Tag: french meringue

Top Tips for making Macarons

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If you’re thinking about making macarons, then you are in the right place, because these are my top tips for making great macarons every time. If you follow these tips, you won’t go wrong. The first time you make macarons will of course be a little stressful, but the reward of successfully making these delicate, sweet meringue shells is a great feeling!! And you will get hooked! (don’t say i didn’t warn you!!)

Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour at least 3 times because you want to get rid of any bigger lumps so that your macaron shells are as smooth as possible.

Use your eggs at room temperature. Egg whites seem to whip up better when they are not cold. You can separate your eggs when they’re cold and then leave them out at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Before adding the egg whites to your mixing bowl, wipe the bowl and mixing attachments with some vinegar to make sure it is clean. This is because egg whites shouldn’t come into contact with anything oily otherwise they might not whip up like they should.

If you’re using the french meringue method to make your macarons, add either a teaspoon of vinegar, lemon juice or cream of tartar to make your meringue more stable.

When adding in sugar to meringue, add it slowly and mix well between each addition, this is because you don’t want to deflate all the air you are whipping in to the egg whites.

If you use the Italian Meringue method to make your macaron shells, then you need a thermometer. Invest in one and you will use it for a long time, but if you don’t have a thermometer it’s pretty difficult to get the sugar syrup right without one.

Invest in a digital scale! You can use this for all of your baking, not only macarons and today most recipes are in gram measurements, because it is more accurate as cup measurements can really vary from person to person.

If you want to add coloring to the meringue, it is best to use gel or powder food coloring and the best time to add it is once your meringue is at medium peaks. This is because liquid food coloring can change the consistency of the batter.

For both french and italian meringue method macarons, your meringue should be whipped to stiff peaks to give you the most stable meringue possible.

When mixing your meringue with the dry ingredients, you don’t have to be too careful. You want to actually press the batter onto the side of the bowl. This is called ”macaronage” and is the process of actually deflating the meringue slightly while mixing together. This is what will give you full macaron shells and not make them hollow. You can watch how I do this in my 2 macaron video tutorials below.

Italian Meringue Method

French Meringue Method

Be careful to not under mix or over mix your macaron batter. This takes practice and patience, but once you know what you are looking for, it gets easier every time you make macarons. You want the batter to be thick enough to not run all over the place, but thin enough to pipe into a circle and so that it settles into a neat little disc with no peaks or bumps on top.

And don’t forget to tap your trays once you have piped all your macarons. This releases any air bubbles and you can use a skewer or tooth pick to pop them.

The last tip is to let your macaron shells sit out at room temperature to form a dry skin before baking. Some people don’t do this, but I prefer it. This can take anything from 30 minutes to 1 hour. If it seems as if they are not drying, you can open your oven and put the fan on (without any temperature) so that the air from the oven helps them to for the skin on top. , They are ready for baking when you can run your finger along the tops and is completely dry and mat.

I really hope that you find these tips useful, because they make the process of baking macarons a whole lot easier! Macarons are always intimidating for beginners and yes they might not be amazing the first time (or they just might be – beginners luck!!), but I encourage anyone wanting to try them to just go for it! You have everything you need to give them a go – this list, my recipes and video tutorials to walk you through the process!

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram when you make your macarons – https://www.instagram.com/bakewithgen/?hl=en

lemon meringue tart

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Published on by Gen George4 Comments

A quick and easy version of a traditional Lemon Meringue Pie, this recipe uses condensed milk and a biscuit base for a tasty, yet effortless tart!

HOW TO MAKE A LEMON MERINGUE PIE (TART)

  • 200g Graham Crackers/Tea Biscuits
  • 100g Melted Butter
  • 1 can (385g) Condensed Milk
  • 3 Medium sized Lemons (½ cup lemon juice) Keep 1 teaspoon of lemon juice aside for the meringue
  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 150ml (about ½ cup) White sugar

For the biscuit base: Finely chop the biscuits and mix together with the melted butter. Place the biscuit mixture into a baking tart dish and press it down and around the sides. Put it in the fridge to chill while you make the filling. You can now preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.

For the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks. Add the lemon juice gradually and mix well. Pour this mixture into your prepared biscuit base. Bake for 10 minutes, while you prepare the meringue topping.

For the Meringue: Place your egg whites into a mixing bowl and begin beating them on medium speed. Add your lemon juice and continue beating. Start gradually adding the sugar a little at a time and mix well after each addition. Your meringue is ready when it looks glossy and you have soft peaks.

Once the filling has baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and immediately add the meringue on top. (You can watch the video to see how I achieve the peaks on the meringue). Turn the oven temperature down to 150°C/300°F and bake the meringue for 20-30 minutes or until your meringue hardens and turns a golden brown. Allow it to cool completely before serving.

