Italian meringue macarons

Ingredients:
1 cup egg whites
(from 7 or 8 eggs), at r oom temperature
3 cups (10.6 ounces/300 grams)
almond flour
2¼ cups (10.6 ounces/300 grams)
powdered sugar
2 teaspoons powdered egg whites,
if weather is humid
6 tablespoons water
1½ cups (10.6 ounces/300 grams) super fine
granulated sugar
pinch of salt
5 to 7 dr ops gel paste food coloring
(optional)

Method:
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the egg whites equally into two bowls.

Blend the almond ® our with the powdered sugar in your food processor to make a ne powder (or sift together, discarding large crumbs and adding a little more almond ® our and powdered sugar as needed to compensate). Then sift the mixture through a strainer until it’s as ¨ ne as you can get it. This keeps crumbs from forming on the macaron tops as they bake.

Add the powdered egg whites if you are using them. Now slowly stir in one bowl of the egg whites. Set aside.

In a saucepan, start heating the water and the granulated sugar to 245°F (use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature).

In the meantime, begin beating the remainder of the egg whites and the salt with the wire whip attachment on the electric mixer, keeping an eye on your saucepan and thermometer as the egg whites rise.

Watch the thermometer in the hot sugar syrup carefully. When the hot sugar syrup is at the desired temperature, pour it slowly into the egg whites along the edge of the bowl and turn up the mixer speed.

Add food coloring if you’re using it. Continue beating until the egg whites form stiff peaks and the mixture has cooled down. Fold the beaten whites into the almond ® our mixture, as described in Step 4 on page 31. You want your batter to be shiny and ® owing, but not liquid.

Using a pastry bag with a number-8 tip, pipe your macarons in 2½-inch circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Be sure to leave 1 inch of space between them. If the peak that forms on the top of the macaron does not disappear after piping, it means the batter could have been beaten a little more.

To eliminate the peaks, tap the baking sheet on the tabletop, making sure to hold the parchment paper in place with your thumbs. Let the piped macarons rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300°F (325°F for a non-convection oven).

Bake for 14 minutes. After the ¨ rst 5 minutes, open the oven door brie® y to let the steam out. Let the macarons cool completely on a rack before taking them off the parchment paper.

Italian meringue macarons