Sunday, December 4, 2011

Batch #16 - Morello Cherry White Chocolate Ganache & Lime-Lemon Macarons



We haven't made a batch of macarons for ages!  Partly due to laziness, partly due to the busy end of year social activities involved with having 3 kids, but mostly because my good old Mixmaster has gone to mixer heaven (actually it's in a box of old broken kitchen appliances waiting to be disposed of....)  This batch was made both to impress for my colleagues at my new work (yes, I'm the new kid bringing lollies to the new school to make friends!), and to celebrate the arrival of my niece into the world (and hence the pink macarons!)


Thanks to some internet research, DJ's new price matching policy, and a few seredipidous gift vouchers, Christmas has arrived early and we are the fortunate owners of a new Kitchen Aid!  I am still amazed at how efficient this machine is, and what a great job it does!  (And yes I am still entranced by it's "planetary motion"!)  No excuses now for not baking! 


My main problem this time was still due to a struggle with variable oven temperature.  Having to bake 7-8 trays, and requiring frequent opening and closing of the oven door, meant that I had to keep a really close eye on the shells and vary the baking time by 2-5 minutes each tray.  Unfortunately that's not so easy while entertaining my 3 busy kids, so I had some nicer shells, and some slightly darker ones with funnier feet. 

Blah, the shell on the right got more heat, and appears darker with
messier feet, whereas the one on the left is a tad undercooked, with
stickier, softer undersides.
For this batch I experimented with food coloring to create a splatter effect.  This is probably the cheapest and coolest way of decorating macaron shells I've come across yet - all you need is food coloring of your choice, and a (preferably!) unused toothbrush!  Short of dropping the whole bottle of coloring on the shells, you can't really go wrong, and I love the look of these shells, with the randomly artistic splatters giving each of them an individual look! 


Despite the variation in the shells, once you match, and sandwich the shells together with the filling, the product still looks pretty good, if I should say so myself! 


For the pink macarons I made a white chocolate ganache with Yarra Valley white coverture chocolate and double cream, and sandwiched some Sunny Ridge Morello Cherry Jam at Little One's request.   The kids tend to like the pink macarons more, whereas the adults all seem to prefer the zingy lime-lemon ones!


Pretty pink macarons for my niece!

Lessons Learned -

  • To achieve the splatter effect, place a small amount of colouring into a small bowl.  Dip the tip of a new toothbrush into the colouring, and gently flick the bristles with your finger over the top of the shells after you've piped all the shells (so that they have had about 5-10 minutes to rest.)  I would recommend using a glove on the hand you're flicking the toothbrush with, or you'll end up with a green finger for a few days like I did!

9 comments:

  1. Hey!! Congrats on getting a new KitchenAid! I've always dreamed of owning one but don't have a reason to switch as my current mixer is still (sorta) working fine. Anyway, these macs look totally delectable. Love the flavours of the cherry with white chocolate. Am sure these made you very, very popular at work and your family gatherings! ;)

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  2. Oh my heavens! You are *crazy* good at these! I love your use of morello cherries, and citrus, as I'm sure the slight tang would counter the sweetness of macarons beautifully :)

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  3. I LOVE your blog. And seriously? Your pictures are stunning. And now I'm drooling over these macaroons.;)

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  4. Thank you Winston, Hannah, Kelly and Nic!

    @ Winston - I had been waiting for the Mixmaster to stop working to justify getting the KitchenAid, but now I'm so happy I got it! KitchenAid + Thermomix now I'm invincible in the kitchen mwahahahaha :P

    @ Hannah - Thanx! You are exactly right, I love the citrus with the sweet shells, they are perfect for each other!

    @ Kelly - Thanx for checking out my blog :) I'm having fun looking through yours too! So many things to try out!

    @ Nic - Thanx! Now if only I can be consistent....!!!

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  5. Oh I'm so glad I've found your blog! Love all your recipes!!! And i'm a total sucker for macarons! the splatter effect looks perfect! Would love to try one hehe I'm so jealous! I'd love to have a Kitchen Aid (preferably pink) in my Kitchen one day :D enjoy using it! And please make more goodies and share it with us!

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  6. I think anyone who can pull of baking macarons are simply goddesses at the kitchen! You have my awe!!

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  7. @Daisy - Thanx for stopping by! A pink Kitchen Aid would be awesome! Lovely and girly! I love using mine and once you have one, nothing else will compare!

    @msihua - Haha, thanx for your lovley compliment. So sad that I can make macarons but my SPONGE CAKES ALWAYS FAIL :(

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  8. I've got a Pink Kenwood :) I'm gonna use that until I have the money to get a pink Kitchenaid hehe

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