(24 macarons)
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
It’s holiday season and if you are looking for a challenging dessert then these Yuzu French macarons are just the right choice! Macarons have a mind of their own and practice and precision are key to getting them right. If you follow the below recipe step by step, you will not go wrong. Gifting your friends and family these beautiful macarons in cute boxes tied with gift ribbons will make their day! Chocolate, lemon & raspberry are common flavors for macarons. As usual I wanted to try something different & since we are still in Japanese cuisine month, decided to make Yuzu macarons. Yuzu is a citrus fruit that is cultivated most in Japan and Korea. It can withstand low temperatures and is hence preferred to lemons in these regions. It also has about three times the vitamin C as found in regular lemons! It is a tart fruit with a unique taste and is used as an addition to garnish some dishes or as an ingredient to sauces such as Ponzu.
Ingredients:
For the meringue:
- 3 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- Yellow food color
For the yuzu butter cream:
- ¼ cup lightly salted butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 6 tbsp yuzu juice
Method:
Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
Beat egg whites until stiff, then add salt, cream of tartar and white sugar and continue beating for around 5 minutes. Ensure that the egg whites are at room temperature. This enables the egg whites to stiffen better. If you forgot to keep the eggs out of the refrigerator no need to stress. To create room temperature eggs, submerge in warm water for 5 mins. Whip until they form a peak that stands upright. For a quick check you can tilt the bowl with the stiff egg whites. They should hold and you should not see any liquid appear when you tilt.
Now add the food coloring. Add in the color so that it is a couple of shades darker than desired. This is because usually after baking the color gets lighter.
Sift almond flour, and powdered sugar to remove any bigger chunks. You want a really fine powder to create a smooth mixture. Fold flour/sugar mixture into the egg whites. This can be tricky as you need to fold just the right amount to get the right rise when you bake. This step takes some practice. You have mixed enough when the mixture is thick and smooth and just sticks to the spatula.
Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag.
Pipe out 1 inch rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as shown.
Tap the pan hard on the kitchen top at least 2-3 times to release the air bubbles. This will prevent the tops of your macarons from cracking when you bake them. Let them sit out for 20-30 mins and breathe. This will allow them time to dry out a bit before hitting the hot oven. This is another important step to assuring your macarons develop feet as they call it or the little thin layer at the bottom which is the signature of French macarons
Bake for 20 mins. DO NOT UNDER OR OVER BAKE, even if they look done! Otherwise they will stick to your tray if under or rise too much if over. Get out of the oven and set aside.
For the butter cream:
Whip butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Slowly add sugar. Then add the yuzu juice to buttercream, and whip until combined. Yuzu juice can be found at most Asian markets. If you don’t have one nearby you can just buy off Amazon! Transfer to a pastry bag, fitted with a small tip. Reverse cookie shells on their backs, and pipe a small mound of filling on one of them. Cover with a second shell.
If not eating right away you can refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. Macarons taste better after 1-2 days ☺ If you want to store them longer you can freeze. This way they can be stored for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, get out of the freezer and thaw for about 30 minutes before consuming.
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