Don’t forget to go through the baking tips first, CHECK IT NOW!
Macarons have that special unique taste to them that you really can’t find with any other dessert. They’re such a delicacy, and look so pretty no matter how you serve them. They just don’t stay pretty for long because they’re gone before you know it!
Prep time: 45 minutes – Sitting time: 60 minutes – Cook time: 15 mins – Total time: 120 mins
Ingredients:
Macarons
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A few hibiscus leaves
- ¼ cup water
Hibiscus Buttercream
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1-2 teaspoon hibiscus juice
Equipment:
| Measuring cups and spoons |
| 1 large bowl |
| 1 medium bowl |
| 1 small bowl |
| Piping bag with rounded top |
| Baking tray, lined with parchment paper |
How to…..
In a large bowl mix the almond flour, powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. You may want to sieve it if it’s not too fine.
Soak the hibiscus leaves in the water. Let them sit until they form red juice.
Beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with the handheld whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar slowly until it’s fully mixed. Keep mixing it until you have stiff peaks. If you turn the bowl over, nothing should drop out! Add the vanilla and mix. Finally, add the hibiscus juice and mix just until combined. Now start gradually adding the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Fold it in gently so you don’t lose any air. Fold it until you can make a figure 8 with the spatula/spoon.
Now onto the piping. Put your mixture into the piping bag. Before you start piping, if you want to make sure you have all of the macarons the same size, then take the parchment paper and draw circles onto it. The circles should be about 1.5 inch/3.4 cm. After you draw them, put the parchment paper drawing side down. You will be able to see the drawings through the parchment paper. Hold down the parchment paper by placing a tiny dollop of icing on each corner of the tray and pressing down the paper. Now pipe the macarons. After you finish piping all the macarons, tap the baking sheet on a flat surface a few times to release any air bubbles, and let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Touch them and if they’re dry, they are ready to be baked.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 degrees Celsius. Bake them for about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
Buttercream:
Beat the butter with the electric whisk until it’s light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar gradually and keep beating. Then add the vanilla and milk a tablespoon at a time while beating. Finally, add a few drops of the hibiscus juice until you get the taste and color you want.
Put the buttercream in the piping bag, and pipe a dollop onto half the macarons. Top it with the other macaron.