Page 10 - 3FrenchHens

10 three french hens, two macarons, and lovers in a bakery

sugar and almond flour. In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites, granulated sugar,
and salt, and beat with an electric mixer to form peaks. Fold this mixture into the
almond mixture until just combined. Place half of the batter into a pastry bag with a
plain tip and pipe onto the prepared baking sheets to create the cookies. Be sure to
leave about an inch of space between each cookie, as they will spread when baked.
- If desired, you can use food coloring to dye the batter before placing into the pastry bag
in order to get the colorful macaron cookies that are so popular today.
- Before placing in the oven, allow the batter to rest in cookie form at room temperature
for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven’s temperature to 375 degrees F.
Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Adjust your oven’s temperature
to 325 degrees and bake the cookies for another 10 minutes or until they appear puffed
and slightly gold on top.
- Let the cookies cool on their sheets for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the
parchment paper and cooling completely on wire racks.
- To make the filling boil the raspberries and a cup of the sugar in a large saucepan,
stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue cooking the raspberries until the juice thickens
and the berries themselves become soft. Strain ½ cup of the mixture into a small bowl
and allow to cool. Place the remaining unstrained raspberry mixture in a separate bowl
and cover to cool.
- In a heatproof mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and ¼
teaspoon of salt. Simmer water in a large saucepan and place the mixing bowl on top.
Place a candy thermometer in the mixing bowl and cook until it reads 140 degrees
F; then remove from heat. Be sure to stir the mixture often as it cooks. Once done
cooking, use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until it forms a stiff meringue, about
5 minutes. Continue mixing as you add in the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time.
Then add in the rose water and 3 tablespoons of the strained raspberry mixture, beating
to combine until smooth. Place this mixture into a pastry bag with a plain tip.
- To assemble the macarons, spread a ½ teaspoon of unstrained jam onto the flat sides of
half of the cookies. Use the pastry bag filled with the buttercream to top the remaining
half of the cookies, working in a spiral from the outside in on each cookie. Press a jam-
topped cookie on top of a buttercream topped cookie and gently press together. Place
the finished macarons on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for
several hours or overnight before serving.