Macarons

Preparation: 20 min
Waiting: 30-60 min
Cooking time: 12-15 min
Portion: ~10 macarons
Level: 5/5

Ingredient

1. Macaron shells
   -Almond flour: 50 gr
   -Powdered sugar: 50 gr
   -Egg white: 35 (appx 1 egg white)
   -Granulated/ Caster sugar: 30 gr
   -Cream of tartar or lime juice: 1/8 tsp
   -Salt: a small pinch
   -Food coloring: optional
2. Chocolate custard filling
   -Egg yolk: 1
   -Corn starch: 15 gr
   -Granulated sugar: 15 gr
   -Milk: 220 ml
   -Cocoa powder: 3-5 gr

Kitchen utensil
-Electric egg beater: 1
-Baking tray: 1

Instruction

1. Macaron shells

• Sieve 50 gr almond flour and 50 gr powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix well
• In another bowl, beat egg white with 30 gr granulated sugar to stiff peak (you should add a small pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp of lime juice (per 1 egg white) to prevent over-beating)
• Add almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into meringue bowl and use a spatula to fold and mix until ingredient combined.

Please note that don’ over mix the mixture, just mix until the dry ingredients and meringue combined together and can draw number 8 without breaking.

• Transfer macaron batter on piping bag and pipe each batter (around 3.5-4 cm diameter) on baking tray that lined parchment paper (install 4 angles by leftover batter)

Each macaron shell should separate each other 2-3 cm

• Tap baking tray several times on surface (to spread batter and flatten it surface) and let it dry at room temperature in 30-60 minutes (depend on weather and humidity level)
• Preheat oven at 150 Celsius degree in 10-15 minutes before baking
• When the macarons surface completely dry out (touching with no sticking), bring to bake at 150 Celsius degree in 12-15 minutes.
• Remove baking tray from oven when the macarons baked, then let it stay on tray for 5-10 minutes to harden its structure before transfer them to rack to cool completely

The macarons will break easily (especially its bottom) when they’re still hot, so you should try to avoid to moving them right after removing from oven.

• Reserve macaron shells in closed dry and clean box and only pipe the fillings when it’s ready to serve

2. Chocolate custard filling

• In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolk with granulated sugar until fluffy and turn to light yellow
• Add corn starch and cocoa powder in beaten egg yolk mixture and mix well
• Gently pour 220 ml milk into mixing bowl, stir well to make ingredients dissolved completely. You also can sieve again for smoother mixture.
• Pour milk mixture in saucepan and bring to cook
• Bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes, stir continuously until it thicken and become more condensed.
• Remove the saucepan immediately from stove and stir quickly to stable its thickness and prevent lumps.
• Use a plastic wrap to apply on custard surface to prevent it from drying. Let it cool completely before transferring to piping bag
• Pipe a small amount of chocolate custard fillings on a macaron shell and place another shell on top.
• Slightly press the macarons to spread the fillings inside. Let it sit for 3-4 hours to bloom before serving (for better and more signature flavor :D).

With some watery fillings (lemon curd,…), however, serving immediately right after piping because the water amount in fillings will be absorbed by macaron shells and soften