PAVLOVA

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If you’ve never heard of or made Pavlova, it is basically a beautiful, glossy French Meringue that is baked in the oven at low heat and dries out on the outside to form a crispy shell, but stays chewy on the inside. It is then filled with whipped cream and fresh fruits of your choice! Acidic or more sour/bitter fruits are usually used, as it balances out the sweetness of the meringue and makes for a delicious, fresh Summer Dessert!

I know you’re ready to get baking, so here is the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

  • Egg whites of 4 eggs
  • 250g White Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Fresh Cream (about 220-250ml)
  • Fresh Fruits

That’s it!! You probably have all these ingredients in your pantry or kitchen cupboards at any time, so why not give this recipe a try!

HOW TO MAKE PAVLOVA

So, there is a ‘normal’ pavlova, which is when you use all of the meringue mixture to form a big round bowl-like shape and you place the cream and fruit inside, but I much prefer making individual pavlova’s, also known as Pavlova Nests, so that each person can have their own little dessert to enjoy all by themselves!

Pre heat the oven to 150°C/300°F and prepare your baking tray by lining it with baking paper.

Start by separating your egg whites and place them into a mixing bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer to achieve this recipe.

Start beating the egg whites until they become frothy and add a teaspoon of white vinegar and continue beating until they reach ‘soft peak’ stage. Gradually add the sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time and mix for about 30 seconds before adding more of the sugar. Repeat this until all the sugar has been added. The meringue should be at ‘stiff peaks’ now.

Add the cornflour and vanilla extract and beat again until they are quite a stiff consistency.

To form the nests, use two tablespoons to transfer the meringue to the baking tray and press down with the back of the spoon to form a hollow in the centre.

Bake for 1 hour or until it is dry to touch, then turn the oven off and let the meringues cool down completely in the oven. This lets them dry out and become really crispy on the outside. The centre will stay ‘chewy’. It is also normal for them to crack, it’s all about the rustic look here!

While the meringue bakes, prepare your whipped cream, you can add as much as you like, but try to balance out the fruit and cream ratio. I used 220ml of cream for 4 pavlova’s. Cut up your fruit and once the meringues have completely cooled, you can put everything together.

Place your meringue on the plate it will be served on, spoon some cream on top and place your fresh fruit on top of the cream.

This recipe is so easy, but your guests will be wowed every time! It’s a simple dessert with a big impact, not only on your guests, but on your taste buds too!!

CHOCOLATE MACARONS WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING

Published on by Gen George1 Comment

If you’re a chocolate addict (as am I…), then you are definitely going to want to make these! They are NO joke…chocolate in the shell, chocolate in the filling and chocolate on top! Why not?? It’s not like you’re going to eat ALL of them or bake them every week…!! Just trust me, they’re too good not to try! They’re great for all occasions too as they’ll be a hit with anyone & everyone!!

PREPARATION TIME: 1 HOUR – RESTING TIME: 3-24 HOURS – BAKING TIME: 25 MINUTES – MAKES 40 MACARONS

INGREDIENTS

  • FOR THE MACARONS SHELLS:
    • 200g Powdered Sugar
    • 110g Almond Flour/Ground Almonds
    • 95g / 3 Egg Whites
    • 30g Sugar
    • 2 teaspoons Cocoa Powder
  • FOR THE GANACHE FILLING:
    • 90ml Fresh Cream
    • 120g Milk Chocolate

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE MACARONS

Prepare your baking trays by lining them with baking paper or a silicone mat and prepare your piping bag, fitted with a small round tip.

Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together and sift it one more time to get rid of any big pieces of almonds or almond skins that are left behind. Add the cocoa powder and mix together with a whisk. Set aside and get started on the french meringue.

In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the egg whites and start whisking them on medium speed. Once they reach ‘soft peak’ stage, gradually add the sugar a little at a time while continuing to whisk. The meringue will start to become glossy and thicker. Your meringue is ready once it reaches stiff peaks.

Add half of the meringue mixture into the dry ingredients and mix them until all combined. Add the remaining meringue and fold together, while also pressing the batter against the sides of the bowl. If you want to see how I achieve this mixing method, then watch my French Macaron tutorial here.

Pour the macaron batter into the piping bag and pipe your macaron shells evenly onto your baking trays. Tap them onto a flat surface to release any air bubbles and pop them with a toothpick or skewer.

Set your macarons aside to dry. This takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on where you live and what the weather is on the day you are baking these.

You can preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F.

Once you can slide your finger over the shells and they are dry and no better sticks to your finger, they are ready to be baked. Bake your macarons for 12-15 minutes. The time will vary depending on your oven, but for me the sweet spot was 14 minutes. You will know if they are done, when they release easily from the paper or mat.

