By Lisa Maliga, copyright 2018
Here it is — my first macaron video tutorial! This is a new recipe that isn’t in my book. It’s recommended for people who love chocolate and cherries!
MORELLO CHERRY & CHOCOLATE FRENCH MACARONS RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
100 grams almond flour
200 grams powdered sugar
3 large egg whites [room temperature]
50 grams finely granulated sugar [4 Tablespoons]
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 drops Americolor Super Red food color gel
Oven Temperature: 300 degrees
DIRECTIONS:
* Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If the baking sheets are thin, double them up. Macarons are sensitive to heat so they need to be baked on a durable tray that has lots of insulation. You’ll also need a pastry/piping bag with a large round tip ready before you begin.
* Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together. Large grains that don’t make it through can be thrown away or used as a skin exfoliator.
* Whisk the sugar and flour to make sure it’s fully blended.
* In a stainless steel or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy like a bubble bath before adding the salt. Then add granulated sugar in 3 batches. Start at a low speed and gradually increase the speed. When finished, the mixture should have stiff peaks. Add color.
* Add dry ingredients to the meringue in 2 batches using a spatula. Fold until the mixture comes together, scraping the sides and flip batter over. When the sugar/flour mixture is blended, the batter will be easier to mix and will look shiny. Lift the spatula and see how quickly batter falls in “ribbons” from the spatula. A ribbon of batter dropped into the bowl should merge with the rest of the batter in 20-30 seconds. Another test is to “write” the number 8 with the batter.
* Add tip to piping bag and then twist near the bottom to prevent any mixture from escaping. The tip should face upwards and that also helps keep the mixture in the piping bag as you place it in a cup and form a cuff over the rim so it’s easy to add the batter.
* Spoon batter into piping bag. Twist the top of the bag and untwist the bottom, gently pushing the just-poured batter toward the bottom. You’ll remove any excess air that way.
* Pipe the batter onto the parchment or silicone mat.
* Pipe batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.5-inch circles. Keep the batter inside circles if using a template.
* Rap baking sheet several times on the counter. This will further flatten the macarons, and remove air bubbles.
* Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
* Allow macarons to sit for 30-60 minutes until a film forms. Lightly touch a macaron and if no batter clings to your finger then it’s dry and ready to be baked.
* Bake for about 15-20 minutes. The tops should be firm and glossy and the bottoms of the shells should have formed “feet” or frills at the bottom. The risen macarons should be firm with the slightest amount of give. If it wobbles, they require another minute or so. When done, the cookies can easily be removed from the parchment or mat.
* Remove from oven, place cookie sheet on a wire rack or flat surface and let cool completely.
MORELLO CHERRY BUTTERCREAM FILLING
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 ounces [1/2 cup] unsalted butter [room temperature]
4 Tablespoons chopped Morello cherries
1 Tablespoon Morello cherry juice
1 Drop AmeriColor Red food color gel
DIRECTIONS:
Mix the butter in a bowl for about 30 seconds, and then add half the powdered sugar.
When the mixture is smooth, add the chopped Morello cherries and juice. Then add the remaining powdered sugar. Add color and mix another minute or two.
CHOCOLATE ALMOND GANACHE
4 ounces heavy cream [120 grams]
4 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate [120 grams]
¼ teaspoon almond extract
DIRECTIONS:
Put cream in microwave for about one minute until hot — NOT boiling. Pour over chocolate chunks. When melted add almond extract and whisk well until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for at least four hours or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap. Use a spatula to scoop the ganache into a piping bag with large 4B open star tip.
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Want to bake macarons? Read my book Baking French Macarons: A Beginner’s Guide. Available in eBook [free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription] and paperback formats.
VIDEO
Thanks to everyone who entered the first ever Mystery Berry Contest. It was a fun contest to run and I enjoyed reading the responses and guesses. 
lisa maliga 
September 8, 2015 at 8:51 pm Edit