Heart-Shaped Valentine's Macarons

Preparation

1. Place almond flour and confectioner’s sugar in bowl of a food processor or Robot Coupe and pulse until finely ground and combined. This equal part of confectioners sugar and almond flour is called TPT (tant pour tant). Transfer TPT to a large bowl.

2. Place egg whites into a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment.

3. Place sugar in a small sauce pot and cover with water to sandy. Cook over medium-high heat to 240F/115C. When the syrup reaches 230F/110C, begin whipping egg whites into medium peaks.

4. Once sugar reaches 240F/115C, pour syrup into whipping egg whites in a steady stream. Whip until fluffy, glossy firm peaks form.

5. Add egg whites into the TPT mixture and use a bowl scraper to fold the whites into the mixture. Fold, gently pressing the batter against the sides of the bowl to ever so slightly deflate. Keep folding until it is smooth and “flows like magma”. This is your proper macaronage.

6. Transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with a round tip (#802) and pipe rounds (or desired shapes) onto silpats or parchment paper.

7. Once a sheet tray is full, give the tray a little rap a tap tap on the bottom to smooth.

8. Let sit out at room temperature until they form a dry shell on top, about 1 hour. They will no longer feel wet and sticky to the touch. Time is a macaron’s best friend right now.

9. Preheat oven to 290F/ . Once a dry shell has formed, bake in preheated oven for 16 minutes, rotating at 10 minutes.

10. Cool completely and then fill with whatever you want!

NOTES

*To make them heart-shaped, download my heart template

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Italian Meringue Buttercream

Silky smooth, light and airy buttercream.

Ingredients

120 grams egg whites

75 grams confectioners sugar

150 grams sugar

30 grams glucose/light corn syrup/honey/golden syrup

1 # unsalted butter

2.5 grams fine sea salt

2.5 grams vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Place egg whites and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place bowl over a sauce pot of simmering water and whisk continuously until warm to the touch.

2. Place egg/sugar bowl onto standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whisking on low speed.

3. Meanwhile, combine sugar and glucose in a small sauce pot. Cover with a little bit of water to make sandy. Place over high heat and cook to 240F/115C. *

4. Once sugar hits 230F/110C , begin whipping whites on high speed.

5. When sugar hits 240F/115C, remove from heat and slowly stream into whipping egg whites. Continue whipping on high until light, fluffy, and just barely warmer than room temperature to the touch.

6. Seed in butter a little bit at a time, making sure butter fully combines after each addition. Buttercream may break momentarily, but do not be scared. It will come together again once the last of the butter is added.

7. Mix in vanilla and salt.

8. Switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment to beat out any additional air.

NOTES:*To make Hibiscus IMBC: Place 20 grams dried hibiscus and 200 grams water in a small sauce pot. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and steep for about 10 minutes until deep burgundy in color. Strain through fine mesh sieve and use in place of the water in the recipe.

*It is very important for the egg/sugar to cool to just above room temperature before adding the butter, otherwise your butter will just melt and the buttercream will never be light, fluffy, or smooth.

*Keeping a torch on hand will help ensure you can keep your buttercream at the room temperature, especially if it is cold out.

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Macarons

Ingredients

Preparation

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

Preparation

Heart-Shaped Valentine's Macarons

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