French Macaroon FAIL

It's my fault, really. While up at the cottage, my Mum did a Key Lime Pie (whipped cream on the side for picky eaters) for Dad's birthday, which meant we suddenly had a bunch of egg whites left over.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Perfect, I thought, I'll make that macaroon recipe from the Martha Stewart that's up here... but tweak it so it's lime flavoured instead of raspberry. I'd done the recipe before, so I was sure it would work out.

Ah the inevitable pride before the fall.

This is what macaroons SHOULD look like:

marthastewart.com

Keep that image in mind.

I made the recipe according removing the jam, and adding in some lime rind. Oh, and made one crucial substitution: instead of icing sugar, I used granulated.

You know what happens to French style macaroons when you use granulated sugar? You get meringues. Not macaroons.

A plate of sadness

Nope, these bad boys looked NOTHING like they should have. They didn't rise properly; the sugar didn't dissolve; they tasted gritty (again, the sugar). Disaster.

Ugh. Monstrosities.

Now the filling was a mixture of lime juice and zest, semi-sweet chocolate and cream cheese. It was tasty, but without the signature macaroon crust... well... it was a bit of a bummer.

I swear though, Martha's recipe (when followed correctly), is fantastic. You can find it after the jump.

Just be sure to use icing sugar.

Raspberry Macaroons Recipe

Makes 35

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup almond flour or finely ground almonds
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh raspberry puree, strained
• 3 to 4 drops gel-paste food coloring, in Dusty Rose (sugarcraft.com)
• 3/4 cup homemade or store-bought berry jam

Directions

1. Pulse confectioners' sugar and flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low; add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high; whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites; fold until smooth and shiny. Fold in puree and food coloring.
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip; pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging tip to sides rather than forming peaks. Tap sheets on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
4. Let cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. (If sticking, spray water between parchment and hot sheet. The steam will help release macaroons.)
5. Sandwich 2 macaroons with 1 teaspoon jam.

From Martha Stewart Living, June 2010

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Raspberry Macaroons Recipe - MarthaStewart.com