makes
18
prep
30 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Mid
makes
18
serves
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
- 270 g (1⅔) cups icing sugar
- 125 g (1 cup) almond meal
- red and blue gel food colouring
Meringue buttercream
- 2 egg whites
- 110 g (½ cup) caster sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter, chopped and at room temperature (see Note)
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
Standing time 1 hour
Instructions
To make meringue buttercream, place egg whites and caster sugar into a small heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch simmering water. Using a whisk, mix for 4–5 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Remove bowl from saucepan and beat using an electric mixer until light and cool to touch. Gradually add the butter, beating for 4–5 minutes, until the buttercream is white and smooth. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
Line four baking trays with baking paper.
Place egg whites into a clean, dry, small mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add caster sugar, beating until sugar has dissolved. Continue beating until egg whites are thick, glossy and hold peaks.
Sift icing sugar and almond meal into a separate bowl. Mix to combine. Add egg white mixture, quickly folding (about 30 strokes) until combined. Spoon half of the mixture into a separate bowl. Add red gel food colouring to mixture in one bowl, and blue food colouring to mixture in second bowl. Spoon each mix into separate piping bags fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle. Pipe 18 x 4 cm rounds of each colour onto prepared baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Allow the macarons to stand at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 140°C.
Bake biscuits for 12–15 minutes or until set but not browning. Remove from oven and allow to cool on trays.
Spoon buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle. Sandwich a red and a blue macaron together with buttercream. (You could also use a teaspoon if you don’t have a piping bag.)
These are best eaten the same day.
Note
• It is important to have the butter at room temperature for the buttercream.
Photography, styling and food preparation by . This recipe is from , our cookie project column.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
