Coffee Macarons

Zutaten

• 70 g superfine almond flour - blanched (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 63 g powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 g instant espresso of coffee powder (1 tsp)
• 55 g aged egg whites, room temperature - about 2 large eggs
• pinch cream of tartar - optional
• 55 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup + 1 tsp)
• 56 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
• 4 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
• 2 g fine salt (1/4 tsp)
• 15 g heavy whipping cream, room temperature (1 Tbsp)
• 2 g instant espresso or coffee powder (2 tsp)
• 125 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
• 45 g dark chocolate, melted
• 18 coffee beans
• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
• 1 Large Piping Bag (18-inch)
• Round Piping Tip - Ateco 805
• Scribe or toothpick

Zubereitung

1. 1

   --- Coffee Macarons ---

2. 2

   Sift 70g superfine almond flour, 63g powdered sugar and 1g instant espresso into a large bowl and set aside.

3. 3

   Pour 55g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until your reach the soft peak stage.

4. 4

   Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds then increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.

5. 5

   Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. I like to perform the figure-8 test to check my consistency! This is when you lift your spatula and see if you can draw a figure 8 with the batter running off your spatula in one consistent stream. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8s once your macaron batter is the right consistency.

6. 6

   Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/4 inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

7. 7

   Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a scribe or toothpick.

8. 8

   Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes to develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.

9. 9

   As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 315 F.

10. 10

    Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 15-18 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through (the sweet spot in my oven is 16.5 minutes, but every oven varies!)

11. 11

    Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

12. 12

    --- Coffee Buttercream Frosting ---

13. 13

    Beat 56g of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for 1-2 minutes with a whisk attachment until it becomes lighter in color and smooth.

14. 14

    Mix in 4g vanilla extract and 2g salt on a low speed.

15. 15

    In a small bowl, mix together 15g of heavy cream and 2g of instant espresso or coffee until the instant espresso is dissolved.

16. 16

    Pour this into the butter mixture along with 125g of powdered sugar and mix on a low speed.

17. 17

    Continue to mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.

18. 18

    If the frosting is too thick, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).

19. 19

    Place the buttercream in a small piping bag, and seal the top with a rubber band. Set aside.

20. 20

    --- Assembling These Coffee Macarons ---

21. 21

    Pipe a dollop of coffee buttercream or frosting of your choice around one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.

22. 22

    Drizzle a bit of melted chocolate over the top of each macaron and tip with a coffee bean.

23. 23

    Let the chocolate cool and firm up, then place the finished macarons in an airtight container or ZipLoc bag and chill in the fridge overnight before enjoying!