hello macaron / guest recipe / gluten free

About two years ago, I had this idea that Jack and I could start a food blog together. I thought it would be fun to try new things, and to chronicle our highs and inevitable lows. On my list of foods I thought would be “fun” to tackle: macarons. We both love them… good ones are often hard to find… so by all means we should make them ourselves.

Fast forward to now… that macaron project has yet to happen. Mostly because I knew it would likely end in a tantrum and a few tears. Second, and most importantly – we made a macaron friend!

Nikita, of Hello! Macaron, works with Jack as a computer animator by day, and is an amazing macaron-maker by night/weekend. She started sending her creations home from the office, and I’m now totally hooked. They have that perfect crisp-ness on the outside, and a soft chewy middle. Ladurée cravings: solved.

Last weekend, she came over and made a batch in our kitchen so we could share them here with you all. (And by share, I mean, you just get to see the photos, we got to sit back and eat all the yummy macarons – sorry!). They take her around 4 hours from start to finish. She says she enjoys the process because it takes precise technique and patience.

We requested matcha macarons because we’re still on our Japanese kick, and she filled them with sweet azuki bean paste. Yum, yum.

Nikita was so kind to share her recipe (below), but if you live in the Austin area, you should just cut to the chase and order them from her. She uses organic eggs and her kitchen is gluten free. She also makes adorable custom character macarons – hello kitty, wedding bunnies, etc – they’re super cute, go check them out, and place your holiday party orders while you’re there: www.hello-macaron.com.

matcha macarons

  Printrecipe, courtesy of Nikita Carbone of Hello! MacaronAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: 12 macaronsIngredients

• 62.5 grams almond powder*
• 62.5 grams powdered sugar (sifted so there are no lumps)
• 60 grams caster sugar
• 15 grams water
• 23 grams egg whites
• 3 grams matcha powder
• 21 grams (additional) egg whites
• ½ cup of Azuki bean paste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond powder and powdered sugar.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to 260 degrees fahrenheit (to create a syrup - it's finished when it comes to temp).

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the 23 grams of egg whites until medium peaks form. Pour the hot syrup over the beaten egg whites and continue to whisk until cool to the touch. The meringue should be thick and glossy.

Mix matcha powder into the bowl with the the almond powder and powdered sugar, then mix in the 21 grams of egg whites.

Add the meringue into the mix and carefully fold them together until the texture softens and becomes glossy.

Pipe the batter small rounds (2 cm) on to a lined baking sheet (a silpat ideally), and bake for 15 mins. (before baking, she slammed the baking sheet onto a table or cutting board, so any air bubbles would get released)

Let the shells completely cool before removing & filling.

Roll the Azuki bean paste into small balls and place them between the shells and assemble the macarons.

Notes*almond powder: pulse blanched almond flour in a blender or grinder, then sift multiple times, until it becomes a fine powder.

*find azuki bean paste at any asian market.

For photo purposes, I made her bake these on parchment paper, but a silpat is recommended so they don't stick or spread.

Ingredient substitutions are not recommended.

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