Lavender Macarons 

Ingredients:

80g egg whites

65g lavender sugar

80g almond meal

140g icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

food coloring

dried lavender seeds

Filling

115g soft Philadelphia cream cheese

2 tablespoon lavender sugar

Lavender Sugar

1 cup of caster sugar (caster sugar is somewhere between granulated and powdered sugar)

2 tablespoon of edible lavender
muslin cloth

Instructions:

~ 2 weeks ahead ~ wrap lavender in muslin cloth, secure with kitchen string. Pour caster sugar in an airtight container, and place the lavender sachet in the container. Give it a good shake everyday.

~ 3 days before making macarons ~ separate egg white from yolk. Refrigerate.

Making Macarons

  1. Egg white at room temperature
  2. Pulse Almond meal with icicng sugar for 5 minutes. Sieve. Set aside.
  3. Mix the egg white and castor sugar in a heatproof bowl.
  4. Making sure that the bowl will snuggly fit the pot, bring the water to boil then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
  5. Place the bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water… aka double boil method.
  6. Whisk the egg white mixture until the sugar is dissolved and the temperature reads50–55Con the sugar thermometer.
  7. Transfer the egg mixture into the mixing bowl with the balloon attachment.
  8. Add lemon juice.
  9. Whisk on medium speed until soft peak or ‘shaving foam’ consistency.
  10. Add in food colouring.
  11. Using a flexible silicon spatula, fold in sieved almond into the meringue one third at a time. And start counting the strokes.
  12. Continue to fold until all dry ingredients are fully incorporated and it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbon like consistency…
  13. Pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with 10mm nozzle, and pipe onto prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle with lavender.

  1. Leave the tray at room temperature for 30 minutes or more until the macarons surface are ‘drier’ to touch.
  2. Preheat oven to 150C (300F) and bake each tray for 15-20 minutes depending on the oven.
  3. Cool for 10 minutes then carefully peel off the baking sheet.
  4. Leave to cool completely before piping in the filling
  5. Filling~ beat the cream cheese and lavender sugar until smooth. Pipe the filling onto the shells.
  6. Macarons tasted better…after an overnight refrigeration

Love Food Cookbook, mykeuken.com