Chocolate, Raspberry & Vanilla Macaroons* - May 2011

Chocolate, Raspberry and Vanilla Macaroons

Chocolate Macaroons Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 125g ground almonds/ almond meal (approx 1 cup)
• 125g icing sugar (approx 3/4 cup)
• 25g cocoa (approx 1/4 cup)
• 125g caster sugar

Method

1. Pulse almond meal, icing sugar and cocoa in food processor to a fine powder
2. Sift mixture into large bowl
3. Place egg whites and half of caster sugar into mixer and beat on low/ medium 
4. After 2mins increase speed and gradually add the rest of the sugar until dissolved
5. Gently fold almond mixture into egg whites until smooth and glossy and lava like consistency
6. Fill piping bag with mixture and pipe into rounds from centre onto lined baking trays
7. Tap the trays on bench to get rid of any air bubbles
8. Leave to sit on bench to form skin for 30mins, mixture should spread out into smooth and glossy consistency
9. Bake at 160 degrees celcius for 12-14mins (more like 20-25mins) or until glossy and firm to touch
10. Cool slightly before removing and piping filling

Ganache Filling Recipe

• Add dark chocolate and some cream to bain marie and melt together until smooth (approx 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream)
• Allow to cool on bench and then use to fill macaroon shells together
• Place a small dollop of ganache into centre of macaroon and place macaroon shells together and twist to spread ganache evenly

Vanilla (& Raspberry) Macaroons recipe

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (3oz/ 85g) Ground almonds/ almond meal
• 1-1/2 cups (150g) icing sugar
• 3 Large egg whites
• 5 tbsp (65g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

1. Pulse almond meal and icing sugar in food processor
2. Beat egg whites until foamy in mixer, gradually adding caster sugar
3. Add vanilla into egg white mixture and stir through lightly
4. When meringue is stiff firm and glossy it is ready
5. Gradually add the dry almond mixture into the egg whites stirring through until combined  (for Raspberry macaroons add a small amount of pink food colouring and stir through to desired colour)
6. Mixture should be a lava like consistency, not too thin and runny, but not too grainy and thick
7. Scoop mixture into piping bag and pipe into rounds on baking paper lined trays
8. Bang trays on the bench to get rid of any air bubbles and leave to rest on bench for 15-30mins to create a 'foot'
9. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius and bake macaroons in oven for 15-18mins, macaroons should be nice and shiny and sticky shell like to touch and sound hollow when tapped on the base
10. When macaroons are cool, add a small bit of butter cream or ganache into the centre of one macaroon shell and press the other shell and twist together to spread filling evenly.
11. Serve

Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients

• Softened/ creamed butter
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste

Method - Vanilla Buttercream

1. Cream butter and add vanilla bean paste and beat together into smooth creamy consistency

Raspberry Buttercream Ingredients

• Softened/ creamed butter
• A few fresh or frozen raspberries

Method - Raspberry Buttercream

1. Cream butter and add raspberries and beat together into smooth creamy consistency

Alternate Option

Instead of making two separate batches of raspberry and vanilla macaroons you can split the mixture and add the flavours and mix and make a half batch of each.