Rose water buttercream and raspberry jelly macarons

Making macarons is one of my obsession. I'd never get tired of making macarons. It's so addictive to make. You can add your creativities into your macarons to make it unique. Some people find it difficult to make. Keep trying, and sooner or later you will get the hang of it.

Macarons
Yield : 32 shells

• 62 g almond meal
• 112 g icing sugar
• 50 g aged egg whites
• 14 g sugar
• 2 g egg white powder
• food coloring (optional)

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpat. Prepare a piping bag with a round tip (I use a Ateco #806).
In a medium bowl, sift almond meal and icing sugar together to remove any clumps.

In a large mixing bowl begin beating the egg whites on low speed. Once the egg whites are foamy, begin sprinkling in the sugar and egg white powder as you beat. Increase the speed to medium, and beat the meringue to stiff glossy peaks. Add the food coloring and mix.

Add about 1/4 of the almond/sugar mixture and fold in until no streaks remain. Continue to add the almond mixture in quarters, folding until the batter is glossy, thick fluid and flow with a ribbon consistency.

Scrape the batter into your prepared piping bag and pipe onto the prepared baking sheets, pipe the batter into rounds about 3 cm in diameter, giving them space to spread at least 4 cm.

Tap the pan on the counter to bring up any air bubbles and quickly pop them with a toothpick.

Allow the cookies to rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Until they are dry and skins form.

While they rest, place an oven rack in the centre of your oven and preheat to 160 c.

Bake the cookies for 11 minutes.


Raspberry jelly

• 75 g raspberry puree
• 15 g sugar
• 2 g gelatine sheet

Warm half of the raspberry puree with the sugar. In the meantime, soak the sheet gelatin in ice water. Add the softened gelatin to the warm raspberry puree. Add the rest of the puree and let it cool. Pour into the small container and let it set in the fridge for 4 hours. When it set cut into small cubes about 0.8 cm diameter.


Rose water swiss meringue buttercream (adapted from Martha Steward's cupcakes)

• 2 large egg whites
• 15 g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 180 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp rose water 

Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.

Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes. 

Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the butter cream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla and rose water, and beat just until combined.

Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using butter cream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring butter cream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes

Fill and sandwich the macarons

Once the cookies have cooled. Fill a pastry bag with the buttercream. Turn macarons so their flat bottoms face up. On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling then place the raspberry jelly cube in the center of the buttercream. Sandwich these with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.