These Mega Kiwi macarons are worth every step it takes to make! SO GOOD. And fun to assemble with the kids!
I had a jar of Mega Kiwi jam left in the cupboard from last season and told myself I could make a macaron filled with the jam! These did not disappoint. These took a test or 3 to get right, but the finished product is so tasty we didn't mind the extra steps. Soft and pillowy texture and so much flavor! If you love to bake this is a recipe for you. Enjoy!
Ingredients Macaron Shells
egg whites 3.5 oz
white granulated sugar 3.5 oz
almond flour 3.7 oz
powdered sugar 3.7 oz
Green food coloring
Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions Macaron Shells
Before you start, get all of your ingredients ready. Prepare a large piping bag, fitted with a large round tip.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
I use a baking mat with the macaron template already in it. There are places you can print your own, and just place it under silicon mat, or parchment paper.
Measure out all of your ingredients.
Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together. Set aside.
Now you can finally start.
Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a heat proof bowl or in a double boiler. Over a pan of simmering water, whisk the whites and sugar until frothy and sugar completely melted. It will take a couple minutes. You can test by touching the mixture between your fingers, and if you feel any sugar granules just keep whisking mixture over the water bath.
Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the simmering water.
Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
With the whisk attachment, whisk mixture on high speed for a few minutes until stiff peaks are formed.
Best way to check this is to keep your eye on the whites. Once they get glossy and you start seeing streaks formed by the whisk, it might be time to stop.
You don’t want to over beat the mixture at this point, because you don’t want to add too much air to it. Just whisk until stiff peaks have formed.
Pour powdered sugar and almond flour into stiff whites.
Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula.
Dye the batter. Add the green food coloring to the batter, fold to the perfect consistency (see steps below to identify the perfect consistency).
First, pick up some batter with the spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. If you can form several 8 figures without the batter breaking up, that’s one indication that it might be ready.
There’s another test you can do. I call it the Teaspoon test. Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait a minute to see how it behaves.
If the batter stays stiff, forming a point and doesn’t spread out, fold a little bit more, about 3 folds.
Test again.
Once the batter spreads out a bit and starts to look glossy and smooth on top, on the parchment paper, it's ready.
You don’t want your batter to be too runny either. So be careful not to over mix. It’s always best to under mix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
When you hold the spatula with batter on top of the bowl and the batter falls off the spatula slowly but effortlessly the batter is ready. The batter will keep flowing off the spatula non-stop, but not too quickly.
Transfer the batter to the piping bag.
Place the piping bag directly 90 degrees over the center of each macaron template. Apply gentle pressure and carefully pipe for about 3 seconds, and then quickly pull the bag up twisting slightly.
Bang the trays against the counter a few times each. This will release air bubbles that are in the batter and prevent your macaron shells from cracking.
Let your trays sit for a while so the shells will dry out a little bit. I leave about 20-40 minutes, depending on how humid the day is. You’ll know they’re ready when you gently touch the surface of a macaron and it seems dry.
Pre-heat the oven to 325F.
Bake one tray at a time.
Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray.
Bake for 5 more minutes. Rotate again.
I bake each tray for about 15 to 20 minutes. When baked, the macarons will have a deeper color and formed feet. If you try to move a macaron, it shouldn’t feel jiggly. If the macaron is still jiggly, keep baking.
Remove from the oven and bake the other tray.
Let the macarons cool down before proceeding with the filling.
I am filling mine with one piping layer of buttercream, with Mega Kiwi jam in the middle! Made from last season's Mega Kiwis.
Vanilla Buttercream
Sift powdered sugar. Set aside.
Cream butter at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 1 minute. With the mixer off, add all of the powdered sugar in.
On low speed, beat the sugar and butter together. Once they are incorporated, turn speed to medium and cream for 1-2 minutes until very fluffy. Add vanilla extract and beat for a another 30-45 seconds.
If buttercream is too stiff, add a bit of milk or water to make it a bit softer. And if buttercream is too runny, add a bit more sifted powdered sugar.
How to assemble
Pipe a circle of buttercream around the edges of the macaron, in a way that you have a little hole in the middle. Fill the little hole with a bit of Mega Kiwi jam. Don’t overfill it. Place another shell on top. Enjoy! These are best kept in the fridge when not being eaten. Store for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month!
Comments