Phenomenal Phoods

Easter Egg Macarons

Ingredients:

For the macarons

• 140 grams Baker's Corner Almond Flour
• 140 grams Baker's Corner Powdered Sugar
• 100 grams Simply Nature Organic Cage Free Brown Egg Whites (about 3 eggs), at room temperature
• 100 grams Baker's Corner Granulated Sugar
• 40 grams water
• Food coloring and/or sprinkles, if desired

For the buttercream

• 1/2 cup Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter
• 1 1/2 cup Baker's Corner Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tablespoon Countryside Creamery Heavy Whipping Cream

For the chocolate hazelnut ganache

• 1 (5.3 oz.) bag Moser Roth Mini Truffle Hazelnut Cream Easter Eggs
• 2 tablespoons Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Countryside Creamery Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions:

For the macarons

1. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Sift the mixture into a large bowl to remove any lumps.
3. Add 50 grams of the egg whites and mix into the almond flour/sugar mixture to form a paste. Add any food coloring you are using. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat the remaining egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat and continue to heat until it reaches 115 degrees C (check with a candy thermometer).
6. Once the sugar mixture reaches 115 degrees C. remove from the heat and slowly add to the beaten egg whites. Mix on high for about 3 minutes or until the bowl is cool and stiff peaks form. You want to be able to turn the bowl upside down without the meringue falling out.
7. Fold the meringue into the almond paste mixture, using your spatula to press onto the sides of the bowl to smooth it out and remove any lumps. Mix until you have a smooth batter that runs off of the spatula slowly in a thick ribbon.
8. Add the batter to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner cut off and fit with a size 12 round cake tip. Pipe small, 1 1/2 inch circles onto the parchment paper-lined cookies sheets. You should get about 60 cookies. Pipe the circles by holding the piping bag upright with the tip just above the sheet and pipe without pulling your hand up or moving it in circles. Tap the baking sheets a few times on the counter to remove any air bubbles and let the cookies sit out for about 30 minutes to dry. If you are using sprinkles, add them to the cookies before you leave them out for the 30 minutes.
9. When ready, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bake cookies for 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on cooling racks before removing them from the parchment paper (they will stick when warm).

For the buttercream

1. Use a mixer to combine all ingredients until smooth.

For the chocolate hazelnut ganache

1. Melt the chocolate mini eggs in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Slowly add the cream and butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until melted and smooth.
3. Refrigerate for an hour until thick enough to pipe.
4. Pipe a ring of buttercream frosting around the outside edge of half of the macarons.
5. Pipe some of the hazelnut ganache inside the ring of buttercream.
6. Top with the remaining macarons to form sandwiches.