Candy Cane Macarons

Let's make a batch of macarons, shall we?  It's a titch more complicated to make than a standard cookie, but I'll explain it all below in detail.

Before we get started, here's a little background.  A couple of years ago, Frank and I spent a few weeks traveling around France.  While waiting one day at a train station, I stopped at a pastry shop to pick up a treat.  Not recognizing many of the delectables in the case, I just pointed to a chocolatey looking one, the kind lady handed it over, and I paid.  It was love at first bite!  It appeared to be some kind of cookie, but when I bit into it, the outside gave way to the most gooey, chocolatey, soft inside.  I then decided to find out more about these treats and to learn how to make them myself.  It turned out it was a macaron, two delicate cookies (or shells) sandwiching a soft filling.  As we traveled through France, I tried different flavors.  The traditional macarons come in a rainbow of pastel colors, with flavors like pistachio, raspberry, and lemon. 

Macarons in the bottom left corner of this patisserie window

When I came home and set out to make a batch, I didn't quite know what I'd gotten myself into.  I purchased the ingredients and the tools I would need, whipped up a batch, and failed miserably.  See, macarons are quite fickle.  They have these lovely little "feet" that appear when they're made correctly, giving the inside of the cookie the light, airy effect. 

So, I bought a book, followed the instructions to a T, and failed miserably again.  Those darn feet wouldn't appear!  Then I went to the internet and found many blogs and websites explaining the process.  I also then realized what a fad macarons were in major cities in the US.  Hardly anyone in our small town had heard of them, but I found many bakeries throughout the country selling them online. 

I finally found success with the tutorials by the lovely Tartelette.  Helene's recipes and tutorials are easy to follow, clear and concise, and her photography is exquisite.  I printed this article she wrote, and have been baking macarons ever since.  She comes up with lovely flavor combinations, and I used her recipe to bake this batch of Candy Cane Macarons.  If you're thinking about baking a batch, you must read her article.  There are so many tips and tricks to make them come out right. 

Disclaimer:  I am NO pastry chef.  I had no experience with pastry bags, baking fickle cookies, or even food scales before I figured out this Macaron thing.  If you do have experience, you may be laughing at the way I do things.   But, it works for me, and would probably work for other novices. 

Now we're ready to start baking!  Your egg whites for the shells must be at room temp before baking.  It's actually best to leave them out on a counter, loosely covered for up to a few days.  But, if you only have a few hours, it'll still work.  So, set up your baking sheets.  It's best to stack two together, then place a piece of parchment paper on top.  I can get one batch of cookies on two separate stacks.  Also, get your pastry bag ready to pipe the cookies:

 I like to twist the bag at the tip, then drop it into a large cup, and fold the bag over the edge of the cup so it's easy to fill.  That way the batter won't ooze out until I'm ready.  See what I mean:

 So, toss the powdered sugar and ground almonds in a big bowl and whisk it up to combine:

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on high.  While they're whipping, I put in a tiny bit (1/4 t?) of powdered egg white.  This was a tip in Helene's article that works for me.:

 Pour the granulated sugar in while they're whipping:

 Here's what the egg whites should look like when done.  Don't over whip!:

Now, scoop that egg white mixture into the bowl with the powdered sugar and ground almonds:

 Here's where you want to be careful.  At first, just stir to combine.  When it's just coming together, it'll look like this:

Stir a bit more, so it becomes more incorporated and smooth.  Stop here:

 The batter is in the pastry bag, and the cookie sheets are ready:

 Pipe those suckers out:

I made several batches, and just piped most onto sheets of parchment paper that I later transferred to cookie sheets.  I just eyeball the size of the cookies and try to keep them consistent.  FYI, one batch will make about 18 finished cookies (36 shells).

Leave them to sit for a half hour or so.  This causes the outside to harden up a bit and helps to form the feet while they bake.  Bake at 280 or so, just watch them carefully.  Once they're done, let them cool.  Then I like to pair them up by size, and flip one of the pair over, so it's ready to be filled with butter cream.

Now, to make the butter cream. Whisk the egg whites and granulated sugar over a double boiler.  I know you love my vintage kitchen appliances!

 Then transfer to a stand mixer bowl and whisk for a while to cool.  It'll look like marshmallow cream. 

 Now, change to the paddle attachment and add in the butter, a little at a time, then mix for about 7 minutes.

I added in a little peppermint extract for extra flavor.
Now you're ready to scoop the butter cream into your pastry bag and  fill those shells:

 Pop the tops on:

Crush up some candy canes:

Pour that in a bowl, and roll the edges of the filled cookies.  Here's what you'll get:

You know I had to taste them:

See that smooth outer shell and the gooey inside?  Divine!  I boxed them up with these little candy boxes.  They're such a special little treat, just a couple per person is what I give.  The French would just eat one cookie at a time.  We Americans tend to think more is better, but with these little treats, you just need one or two. 

Then I made up some candy cane striped paper:

 Printed some labels:

And wrapped them up:

Here's Helene's recipe:
For the shells:
90 gr egg whites (use eggs whites that have been preferably left 3-5 days in the fridge)
25 gr granulated sugar [her other recipes call for 50 gr, so that's what I used]
200 gr powdered sugar
110 gr almonds (slivered, blanched, sliced, whatever you like)

Prepare the macarons:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, (think bubble bath foam) gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (think shaving cream). Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry. Place the powdered sugar and almonds 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 falls back on itself after counting to 10. 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 (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 280F. When ready, 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.

For the buttercream:
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 sticks (180gr)(6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
crushed candy canes

Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like marshmallow cream. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the meringue on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick shiny meringue, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. Roll the plain filled shells in to the crushed candy canes. Eat!


So, what do you think?  Will you give it a try?  I encourage you to, as macarons are truly unlike any treat you've ever had before.  Please leave a comment if you have any questions.