Perfect Macarons With Salted Caramel And Milk Tea Filling Recipes

BASIC FRENCH MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.
• Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.
• Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.
• The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add flavoring and food coloring, if desired, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.
• Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.
• Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.
• With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

PERFECT MACARONS WITH SALTED CARAMEL AND MILK TEA FILLING

Steps:

• In a medium sized bowl sieve the almond meal and powdered sugar together
• If there are large chunks of almond meal remaining in the sieve dispose of them
• In a large clean bowl add the egg whites, and using an electric mixer beat until foamy
• Slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks
• Add your food colouring of choice and beat until well distributed
• Fold the sieved almond meal and powdered sugar into the meringue in 2-3 additions, scraping around the bowl and down the centre (see video for details)
• Once all folded in, press the batter around the bowl and then fold it into the centre (see video for details)
• Continue until you notice that the lines that form when the batter falls back into the bowl slowly start to disappear
• Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe out 1.5inch circles**
• Allow to dry for 1-2 hours***
• Bake in a preheated oven at 140°C for 10-15 minutes (I find that it's usually done at 13, but it depends on your oven so make sure to check! If you give your macarons a wiggle they shouldn't be moving, that's when they're ready)
• Remove from oven and let cool
• Dissolve milk tea powder in boiling water, put aside and let cool
• Beat the room temperature butter until light and fluffy
• Add the cooled milk tea mixture into the buttercream and continue beating until smooth and silky
• Transfer to a piping bag and put aside
• Add the milk tea powder, sugar, cream and water to a small saucepan
• Combine the ingredients on low heat and continue cooking until a thick, glossy, dark caramel forms
• Remove from heat and cool
• Transfer to a piping bag and put aside
• Match similar sized macaron shells with each other
• On the flat side of one pipe a border of milk tea buttercream
• Fill the centre with the caramel and add a sprinkling of flakey sea salt
• Top with the matching shell
• Place in airtight container in the fridge for a day to mature (gives deeper flavour and chewy texture!)