Strawberry Macarons

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients :

65g almond flour

5g strawberry powder

65g icing sugar

45g caster sugar

50g aged egg whites (app. 2 medium egg whites)

Method:

1.          Sieve ground almond, strawberry powder and icing sugar twice. (the sieving takes a bit more patience for almond powder as it is not easy to sieve, sometimes need to use spoon to stir or press to let it go through the sieve) 

2.         Beat egg white until foamy and sieve icing sugar in batches, change to high speed and beat till peak form (thick and glossy). You may beat egg white to stiffer peak if you prefer a thicker marcaron. 

3.         Then sieve (again) dry ingredients into egg white in two batches and fold mixture well thoroughly with a rubber spatula. 

4.         Add batter into piping bag with nozzle tip #1A attached. Then pipe small circles on non-stick baking sheet. (When piping macarons, hold bag straight up from the sheet, with the tip close to the baking sheet. The batter will push itself out in a perfect circle). 

5.         Remove the paper template from underneath the baking sheet.

6.         Rap the baking trays on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, use a toothpick to prick any air bubbles that appear. Dry the macaron shells for 30 minutes at room temperature or until the skin has developed, to test by touching lightly on the surface of the macaron shells, if no batter stick to your finger means is ready for baking.

7.         Preheat oven at 160 degree for 10 minutes. Then bake macaron shells at centre rack with one empty tray placing at the lower rack. This is to avoid excess heat burning the base of the marcaron shells. The feet will start to appear in about 3 minutes.

8.         Remove the (hot) empty rack and place another empty rack on top of the macaron shells and bake for another 8-11 minutes. 

9.         You can test if they are done by touching the tip of a macaron, if its wobbles they are not done. When baking is complete, the shell should not stick to the tray. Put them back to oven for a couple of minutes if you have difficulties removing them from the baking sheet.  

10.      Leave the macaron shells to cool on the cooling rack. 

11.       Pipe cream of your choice onto one macaron shell and sandwich with another half.

12.      Chill in the fridge.