Description
You can add some green colouring to the mix at soft peaks stage or leave them plain and colour the filling.
Ingredients
Scale
For Macaron Shells
- 85g Ground Almonds
- 150g Icing Sugar
- 90g Egg Whites
- 80g Granulated Sugar
For Elderflower Gin & Tonic Filling
- 140g Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 280g Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 5ml Elderflower Flavouring
- 10ml Gin and Tonic Flavouring
- 5ml Lime Juice
- Two Pinches of Powdered Citric Acid
Instructions
- Line two baking trays with parchment paper and cut to size so it lays flat. Set aside.
- In a small processor, blend the ground almonds until ground finer. Sift the ground almonds with the icing sugar into a bowl, discarding any large pieces left in the sieve. Put to one side.
- In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until the eggs become frothy but not soft peaks. Add in the granulated sugar, a third at a time, while whisking on medium speed, until all incorporated.
- While the eggs are soft peaks, add any colour you might add, either gel or powder, not liquid as will affect the stability of the mix.
- Keep whisking until the eggs are stiff peaks, add half the sifted almond/sugar mixture and fold in with a spatula until just incorporated.
- Add the rest of the almond/sugar mixture, continue to fold until some of the air is deflated from the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a disposable piping bag.
- Pipe on the prepared trays, 1-inch circles of the mixture leaving half an inch in between to allow for spreading. Firmly bang the trays a few times to release some of the air bubbles.
- Leave the baking trays on the side for 30 minutes to an hour to dry out the surface.
- Oven to 150C, and bake for 12-15 minutes, placing some parchment on top if browning too quickly. Let to cool completely, don’t pull them from the sheet but peel the paper off the back of the macaron.
- To make the filling. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until softened, add in the icing sugar, flavourings and lime juice, and whisk until fluffy. If a bit firm to pipe, add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture. Taste the mixture, and alter the flavourings to taste, beat in a pinch of the citric acid, taste and add the second pinch if you want a more sour tang.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle. Pipe the filling onto a macaron shell and sandwich with another similarly sized shell. Enjoy with a glass of gin and tonic.
- Prep Time: 90 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Macarons
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French