Sunday, September 05, 2010

Macaron with Raspberry with Dried Cherry

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AYZp0WPHBRFwPPKE_OoEaeyYY8yy_XUnB5aHP2HOCeXXWqCegYvLfnc7AP-O7ZGw0BHjHU3ODCf3xQ79ZFAuFQ103WcGtaIqjp0W_IWufD9rbI-t81L6RAcp0pUXTuaXBqK9u6qUgDCr/s1600/logo+macattack.jpg



This month MacTweet Challange is Childhood Summer. Well during my childhood I have 365 or 366 days a year of summer. Even during the monsoon season,the temperature rarely goes below 20 C.

See, I am from a tropical island called Penang located in north of Malaysia. So I actually have no particular things that I'd do during 'summer' like kids would in 4 seasons countries.

I grew up following dad going to fish, making sand castle on the beach, eating out on the streets, going to night market with mom... simple life.

So I thought of making something that dedicated to where I spend most of my life in - my kaampung (homeland),Malaysia. A few days ago it was Malaysia's 53 Birthday, so I am using the national flower - hibiscus, as my inspiration. Well, the hibicus doesnt look like one but, anyhow that's the best I could do

http://www.orient-espaces-verts.com/upload/Hibiscus.jpg

http://peninsularesidence-kl.com/images/Beach-Sunset-at-Batu-Ferringhi-Foreigners-Rock-Penang-Malaysia-Photographic-Print-C10254257.jpg
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-07/10/xin_390701101023962111303.jpg

I leave the macaron shells white to signify purity and innocence of childhood, red as symbol of love for my beloved far away homeland.




FOR THE MACARON SHELL
1 room temperatured egg white(39-40g)
50g icing sugar
30g ground almond
30g castor sugar
1/4 teaspoon red food colouring


Method:
1. Put ground almond, and icing sugar in a food processor or a small blender. Blend them finely.

2. Sift the blended mixture and set aside

3. With an electric beater, Beat the egg white, start from low speed and increase slowly to maximum speed. Beat until frothy (you will see lots of fine bubbles)

4. Now it's the time to add in the castor sugar, add half of the sugar, continue to beat in maximum speed for around 2 minutes, add in the other half, continue until you get very stiff peak.

5. Mix the dry ingredients into the egg whites. This process is called Macaronage. Start folding with a rubber spatula. Mix just roughly combine.

6. Scoop out a spoonful of macaron mixture into a small bowl, add in red colouring, fold till mix. Set aside

7. Continue to mix the white mixture until you obtain a smooth lava flow batter.

8. When you get smooth shiny mixture, stop folding, lift the mixture with spatula, if the mixture falls back slowly in the bowl means you're good to go. You could also check if the lines formed from the lifted mixture, they should slowly disappear in within 30 seconds. At this stage you're good to go. Do not over fold, it will be too liquid and becoming very hard to pipe.
if you're unsure, you could refer to my basic macaron recipe as a guide HERE


9. Pipe the macaron on a baking sheet over baking tray. Hit the bottom of the baking tray with your hand to flatted out the macarons slightly.




10. Using another piping bag with a small nozzle, pour in the red coloured mixture. Carefully draw 5 petals on the shells.

11. Tap the bottom of the baking tray so the red mixture sits into the white one.

12. Let your macarons sit for about 30minutes. This will depend on the humidity in your house and the day. Try touching the macaron softly, after 30mins. it should not stick to your hand.

13. Heat your oven to 150 C on the (heating on the top only). When the oven is ready, put your macaron at the very bottom shelf. Bake for 12 minutes, check them in the mid time of 6 minutes, the feets should already start forming. Turn the baking tray to the opposite direction to allow even baking. When the 6 mins is up, change the heating setting of your oven to Bottom only. Reduce heat to 130 C. This will help cooking the macaron and rise the feet more. Bake for another 6 8 minutes.

You can test if the macaron is cook, touch softly on the shell and when the macaron doesn't slide on the feet, it's cooked. if it's not add another 1 mins each time and check.
Bewared that white colour macarons turn 'brown' easily, if doubt the oven is too hot, reduce the heat and prolong the cooking time by minute.

