COFFEE KAHLUA MACARONS
Hey guys, I'm back! Where have I been? Eating macarons of course! Trust me, if you make these, you may just disappear for a while too! One bite and you will be whisked away to some cute little cafe on the streets of Paris.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients:
1 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup ground almonds
2 large egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp instant coffee granules
Espresso kahlua filling:
100g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp Kahlua
2 Tbsp strong espresso coffee
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (roughly 325 degrees Fahrenheit). Line oven trays with good quality baking paper, or if the baking paper is thin use two layers.
2. Process the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor until fine. Sift three times, each time leaving out the lumps of almond that is left in the sieve.
3. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Mix on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the instant coffee and caster sugar. Continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
4. Sift the almond mixture into the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the two mixtures together. This step is very important. If you fold too little, the macarons will crack. If you fold too much, the macarons will flatten and merge together into a sticky mess. In order to have a nice smooth macaron with a slight cap, and the all-important feet, you need to fold the mixture just right. Depending on your folding, this may take 50-80 folds. When you lift the spatula from the batter, the batter should flow off the spatula in a continuous line of the batter.
5. Once this step is done, the batter should be spooned into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch round tip. Pipe 3/4 inch rounds onto the baking paper, one inch apart. It may be helpful to draw circles onto the baking paper before you start this step. Once the macarons are piped out, give each tray a good firm tap on the bench to release any trapped air, which would cause the macarons to turn out hollow.
6. The next step is important. The macarons should be left at air temperature for 30-45 minutes to form a skin. The macarons should lose their shine and appear dull. When touched, they should not be sticky because a skin has formed.
7. Meanwhile, make the buttercream filling by mixing the softened butter and icing sugar in a bowl, and stirring in the Kahlua and coffee.
8. Bake the macarons a tray at a time in the oven for 15 minutes, being careful not to burn them. See oven temperature tips below.
9. Once out of the oven, leave for 2-3 minutes before removing each shell from the tray. Cool, and then play a matchmaking game! Find each macaron shell a matching shell of the same size and shape, then spread one side with the buttercream filling and sandwich together.
10. Enjoy! Even if your macarons don't turn out perfect, I guarantee they will still taste good.
Let me know if you give these a go! Making macarons seems to get easier and easier each time, and I love trying new flavour combinations.
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Molly