like a coin.. oh this can't be right !!! The next day, read the recipe carefully , pay attention to my oven heat , exactly 50 stroke mixing the batter, and look at my macaron .... I did it.... yaaay..
For the macarons shells:
90 gr egg whites (about 3)
30 gr granulated sugar
200 gr powdered sugar
110 gr almonds
2 tsp matcha powder
For the whites: the day before (24hrs), separate your eggs and store the whites at room temperature in a covered container. If you want to use 48hrs (or more) egg whites, you can store them in the fridge.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue. Do not over beat your meringue or it will be too dry. Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that flows like lava or a thick ribbon. Add the matcha powder. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets.
Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool. If you have trouble removing the shells, pour a couple of drops of water under the parchment paper while the sheet is still a bit warm and the macarons will lift up more easily do to the moisture. Don't let them sit there in it too long or they will become soggy. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer.
To fill: pipe or spoon about 1 big tablespoon of chocolate ganache in the center of one shell and top with another one.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients :
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces or 360 ml ) heavy cream
- 1 lb (454 grams) semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate
- In a heavy saucepan, boil heavy cream. Turn off the heat. Add chopped chocolate pieces and let it rest until melted. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until all the pieces are melted.
- Pour it into a room-temperature bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the ganache until firm.
- Note: For White Chocolate Ganache, substitute white chocolate for semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate.