Immediately remove the shells from the baking tray to stop them from cooking further and allow them to cool completely before adding the filling. The shells will be hard at this stage and this is normal as there is no moisture in the shells at this point. That is why they need a filling and are best eaten after a day so that they can have time to absorb the moisture from the filling and soften the inside of the shell, while leaving a crispy outer shell. MMMMMM……… I promise you that it’s worth leaving them for at least a few hours before eating them.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

There are two ways to make a ganache and one is by heating up the cream in the microwave and pouring it over the chocolate after it has been finely chopped up and mix until all the chocolate pieces have melted. The other option is over a pot on the stove with a little water. You can add the chocolate and cream to a bowl that will fit on top/inside of your pot, but make sure not to let it touch the water, as it can burn the chocolate. Mix, mix, mix until the cream & chocolate have combined.

Place your ganache in the fridge to chill and stir every now and then to check on the consistency. Once it has cooled completely, but is not too thick, pour the ganache into a piping bag and you can pipe it onto your macaron shells.

The best time to make the ganache would be while your macaron shells are drying, before baking them. This way, they should all be ready at the same time!!

INDIVIDUAL LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Published on by Gen GeorgeLeave a comment

Lemon and Meringue are two of my favorite things, so when they are combined I’m a happy girl! This recipe is divided into 3 parts, the pastry shells, the lemon curd and finally the meringue. I’m also going to give you some options, because there is a more and less complicated way of achieving this recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PASTRY:

  • 170g (1 cup) Cake Flour
  • 110g (½ cup) Butter (cold, unsalted & cut into cubes)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 40g (1/3 cup) Icing/Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Cold Water

ALTERNATIVE PASTRY BASE: An easier & quicker way to make a pastry base is with some biscuits (digestive/tennis biscuits/tea biscuits/coconut biscuits) and butter. So you will need 200g biscuits and 100g butter. Crush the biscuits and melt the butter and mix the two together. There you have it, a simple pastry base ready to be used. I would recommend filling your baking dish/tin/tray and then place it in the fridge for the butter to harden again which will keep this base compact and together.

METHOD:

Add the flour and butter to a food processor and mix together until it looks like fine bread crumbs. Then add the powdered sugar and mix again until incorporated. Next, add the water and mix until the pastry forms a ball inside the processor.

The pastry will be crumbly , but you don’t need to any more water. On a floured surface, knead the pastry until it becomes smooth. Shape it into a ball and then squash it flat to make it about 2cm thick. Place the pastry in some plastic film and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Grease a cupcake/muffin tin and divide the pastry evenly between each hole. Once you’re done, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove from the freezer and smooth out the edges and inside of the pastry shells with the back of a teaspoon. Place the tray back into the freezer for about 10 minutes, until they are hard.

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.

Blind bake the shells for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven and brush with egg white to create a seal. Continue baking them for another 8 minutes. Once they are golden brown, remove from the oven and and let them cool completely before taking them out the baking tin.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE HOMEMADE LEMON CURD:

  • 3 lemons (freshly squeezed) OR 150ml of lemon juice
  • 115g (¾ cup) unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 125g (2/3 cups) white sugar

ALTERNATIVE LEMON CURD: 1 can of condensed milk, 2 Egg Yolks & 125ml Lemon Juice. Start by whisking the condensed milk in a large bowl, add the lemon juice slowly while continuously whisking and then add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well. Pour over your pastry shells/base and bake for 10 minutes to cook the eggs.

METHOD:

Cut the butter into cubes and set aside.

In a pot, whisk the eggs as you add the sugar and mix well.

Add the lemon juice and the zest of 1 lemon (zest is optional but helps with flavor)

Transfer to the stove top and cook over a gentle/medium heat for 5 – 8 minutes to thicken the mixture

Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter piece by piece, while mixing and incorporating the butter well with a whisk

Pour the finished Lemon Curd into a glass jar and let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MERINGUE:

You can use an Italian Meringue:

  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 1 Cup White Sugar
  • 60g / 1/4 cup Boiling Water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:

  1. Place the boiling water and sugar into a pot and simmer over medium heat until it reaches 100°C/243°F.
  2. While the sugar is reaching temperature, place the egg whites in a bowl and once the sugar reaches 110°C start whisking your egg whites slowly. (you can use a hand mixer, but I really recommend a stand mixer)
  3. When the sugar syrup reaches 117°C/243°F, remove from the heat and drizzle slowly, in a thin stream down the side of the bowl with the egg whites whisking on high speed.
  4. Reduce the speed of the mixer, add the vanilla extract and continue whisking the meringue until the bowl is cool and you have stiff peaks.

Or you can use a French Meringue:

  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 3/4 cup White Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:

  1. Whisk the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks.
  2. Gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time.
  3. Just before you reach stiff peaks, add the lemon juice and then the vanilla extract and stop whisking the meringue when the peaks are stiff.

Assemble your individual tarts by filling each one with some lemon curd. Place your meringue in a piping bag (optional) and pipe the meringue on top of the lemon curd. Place them in the oven under the grill option, to brown the meringue, or use a blowtorch if you have one.