(This is the method i found the best that works for me after few trial and error. I baked with heating the oven top and bottom and i had crack macarons. Having said that, every oven is slightly different than another, so please adjust accordingly)


14. Let the macaron cool down before removing them. You could wet your working area and slide the baking sheet on it to speed up the cooling process, but do not let it sit there too long, if not the macarons will become soggy. Other wise you can leave them cool at room temperature and remove them.





For the Rasberry Ganache and Dried Cherry Filling

Ingredients

1. 60g white chocolate
2. 20g of fresh / frozen raspberriess (if frozen defroze it before hand)
3. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
4. about 6 dried cherry, cut into half.

Methods

1. In a small pot over low heat add in raspberries and lemonjuice, smash the raspberries as you stir, making a puree.

2. when you get the puree, place it in blender cup and mix it up with the blender ( to blend up the seeds)

3. Pass the raspberry mixture through a sift, to get smooth pure puree. Then put it back on the small pot and warm it slightly.

4. Add in white chocolate into the raspberry mixture, remove from heat. Stir till well combined and chocolate is completely melted.

5. Let cool in room temperature.

6. Fill up the macaron shell with ganache, top up with half dried cherry, then close with another macaron shell.

7. After finish piping all the macarons, pop them in an air tight container. Leave them in refrigerator overnight. You could keep the macarons up to 48 hours in the fridge. if not consumed, freeze them up. Because after 48 hours they will lose the texture.

8. Take them out of the fridge 20 mins prior eating.Enjoy!



17 comments:

  1. These are just incredible! I love the filling flavors. Some of my favorite travel memories are from trips to Malaysia - climbing Mount Kinabalu, visiting the orangutans at Sepilok, scuba diving at Sipidan island... I just love Malaysia.

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  2. These are gorgeous! And the flavor must be out of this world! I am thrilled to have you back with us at mactweets this month because your macs are a never-ending source of awe-inspiring wonder! I am a Florida girl and grew up surrounded by hibiscus and these macs are perfect!!

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  3. Kim, these are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the symbolism. It's such a a beautiful way to connect with your childhood and homeland. Hibiscus is very popular here as well, and love how you've used it. Lovely to have you at MacTweets! Thank you for joining us!

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  4. Thank you for your explanation on how to tell when they are done! This will help me immensely! These are gorgeous as well! What a great idea!

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  5. Hi Deeba Thank you :0)
    Fahrenheit 350°, thank you and i am glad it helps

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  6. These are utterly stunning! I'm doing my first ever Mac Tweet hopefully tomorrow, can't wait to join the fun x

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  7. Oh! I love the design on top! I haven't ever tried that but it looks awesome.

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  8. these are beautiful!!! I am always inspired after looking at your amazing macarons!!!

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  9. Your macarons are beautiful! Love the meaning behind them too:)

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  10. What pretty shells. Your macs are always beautiful.

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  11. Very useful tip about which heating elements in the oven to use. I visited Penang 15 years ago and would love to return to Malaysia one day - a beautiful country.

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  12. these are gorgeous! so glad I found your blog! <3

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  13. Hey Kim, you are the Macarons Goddess to me!!

    I tried my hands on making it last two months while I was at a bread making class. Wasn't perfect when it came to the shape but at least I got those feets and shiny tops. It was a culinary college a good friend of mine is teaching at so I got some extended baking time for free!!

    I actually came across macarons and making them because of a good friend. She made 40 batches (god bless her perseverance!) and yet it never turned out right.

    So after a month of trying to make these lil fluffs from heaven (as she calls them :)) with an industrial oven over a month ago, I tired making them again JUST NOW.

    You guessed as much, it didn't turn out right. No feet, no shiny top. Do you think oven makes a big difference? And if you don't mind could you send me a picture of your oven?

    I did the exact same thing when I made it in the culinary college and I also tried your recipe.

    So the only variable is the oven. Please advise!!

    Thanks kim!

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  14. You're amazing! I'm going a bit bonkers on your site, it's too wonderful to handle....ahhhhhhhhh!

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  15. Hi Nirak

    Sorry for the late reply just get back from holiday. i do think oven makes a different. but most of the time, the macaronage process is the main key. when you do not have shiny top and no feet most likely the the mixture is underfold. For the oven, you might have to try to bake small patches and try out different settiig to know.

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