Macarons

Instructions

1. Italian Meringue: For macarons, you need a weak meringue, which you create by using old (refrigerated) egg whites. All other meringue rules apply. See full recipe here, but in short:

   1. Make the syrup by heating up the sugar and water.

   2. Start whisking the egg whites with a mixer when the syrup is almost ready (at 116°C to be specific).

   3. Pour the syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl and whisk until shiny and warm.

2. Paste: While you make the meringue, prepare the "paste" (or "dough"?) of the macaron.

   1. In a bowl, pour the 40 grams of (aged) egg whites and mix in your gel food coloring. Whisk well to avoid streaks in your macarons. Note that you'll later add the meringue to this paste, so the color will be significantly toned down.

   2. Add the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar. Combine with a rubber spatula until it turns into a dense, uniform paste. If you want to add more coloring to your macarons, now is your last chance.

      1. Some recipes even call for pulsing the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor to make the texture even finer, and then sifting them multiple times. But that ain't me. 

3. Macaronnage (I think that's the technical term for the combination of the meringue and the paste)

   1. Fold the meringue into the paste in 3-4 additions.

   2. The consistency here is key: Fold until the batter drips slowly from the spatula. That middle ground between liquid and solid, where it slightly holds its shape but settles in the bowl.

   3. Note that it's better to have too thick a macaronnage than too liquid. If it's too liquid, they won't hold their shape,  but if it's too thick, a few extra folds will bring it down. So go gentle on the folds.

4. Piping

   1. Grab that parchment paper with the drawn circles and put it on two baking sheets.

   2. Gently, pipe the macaronnage into the circles. 

   3. The Rap: Firmly tap or "wrap" the baking sheets on yourcounter to release trapped air and remove any remaining little peaks from the piping.

5. Drying

   1. Let stand at room temperature until the tops are dry. That can be 30 minutes in Colorado or at least 2 hours in Texas.

   2. The Test: Touch a shell; it should not stick to your finger and should feel slightly rubbery or have a "crust".

6. Baking

   1. Preheat to 145°C (approx. 293°F - 300°F).

      1. Some recipes call for the Double-Sheet Method: Stack your tray on top of an empty second baking sheet. This can protect the bottoms from browning too quickly. But again, that ain't me.

   2. Bake for 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for an even rise if needed.

   3. Let them cool completely before filling.

7. Filling & Storing

   1. For the ganache, cook the raspberries until dehydrated, then pour over the chopped chocolate. I've also tried adding heavy cream for a more realistic, less dense ganache, and it works very well.

   2. Whisk until smooth and chill until firm.

   3. Match the macarons "cookies" with similar companions and fill them with the ganache.

   4. Store the assembled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge or the unassembled "cookies" in the freezer for up to six months.