The Nerdy Gourmet

Macarons

nerdygourmet

Yes, macarons are a particular dessert to make. They can be finicky but you can do it! They are so delicious and fresh when made at home. I taught myself to make them and I will share all of my tips. A bite of macaron will transport me to a heavenly French moment with meringue clouds and sticky sweet suggestions of flavor. Below, all the macarons themselves are vanilla flavored, differentiated by their fillings; Earl Grey tea, Pistachio, Blueberry, Lemon and Salted Caramel Chocolate Ganache. 

Macarons

You will need: 

Makes 36 macarons. Heat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Sift together confectioners sugar, almond flour and salt. Set aside. *It is incredibly important that the egg whites are room temperature in order to get a stiff meringue. Whisk egg whites until bubbly and add cream of tartar. Keep mixing until egg whites are completely white (no clear liquid left). Slowly add sugar and vanilla, whisking until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in almond flour mixture. Now is a good time to add food coloring if desired. Fill piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Try to pipe out consistent circles onto the parchment lined baking sheets. I usually count to 3 while piping each macaron. Lift and drop the the sheets multiple times to release any air bubbles. ***you must let the macarons sit for 30 minutes or until no longer shiny before baking to prevent cracking.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. Fill with buttercream, jam or chocolate. 

Nerdy Tips

  • warm eggs are SO difficult to crack and separate. Separate eggs while cold and bring to room temp in a bowl. I learned this the hard way – ha! 
  • when folding almond flour into the meringue, go gently, in a figure 8 and mix only until smooth.

Earl Grey Tea filling

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 tea bags of Earl Grey tea
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2+ Tbsp milk

Melt the butter. Cut open the tea bags and pour loose leaf tea into the melted butter. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain. Let come to room temperature. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and milk until you get a buttercream consistency.

Pistachio filling

  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2+ Tbsp milk

mix until creamy. 

Lemon Buttercream filling

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1+ Tbsp  milk

mix until creamy. 

Blueberry Jam filling

  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until blueberries have burst and the mixture begins to thicken. Let cool.


Salted Caramel Chocolate Ganache filling

  • 5 oz of dark chocolate (I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup salted caramel topping 

Heat the cream, but don’t let it boil. Add to the dark chocolate, stir until chocolate is melted and creamy. Let cool to room temperature. Top half of the macaron with ganache, top the other half with caramel. 

Nerdy Tip

  2. thenerdygourmet – Hi friends!! I'm Jenni, The Nerdy Gourmet. I love books and I love food. Combining the two with a splash of travel has become my passion. I am a self taught cook/baker and I believe that everyone can cook from scratch! I'm here with recipes and Nerdy Tips to help along the way. I review books, mostly 'read' via audio, and I create recipes inspired by the story lines. Sometimes if I am deeply moved by a story, I will travel and try my best to experience the book- and bring you along via my blog! I provide all the photographs and content for the Nerdy Gourmet (unless otherwise noted).

    Hi Claudia! I’m so happy that you’ve reached out. Thank you so much fir the kind words and the recommendation!…

  3. Hi Jenni, I heard your husband Greg talking about your new blog and so I thought I would check it…

  4. thenerdygourmet – Hi friends!! I'm Jenni, The Nerdy Gourmet. I love books and I love food. Combining the two with a splash of travel has become my passion. I am a self taught cook/baker and I believe that everyone can cook from scratch! I'm here with recipes and Nerdy Tips to help along the way. I review books, mostly 'read' via audio, and I create recipes inspired by the story lines. Sometimes if I am deeply moved by a story, I will travel and try my best to experience the book- and bring you along via my blog! I provide all the photographs and content for the Nerdy Gourmet (unless otherwise noted).
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