My new bestie Meghan (@nutmegandhoneybee) and I did a little collab and magic happened! Initially we were going to make lavender macarons with lemon buttercream, but lemons were not on sale, so we went with something that would lend itself better to orange. I'm glad I'm so cheap because the finished product was both beautiful and delicious. It's also worth mentioning that we watched Elf that day, so you can expect a Christmas-y collab in the near future; just be warned that Christmas is all year for me.
Meghan's technical prowess paired with my flavor instincts resulted in the perfect macarons - chewy yet crispy shells with floral salted rose-scented buttercream filled with sweet and sour orange curd rolled in nutty and crunchy pistachio or tangy freeze-dried raspberries all combined to evoke dreams of the Mediterranean (actual dreams because I have no idea what actual Mediterranean food tastes like). Are you all ready for a sugar rush?
Butter Count: 24 Tbsp
MACARON SHELLS:
2 egg whites
1 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup caster sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the almond flour and confectioners sugar to a bowl and whisk until uniform. Sift the mixture into another bowl. Discard any almond chunks remaining in the sieve. Sift the mixture again back into the first bowl.
2. Add the egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer.Mix on medium-high until the egg whites begin to look foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue mixing to soft peaks, about 2 more minutes.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the caster sugar. Increase the mixer speed to high and mix to glossy stiff peaks, about 8 more minutes.
4. Add color slowly and cautiously (I use Wilton-brand gel food coloring). Continue to add color until the mixture is a little lighter than desired (it will darken slightly during baking).
5. Add the almond mixture to the egg whites and gently fold the mixture using a rubber spatula until it is just fully uniform, careful not to lose too much air OR overmix. The mixture should be shiny with the consistency of lava.
6. Add a 1/4 inch round tip to a piping bag, then fill it with the macaron batter. Pipe the batter into uniform circles about 1.5 inches in diameter onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bang the sheets on a hard and sturdy surface a few times to flatten the batter as well as remove large air bubbles. Leave the macarons at room temperature for 15-30 minutes until a skin has formed.
7. Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees. When the macarons have formed a skin and have a visibly matte finish, transfer the baking sheets to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the macarons from the oven and allow them to cool completely before removing them from the trays.
BUTTERCREAM:
1 cup butter, softened
1 lb confectioners sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/8-1/4 tsp rosewater, to taste
1. Mix the soften butter with the confectioners sugar and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until the butter has lightened in color.
2. Slow the mixer to the lowest speed and add the milk and rosewater. Increase the speed gradually and mix until creamy, adding additional powdered sugar if needed for a stiffer mixture. Add additional rosewater to taste.
3. Place the icing into a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe circular boarders with the buttercream onto the inside (flat side) of half of the macaron shells.
ORANGE CURD:
2 medium oranges
1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed and sieved
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks, beaten
7 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1. Combine the zest and juice in a pot. Add the remaining ingredients and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Constantly whisk the mixture over medium-low heat, 20-30 minutes until the mixture is fully thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Be sure to whisk both around the sides of the pot as well as the center to make sure none of the eggs cook and form chunks in the mixture.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the surface of the curd. Place the curd in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until it is cold and fully set.
4. Fill the buttercream boarders with the curd and top with the un-iced macaron shells.