Sundays are starting to become my favourite day of the week. The crazy energy of the work week has subsided, you have most likely gone to friends or done something energetic on a saturday, so sunday has this calm air about it; peaceful serenity. I use these days to tinker in my kitchen, sure I cook all week but on a sunday I can make whatever I want. Yesterday's sunday screamed for a macaroon day. It was sunny with a slight chilly wind, which makes me feel nostalgic of seasons gone by and winter to come.
I have tried so many macaroon recipes and they never came out right. When finally I found my holy grail of macaroon recipes written by Chef Alfred Henry of Capsicum Culinary Studio. It made my sunday a real strawberries and cream dream.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
150 g sugar
50 g water
120 g egg whites
35 g sugar
150 g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
Method:
Bring to the water and the first sugar amount to the boil. Boil to 110°C exactly.
Combine 60g egg white with 35g sugar and whisk to soft peaks.
Pour boiling sugar mix onto the soft egg whites, keep whisking until cold (pour this slowly down the side of the mixing bowl whilst whisking and not into the middle of the egg whites).
Sieve the almond and icing sugar (I blended mine in a food processor first to get it really fine). Add the remaining 60g egg white and mix until smooth.
Mix in 1/3 of the meringue first and then the remaining meringue, and fold through.
Place into a piping bag and pipe out walnut size rounds about 3 cms apart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Pick up tray and bang on table to remove bubbles and to create the macaron foot.
Leave to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to dry the tops and ensure even cooking
Bake at 160°C for 9 minutes.
Once cooked remove from tray gently.
Filling:
500 ml cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
a dash of vanilla extract
a punnet of strawberries chopped up
Whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla until nice and thick. Fold through your strawberries.
Sandwhich filling between two macaroon shells and delve into the delight that is a macaroon!
