GINGERBREAD VANILLA MACARONS
- Total Time: 55 min.
Ingredients
MACARON SHELLS
100 g ground almonds (sieved)
100 g icing sugar
100 g caster sugar
25 ml water
2 x 35 g egg white
1 tbsp gingerbread spice (see tip below)
Light brown food colouring (optional)
FILLING
150 g white chocolate
100 g whipping cream (30 – 25 % fat)
1 Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Pod
DECORATION
White chocolate, melted
Pink peppercorns
Instructions
Step 1: Let’s start with our gingerbread vanilla macarons. Combine the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and blitz. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any larger clumps. Repeat this process to ensure you mixture is very fine.
Step 2: Sift the mixture in a medium bowl and add 35 g egg white. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk the second egg white until stiff peaks form and set aside.
Step 4: In a small saucepan bring water and caster sugar to a boil until it reaches 118°C (use a thermometer). Slowly add this sugar syrup to the stiff egg white, while whisking continuously. Keep on beating until the mixture cools down and forms stiff, glossy peaks. Add the gingerbread spice and food colouring, if using.
Step 5: Gently fold a spatula of the egg white mixture into the almond paste. Then add the rest and carefully fold until combined, do not overmix as you will knock out the air.
Step 6: Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and pipe batter into ¾-inch round circles, 1 inch apart, you can draw circle templates on the back of your parchment paper to help you pipe if needed. Tap the baking sheet firmly against the counter to release any air bubbles, use a cocktail stick to gently pop on airbubbles on the surface of your macarons. Leave to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes until they form a skin.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 170 °C (fan not recommended)/ gas mark 3. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
Step 8: Finely chop the white chocolate.
Step 9: In a small saucepan heat the whipping cream. Scrape out the vanilla pods, add the vanilla pulp and the pods to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pods. Cool to medium warm, then add the chopped chocolate and stir until dissolved.
Step 10: When cooled, transfer the filling into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe a swirl of filling on half the macaron shells. Assemble with the remaining halves and decorate with white chocolate and pink peppercorns.
Store your gingerbread vanilla macarons in an airtight container or in the fridge up to 2 days.
Tip: To make gingerbread spice, combine 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp allspice, 2 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp ground cloves, 1 tbsp ground nutmeg and a pinch ground black pepper, cardamom and coriander each. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Prep Time: 45 min.
- Cook Time: 10 min.