Recipe: Macarons

Macarons start to be popular in the USA: you can find them in stores like La Maison Du Chocolat, Macaron Cafe or Bisous, Ciao. I even found some (not so good), in the Korean Food Gallery 32 on 32nd street! They are not to confuse with the coconut macaroons commonly found here. I have tried them with jam as a filling and one time, my sister made them with creme fraiche and smoked salmon. I thought it was an original idea! 

Here is an easy recipe:

For 12 macarons:

- 1 cup of ground almonds (I used almonds slivers).

- 1 cup confectioner sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/5 cup granulated sugar

Sift the almonds and the confectioner sugar. Mix them together.

Whip the egg whites on medium speed. When it becomes a foam, add 20 drops of food coloring. Increase the speed to high and add gradually the granulated sugar. Continue to whip until the eggs are firm and shiny (photo 1).

Once the egg whites are ready, incorporate little by little the almond / sugar mixture prepared earlier.

Put the mixture in a piping bag and create 1 inch circles on a parchment paper (photo 2).

Rest for an hour.

Cook in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes. Once cooked, put them on a cooling rack. When cool, use a knife or a spatula to remove from the parchment.

For the filling, I used:

- cream cheese and smoked salmon.

- gorgonzola and sour cream.

Just create small sandwiches!

The mix between salt and sweet is great but remember that these are still cookies before eating 20 of them!

Bon appétit!