Lavender White Chocolate Macarons
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INGREDIENTS
For the shells:
100 g almond flour, made from Mariani slivered almonds (instructions below)
75 g confectioner’s sugar
75 g granulated sugar
75 g egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
Optional: 3-4 drops purple gel food coloring
For the filling:
8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon lavender extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the shells:
Make the almond flour. Add 1 ½ cups of Mariani slivered almonds to a food processor and pulse until a fine flour forms. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides between pulses. Once you have your flour, sift it to remove any larger pieces. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to bake with it.
When you are ready to make the macarons, sift together the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar, and discard any chunks.
Make the meringue. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until foamy.
Bring the mixer to medium-high speed and begin adding the granulated sugar to the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait 5-10 seconds between each addition. If you are using food coloring, add it immediately after adding all of the granulated sugar.
Once all of the sugar is added, continue to beat the mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. This should take about 5 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients to the meringue. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until a runny batter forms. You should be able to lift a ribbon of batter up on the spatula and form a figure-8 with it without breaking. At this point, the batter is ready. It should take 40-50 folds to reach this consistency.
Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe 1 - 1 ½ inch circles of batter onto the baking sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart from one another.
Lift the baking sheet up from the counter and then drop it. Repeat this 2-3 more times in order to remove any air bubbles.
Let the shells sit out and dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour. At this point, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. When you can touch the shells and the batter does not stick to your finger, the shells are ready to go in the oven.
Bake the shells for 16 minutes, and let cool completely before filling.
For the filling :
Place the chopped white chocolate and lavender extract in a small bowl.
In a small skillet over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a light simmer. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over the chocolate.
Mix the white chocolate and heavy cream until the chocolate is all melted. If the chocolate is not melting completely, microwave the mixture in 30-second increments, and mix after each increment, until smooth.
Let the ganache cool completely before assembling the macarons.
To assemble:
Pipe a dollop of ganache onto half of the macaron shells, and close the cookies with the remaining shells.
Store the macarons in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Lavender White Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
- 100 g almond flour, made from Mariani slivered almonds (instructions below)
- 75 g confectioner’s sugar
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 75 g egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 3-4 drops purple gel food coloring
- 8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon lavender extract
Instructions
- Make the almond flour. Add 1 ½ cups of Mariani slivered almonds to a food processor and pulse until a fine flour forms. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides between pulses. Once you have your flour, sift it to remove any larger pieces. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to bake with it.
- When you are ready to make the macarons, sift together the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar, and discard any chunks.
- Make the meringue. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until foamy.
- Bring the mixer to medium-high speed and begin adding the granulated sugar to the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait 5-10 seconds between each addition. If you are using food coloring, add it immediately after adding all of the granulated sugar.
- Once all of the sugar is added, continue to beat the mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients to the meringue. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until a runny batter forms. You should be able to lift a ribbon of batter up on the spatula and form a figure-8 with it without breaking. At this point, the batter is ready. It should take 40-50 folds to reach this consistency.
- Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe 1 - 1 ½ inch circles of batter onto the baking sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart from one another.
- Lift the baking sheet up from the counter and then drop it. Repeat this 2-3 more times in order to remove any air bubbles.
- Let the shells sit out and dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour. At this point, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. When you can touch the shells and the batter does not stick to your finger, the shells are ready to go in the oven.
- Bake the shells for 16 minutes, and let cool completely before filling.
- Place the chopped white chocolate and lavender extract in a small bowl.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a light simmer. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over the chocolate.
- Mix the white chocolate and heavy cream until the chocolate is all melted. If the chocolate is not melting completely, microwave the mixture in 30-second increments, and mix after each increment, until smooth.
- Let the ganache cool completely before assembling the macarons.
- Pipe a dollop of ganache onto half of the macaron shells, and close the cookies with the remaining shells.
- Store the macarons in an airtight container until ready to serve.