Strawberry Macarons
June 11, 2017
Strawberry has always been one of my favorite fruits growing up. Strawberry picking is another favorite childhood memory that I had with this fruit. As an immigrant family, we were well-known to be picking "berries" during the summer for that extra income which was not much. I remembered getting $20-30 for the entire day. Looking back, berries picking or any fruit picking task is an extremely hard work. But what did we know? We were those silly teenager girls who just wanted to make a few extra dollars to buy that new shirt or a new book. For my sister, my cousin and I, it was a fun summer job. There were really early morning rises, like 4 o'clock in the morning. We would be putting on 2-3 layers of clothing along with beanies and gloves to preparing for the "so-called fun" days. These layers would only to be pealed off throughout the day that came from the demanding physical activities and the burning sun shining over our heads. We had to pack lunch as we would be spending at least 12 hours on the field. And there wasn't us! At the farm, we would see many other Vietnamese and Asian families, and it felt like we were in a small community during such times. The majority of my friends were also growing up picking berries. My husband and his family were doing this exact thing at the same time as us, as well. However, the funny thing is we had never met each other here. Not once; not a single encounter that neither of us could recall. I met him as a high school freshman, a few years later at a Ngoc Son Tinh Xa Temple in 1997.
Right now in June, strawberries are everywhere in the grocery stores for a relatively cheap price. My friend just brought some for me the other day, and it was only 99 cents per one pound container. I tend to use this fruit a lot thorough summer because they can be found easily. There are so many recipes that can be made with this fruits. Now, as an adult I realize that I almost stopped eating much strawberries. I do not know why. Perhaps, because the fruit is now my daughter's favorite fruit so I would always save them ALL for her.
In this post I will focus on strawberry champagne macarons. This is very similar to the basic Vanilla Macarons posting I did previously, with a slight twist to create a whole new flavor. For a complete detail with pictorials of how to make basic vanilla macarons, you may check out my Vanilla Macarons posting.
Right now in June, strawberries are everywhere in the grocery stores for a relatively cheap price. My friend just brought some for me the other day, and it was only 99 cents per one pound container. I tend to use this fruit a lot thorough summer because they can be found easily. There are so many recipes that can be made with this fruits. Now, as an adult I realize that I almost stopped eating much strawberries. I do not know why. Perhaps, because the fruit is now my daughter's favorite fruit so I would always save them ALL for her.
In this post I will focus on strawberry champagne macarons. This is very similar to the basic Vanilla Macarons posting I did previously, with a slight twist to create a whole new flavor. For a complete detail with pictorials of how to make basic vanilla macarons, you may check out my Vanilla Macarons posting.
PREPARATION OF DRY INGREDIENTS
First, I weight all of the ingredients using a digital scale for accuracy. Once all of the ingredients are all weighted, I blend the almond flour and powder sugar together in my food processor for about 1 minute. This is to make the batter as smooth as possible. I finish this mixture by running it through the sieve twice and then set aside.
Tip 1: Blend and sift almond flour and powder sugar. Do NOT skip this step, as it is important to achieve that smooth look of the macaron shells
PREPARATION OF DRY INGREDIENTS
First, I weight all of the ingredients using a digital scale for accuracy. Once all of the ingredients are all weighted, I blend the almond flour and powder sugar together in my food processor for about 1 minute. This is to make the batter as smooth as possible. I finish this mixture by running it through the sieve twice and then set aside.
Tip 1: Blend and sift almond flour and powder sugar. Do NOT skip this step, as it is important to achieve that smooth look of the macaron shells
WHIPPING THE MERINGUE
In a standmixer, I start to whisk the room temperature egg whites. Using medium speed (no. 4 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Without stopping the mixer, add a pinch of tartar and continue to beat the egg whites at the same speed until soft peak forms. I add granulated sugar when I starting to see the fainted lines appear on the mixture. Granulated sugar can be added all at once, or in 3 additions to ensure even mixing. Either method should not alter the batter.
Continue to beat the egg whites for 2 minutes at high speed (no. 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) until stiff peak forms and the meringue becomes thick and shiny. Then, I add about 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry extract and a dob of pink food gel coloring and whisk for another 30 seconds on the highest speed (no. 10 on a KitchenAid stand mixer).
Tip 2: to test for readiness, when turn the mixing bowl upside down over your head, the meringue does not fall off.
