Macaroons

Hello sweet treat lovers! Today I am going to share something I have been wanting to try again for awhile. My first attempt over a year ago didn't turn out so well. It was time to over come that disaster.

Macaroons by Love Food
30 recipes for perfect bite-size treats

I love bite-sized treats! It was very hard to decide which one to make, they all looked so good.

I decided on Mint Chocolate, mainly because I had all the ingredients.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup powdered sugar
2 extra large egg whites
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1tsp peppermint extract
green food coloring paste or liquide
chocolate sprinkles

Filling:
4tbsp unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2oz milk chocolate melted and cooled for 15 minutes

Lets get started...

Place the grounds almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and process for 15 seconds. Sift the mixture into a bowl. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whip until holding soft peaks. Gradually beat in super fine sugar to make firm.

Beat in the peppermint extract and green food coloring.

Using a spatula, fold in the almond mixture into the meringue one-third at a time.

When all the dry ingredients are incorporated, continue to cut and fold the mixture until it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbonlike consistency.

Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch/1-cm plain tip. Pipe 32 small circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Tap the baking sheets firmly onto the work surface to remove air bubbles. Top with chocolate sprinkles.

Here is the most important part (which I failed to follow the first time)...Let stand for 30 minutes. If you do not follow this they will crack in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Carefully peel the macaroons off the parchment paper and let cool completely.

To make the filling, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat thoroughly until smooth and creamy, then fold in the melted chocolate.

Perfect! YAY :)

Use the chocolate filling to sandwich pairs of the macaroons together.

This was a lot of fun and requires a little patience. You should all stock your cook book collection with this book. It has great flavor and filling combos.

I hope you Saturday is sweet!

P.S. Checkout last weeks Dot Candy post for a sweet update :)