Vanilla Chai Macarons

All the research I’ve been doing for the Paris portion of our upcoming trip has really gotten me in a Parisian state of mind, so on Saturday afternoon I threw Amelie on in the background and whipped up a batch of macarons. I found inspiration in Thirsty for Tea’s Vanilla Bean Chai Macarons recipe and incorporated their key flavor ingredients (chai mix and cinnamon) into Jill Colonna’s Vanilla Macaron Recipe from her book Mad About Macarons. If you’re thinking of learning how to make macarons, I highly recommend picking up a copy. Her method is super easy to follow and produces beautiful and delicious macarons! Check back tomorrow for helpful macaron-making hints I’ve picked up along the way.

Ingredients:

Shells:

• 150g egg whites (preferably separated and aged 4 days)
• 100g superfine baker’s sugar (available at Byerly’s)
• 180g almond flour
• 270g powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (with seeds)

Vanilla Custard Filling:

• 100g unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chai latte powder mix
• 160g or 5fl whole milk
• 1 whole vanilla bean
• 1 egg
• 20g superfine baker’s sugar
• 20g cornflour
• small splash vanilla extract

Special Equipment:

• digital scale (it’s important that measurements are exact)
• electric mixer
• 12″ to 16″ piping bag (I use this one.)
• standard coupler + #8  or #10 round decorating tip
• medium sieve or strainer
• 3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper
• rubber spatula
• several bowls of various sizes for measuring and mixing

1. Using electric mixer fitted with a wire wisk, wisk the (room temperature) egg whites on high to firm peaks, adding the superfine sugar gradually.  As you start to reach the firm peak stage, add in the 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.

2. Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together using sieve or fine strainer to remove any coarse pieces and discard. If there are alot of large pieces to discard, weigh them and replace them in the mixture with more almond flour to make sure you have 180 grams after sifting. Mix the almond flour and powdered sugar well.

3. Incorporate the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture, 1/2 at a time, into the egg whies until well incorporated.

4. This next step called, macaronnage, is the process of pressing the air out of the mixture. Using your spatula, work back and forth, pressing down on the mixture flattening it between your spatula and the bottom and sides of the bowl. This video from Macaron Diaries does a great job of explaining the process. The end result will be a glossy mixture that will form a “ribbon” as it falls off the spatula. The stream should incorporate back into the batter in roughly 15 sec.

5. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle + coupler. For easy filling, place the piping bag into a pint glass and turn the edges of the bag over the sides of the pint glass. Scoop the mixture into the piping bag, pull up the edges, and give the top of the bag a twist to keep the batter in the bag.

6. Pipe mixture into 1″ to 1.5″ diameter rounds onto the prepared baking sheets leaving an inch or so between each . This will take some practice, but you’ll get it! Here’s a quick video of a chef piping in action. After piping, let them sit for 30 minutes. This step is crucial as it helps produce the gorgeous macaron “feet”  or “pieds” so don’t skip it.

7. While they set, preheat the oven. I heat mine to 310 degrees F, but every oven is different. Jill Colonna recommends 325 degrees F, so it’s just a matter of finding what works for you. If you’re finding that your macarons are browning slightly, lower the temp on the next batch and check often.

8. Bake one tray at a time, on the middle rack for 8-12 minutes. 8 minutes in, touch the top of a macaron and gently move your finger from side to side. If the macaron wobbles, cook for another minute and check again. These babies will go from wobbly to overcooked quickly, so make sure to keep a close eye on them. When done, remove tray from the oven, and let the macarons cool on the tray. Carefully remove with a thin spatula, and pair up each cookie with a similarly sized cookie, placing one of the cookies bottom up (to accept the filling).

9. Prepare the filling. Cream the butter, cinnamon, and chai latte powder and set aside.

10. Place the milk and whole vanilla bean in a saucepan on medium/medium-high heat and bring just to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the milk. Set aside to let cool in the pan.

11. In a different bowl, beat by hand the egg, superfine sugar, cornflower, and splash of vanilla. Make sure the milk has cooled (so it won’t cook the egg), and add the milk mixture to the egg mixture, stir to combine. Return to the saucepan stirring constantly on medium heat until the mixture thickens. Once thickened, remove from heat, place cling wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture (to prevent a skin from forming), and place in the refrigerator to cool.

12. When the milk/egg mixture is cool, wisk with the creamed butter and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe the filling onto one shell from each pair of shells. Press the two sides together, using a twisting motion to spread the filling. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to enjoying.