WEEK 41: YOUR BEST ALMOND MACAROONS

Meyer Lemon Macarons

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Photography by Sarah Shatz

    BY DOLCETTOCONFECTIONS | MAKES 20

A&M: An excellent recipe in every way. DolcettoConfections demystifies French macarons, and you’ll discover just how easy they are to make. To get the confectioners’ sugar and almonds ground finely enough, we had to use the blender, which required a fair amount of shaking and scraping and digging—between whirring!—to make sure the almonds close to the blade didn’t turn to paste. But it’s worth it for the fine texture. And while the curd takes vigorous whisking over the stove, it turns out as light as whipped cream and just as tempting to eat by the spoonful. Not that we did. Ahem.

MEYER LEMON CURD

    2 large eggs

    2 egg yolks

    1/3 cup sugar

    1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice

    1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (packed)

    ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

    MACARONS

    3 large egg whites, aged at room temperature for 24 hours (see Tips and Techniques)

    2½ tablespoons sugar

    2/3 cup blanched almonds

    1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsifted confectioners’ sugar

  1. In a medium metal bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt to blend well.
  2. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water).
  3. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 170°F to 172°F, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
  4. Remove the bowl from the water. Whisk the butter into the curd, 2 or 3 cubes at a time, allowing it to melt before adding more and whisking until the curd is smooth.
  5. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.
  6. Make the macarons: Put the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer. Whisk on low to medium speed until frothy. Add the sugar, a little bit at a time. Allow the sugar to incorporate fully before making the next addition.
  7. When all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium and allow the meringue to form stiff peaks. To test, remove the bowl from the mixer and turn it upside down. There should be no movement in the meringue.
  8. Combine the blanched almonds and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Process until you cannot distinguish the almonds from the sugar, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  9. Add half of the almond-sugar mixture to the meringue. Using a strong spatula, begin combining the two elements. During this first combination, you actually want to combine them rather vigorously. Do not be gentle—you have to reduce the air in the meringue somewhat or your macarons will be too puffy. Continue for 10 to 15 turns.
  10. Add half of the remaining almond-sugar mixture and incorporate for 15 to 20 turns. Fold the remaining almond-sugar mixture gently into the meringue, for no more than 10 turns, or until you can no longer distinguish between the two.
  11. Fit a pastry bag with a #806 tip (½-inch diameter). Pipe 1-inch rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Leave plenty of room between the macarons—they will expand! Allow the macarons to sit 30 minutes to 1 hour to develop a shell.
  12. Heat the oven to 300°F. Bake the macarons for 10 to 12 minutes until the shells are just slightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.
  13. When the shells are completely cool, pipe or spread the Meyer lemon curd on the flat side of one macaron and sandwich with another.

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Photography by Sarah Shatz

    TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

    DolcettoConfections says: “The egg whites should age, outside the shell, for about 24 hours prior to making the macarons. I usually separate the egg whites into a small plastic container, cover, and place in the coolest part of my kitchen. If you place them in a bowl, just be sure to loosely cover the whites with plastic wrap. Aging the whites for 24 hours helps extract the moisture, which in turn helps create a “foot” (the base of the macaron) the same width as the shell. It also helps reduce cracking in the shell when they are baking.”

    ABOUT THE COOK

    Alison M. Veinote is a pastry cook and blogger living in New York.

        Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “Roasted Potato Leek Soup from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics—an absolutely perfect soup to warm you thoroughly on a cold winter’s night.”

        Here’s her blog: Dolcetto Confections (www.dolcettoconfections.blogspot.com).

    WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID

    Chef Michael: “Creamy, light, elegant, and perfectly sized. Try to eat just one, I dare you.”