These may not be the perfect macarons, but they sure taste perfect! The freeze dried raspberries are so tart and really balance out the sweetness. Then the dark chocolate ganache on the inside takes these to the next level.
By crushing up the raspberries into a rough powder they can replace some of the powdered sugar in a regular macaron recipe. Save some powder to sprinkle on top of the macarons once they've been piped.
Recipe
Makes: 20 macaron sandwiches Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
3/4 cup (15 grams) freeze-dried sliced strawberries
1 cup (100 grams) almond flour
1/2 cup (67 grams) powdered sugar
2 large egg whites (about 70grams)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Red gel food coloring (optional)
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup dark chocolate (around 60%)
Directions
Grind freeze dried strawberries into a powder or use a plastic bag and a tolling pin.
In a medium bowl, sift together almond flour, powdered sugar and powdered strawberries. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until hard peaks form. Add vanilla extract and red food coloring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute.
Sift the almond flour mixture over the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the mixture running the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. The batter will look very thick at first, but it will get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over mix it though.
Every so often test the batter to see if it reached the right consistency. To test the batter, drop a small amount of the batter and count to ten. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved, the batter is ready and you should STOP mixing. If you still see edges, fold the batter a few more times and test again.
Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. Pipe 1-inch circles of batter onto a tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, leaving 1/2 an inch between each circle.
Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. If you don’t release the air bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack the beautiful macarons shells.
Let the macarons rest and dry for 30 - 60 minutes. To see if it’s ready to be baked, lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, lightly press the top of a macaron, if there's any wiggle then they need more time. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack.
While the macarons cool, make the ganache. Microwave heavy cream until it just starts to bubble, but don't let it boil over. Pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for one minute. Mix until smooth and let cool for 30-60 minutes until it's piping consistency.
Recipe adapted from Sweet & Savory's Strawberry Macaron Recipe.
Comments