Yes. I'm still trying to perfect these finicky buggers. When Jess sent me some freeze dried apples in my Foodie Penpals box *waving @ J*, I just couldn't resist trying them again! I made these and then the episode of MasterChef aired where these were the elimination pressure test.
All the while I'm sitting there thinking. How in the HELL did they even know how much of what to put in? If you had asked me 6 months ago to make them, I'd have NO CLUE. BUT they knew to measure the ingredients out and how many grams of what to use.
To me...that's cheating. If they're doing a pressure test, I don't want them to KNOW how to make them unless they honest to God have made them before.
There's got to be SOMETHING they're given to help them make these things. This was very evident to me after this episode. I would have TOTALLY flopped on making these before trying my first batch. *shrugs*
In any event, I'm still trying to master these buggers. These were excellent! Feet? Check! Chewy? Check! Not hollow? Check! Smooth and round? Um...still working on that one. I'm almost afraid to OVER mix that I'm under mixing too much. The next batch will be working on this part of the methodology. I think I could have turned them about 5 more times and been perfect. I also think I need to undercut the sugar, I think. Not have equal parts meal and sugar. We'll see. I need to pull up my spreadsheet again.
There aren't many photos of this process. Sorry!
They always say to add more color than you think is necessary as they don't turn out as bright when baking. This is SO true! And I need more red food gel. LOL
Here they are fresh out of the oven. I LOVE seeing those little feet. I just need to work on my tops. *sigh*
It's funny because I have the perfect window at work to photograph. It gets nice indirect sunlight so I have a mini studio set up there. I had left the three I handled on a plate on that desk and people were like eagle eyes! You made more cookies? It's so funny!
So, thank you Jess for the apples that I used to make these cookies with. I hope you try to make them. They're fun, but frustrating! And SO rewarding when you get something that even remotely LOOKS like a macaron.
This leads me to think of different and unique flavors including savory ones. I'm thinking, rosemary with chevre filling? Tomato with basil pesto filling? Who knows!! Those on my Pinterest can see what I've been pinning of these little beauties as inspiration for future items...
Enjoy!
Apple Cheesecake Macarons
Recipe by A Kitchen Hoor
Ingredients
- 120 grams powdered sugar
- 120 grams almond flour
- 25 grams freeze dried apples, ground
- 90 grams egg whites
- 25 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon red gel food dye
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- Preheat oven to 300, making sure to check the temperature with an oven thermometer.
- Sift the almonds with 120 grams powdered sugar and the ground apples. Remove any large bits and sift again. Discard any large bits. Sift the almond mixture again removing any large pieces. Set aside.
- Add egg whites and 25 grams of granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat eggs at medium power for 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat 3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract, food dye and apple pie spice and beat on high an additional minute. The meringue should be stiff and glossy.
- Add the nut mixture to the meringue and fold them together. This is the most crucial part of the process. Counting your turns, closely examine the mixture after 25. The mixture needs to be thick enough to hold up on it's own when dropped from the spatula, but soft enough that it will melt back into the batter after about 20 seconds.
- Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip and pipe circles approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches on baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.
- After filling the tray, quickly and sharply rap the baking sheet on the counter twice, then turn the sheet and rap it three more times.
- Allow the cookies to set 20 to 30 minutes before baking. Once set, bake at 300 for 15 minutes.
- Test the macarons by attempting to peel them off the paper. If they peel cleanly off, they are done. If not, give them 1 or 2 more minutes and try again.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- While they are cooling, make the cream cheese filling. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with the whisk attachments, whip until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, apple pie spice and vanilla extract and continue to whip until the sugar is incorporated.
- Put the filling in a piping bag and pipe dime sized rounds on one cookie then top with a matching cookie and serve.
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