FOLDING THE BATTER
I like to gradually sift the dry ingredient into the meringue in 3 additions. Using a rubber spatula, I gently fold the batter starting from the bottom, up and around the sides with the clockwise pattern. Repeat this circular motion until the batter becomes smooth and glossy. I highly encourage you to count the number of folds to prevent overfolding the batter. It normally takes about 40-45 folds to get to the right ribbon-like consistency. The batter will become thinner as you fold. Do NOT stir the batter.
Tip 3: to test for readiness, lift the spatula up with some of the batter and let it fall. The thick "ribbon" should flow downward smoothly. The batter should also blend in together, leaving no marks or traces behind, within about 15 seconds.
PIPE THE SHELLS
To pipe the macaron shells. I pour the batter into a prepared fitted pastry bag with a round tip (Wilton no. 12), and pipe about 1 inch round. I use a printable template of circles and place it underneath the silicone mat to guide me in piping perfect rounds. Remove this template carefully once all of the shells have been piped. Do not forget to leave about an inch in between each shell.
Next, I tap the bottom of each baking tray against the counter for about 5-8 times to release big air bubbles. You can also remove big air bubbles using a toothpick. You need to do this quickly before the batter starts drying out. Leave these piped macarons to dry for about 20-30 minutes; the cookies are ready to bake when they are completely dry to touch.
Tip 4: resting macarons to dry is a crucial part to create those well-known "feet." This drying layer is to force the heat to escape through the bottom as it won't be able to escape through the top.
BAKING MACARONS
Make sure the oven is preheated at 325 °F degrees (or 162 °C degrees). It is best to bake one sheet at a time at the lowest rack to prevent browning. Another tip you can try is to reduce the baking temperature down to 300 °F degrees and increase the baking time by 2-4 minutes. These cookies should start to rise about half-way through the baking time. At this time, you should also rotate the tray around to ensure even baking.
Remove the macarons from the oven at about 15-18 minutes. They are ready if the cookies come off the silicone mat or parchment paper easily. If they are still sticky, you need to pop them back in the oven for another minute or two. I suggest you stay nearby the oven to check for the readiness of these cookies. It is easy to overcook them thereby making them too crunchy. The perfect macaron should be crispy outside but chewy inside.
Once they are done, let them cool completely and sandwich them with sparkling champagne filling.
Craving for more? Check out my previous Red Velvet Macarons and Matcha Macarons recipes as well.
xoxo
Tristina
Strawberry Macarons Recipe
Make: 20-25 filled macarons
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
Strawberry Buttercream Filling
Instructions
Macaron Shells
Strawberry Buttercream Filling
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 71 g of almond flour
- 115 g of powder sugar
- 50 g of granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry extract
- Pinch of cream tartar
- Pink gel food coloring
Strawberry Buttercream Filling
- 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped strawberries
- 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 2 -3 tablespoons of milk or half and half
- 1 teaspoon of strawberry extract
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Blend powder sugar and almond flour and in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture twice and put aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl, whisk egg whites on medium speed until foamy for about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and continue to whisk until soft peaks form for about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and increase to high speed and whisk until stiff peaks form for another 2 minutes. Add strawberry extract and pink gel food coloring slowly and whisk for another 30 seconds on the highest speed.
- Sift flour mixture over the egg whites batter in 3 additions. Using a rubber spatula to fold the mixture until smooth and glossy (about 40-45 folds). The batter is done when it looks ribbon-like and should blend in within 15 seconds.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip, and pipe 1 inch rounds on a double parchment-lined baking sheets or a silicone mat. Tap the bottom of each baking tray against the counter surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature until dry to touch at approximately 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325° F degrees. Bake one sheet at a time, rotating halfway through until macarons are crisp for about 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let macarons cool on sheet for 1-2 minutes.
Strawberry Buttercream Filling
- In a mixing bowl with a whisk attached, beat butter and powdered sugar for approximately 3-4 minutes at medium speed (Speed 4).
- Add fresh strawberries and beat for about 1 minute.
- Add strawberry extract and milk. Continue to beat for another 1-2 minutes at the same speed. More milk can be added to achieve the desired consistency.
- Sandwich two same-size macarons using about 1 teaspoon of filling.
- Store in the fridge for about 1-2 days. Remove from the fridge at least 20 minutes before serving for the best taste.
It is best to store macarons in the fridge for 2-3 days before serving. These wonderful cookies can last for about 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
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