Margarita Macarons

Lime Macarons with Tequila &Triple Sec White Chocolate Ganache, & a sprinkle of Sea Salt
Recipe adapted from Baking Arts

So I finally bit the bullet and signed up to take a French Macaron class.  I love these little treats.  Whenever I am out and the bakery I am at has them, I always buy one... okay, more like three.  The shells are so light and airy and the filling is creamy and delicious.  Making these is pretty intimidating.  I bought a book two years ago that said something like, stir the batter exactly 14 times, 13 won't be enough, and 15 will be too many.  I resolved that taking a class was the best way to learn to make these.

I found a class on Tuesday night with Richard at Baking Arts.  If you live in the Bay Area, sign up for one of his classes.  He's awesome.  His class was so much fun, and he made making macarons super approachable.  I loved the way he structured the class.  First you watch him demonstrate how to do it, and then (with his supervision and help) you get to make your very own batch.  The ones we made in his class were amazing (and for the record, the macaron shell recipe is 100% his).  So a few days later I was determined to make my own.  I just had to decide what cocktail to do...

I went with margaritas.  I know I missed Cinco de Mayo by quite a bit, but I went for it anyways.  I decided to put the lime in the shell, and leave the boozy part for the filling.  I made a lime zest shell, and a tequila & triple sec white chocolate ganache for the center. I topped each center with a little lime zest and a sprinkle of salt.  I have to admit, I don't love white chocolate all that much, but these actually tasted like a margarita!  I think my first batch of macarons at home turned out pretty darn good.  I will warn you that these are tricky to make, so if yours turn out a little lopsided (like some of mine did) don't get discouraged.  They're probably just a little tipsy! ;)

[ INGREDIENTS ]

Lime Macaron Shells
(from Richard at Baking Arts)
55 grams egg whites (do not use egg whites in a carton, they have to be from whole eggs)
150 grams granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
170 grams almond flour
170 grams powdered sugar
55 grams egg whites
Zest of 1 lemon
Green gel food coloring (optional)

Tequila White Chocolate Ganache
6 ounces white chocolate pieces (I used Guittard)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 teaspoons silver tequila 
1 teaspoon triple sec

lime zest & salt 


[ DIRECTIONS ]

Lime Macaron Shells

1. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone macaron mats.  If you don't have macaron mats, use a 1.5 inch circle cookie cutter, draw four rows of evenly spaced circles on parchment paper.  Either place this under a regular silicone mat, or flip over so you can still see the circles drawn on the paper.  This will help pipe even sized macaroons.
2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with the whisk, place 55 grams of egg whites.
4. In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring water and granulated sugar to a boil, stirring slowly.
5. As soon as the mixture begins to bubble, stop stirring and insert a thermometer. 
6. When the mixture reaches 236 degrees F, turn on the electric mixture to start beating the eggs on the highest speed.
7. When the sugar mixture reaches 240 degrees F, remove from heat.
8. Pour the sugar mixture down the side of the electric mixture into the frothy egg whites.  Do not turn off the mixer when you are doing this.  Just pour slowly and do not pour onto the whisk.
9. Beat the meringue for 8-10 minutes or until the bowl is cool to the touch,
10. In a separate large bowl, place powdered sugar and almond flour.  Mix to combine.
11. Add 55 grams egg whites and mix to combine.
12. Mix in lime zest and 3 or 4 drops of the gel food coloring if desired.  Mix until all ingredients are evenly moistened.
13. Take a small dollop of the cooled meringue and mix into into the almond mixture to loosen the batter.
14. Add the remaining meringue and fold until the batter is smooth.  The batter is done when it "flows like lava".  Check it often to avoid over doing it.
15. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 3/8" round tip.
16. Pipe the batter onto the sheets by holding the tip over the center of each circle and piping to just fill the circle.  Completely stop piping before moving the bag so you don't get a weird tip on the top.
17. Bake each sheet for 12 minutes, until the shells don't wiggle when you gently touch the top of them.  Cool completely.

Tequila White Chocolate Ganache

1. In a small bowl, combine the white chocolate and the heavy cream.
2. Heat in the microwave for about 1 minute and whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is completely melted, heat for another 30 seconds.
3. Add the tequila and the triple sec and stir until combined.
4. Cool until the ganache is stiff enough to be piped.

Put it all together

1. Carefully pipe a ring of the white chocolate ganache onto half of the shells.
2. Add a small pinch of lime zest and a sprinkle of salt on top of the chocolate.
3. Gently twist on another shell to make a sandwich.
4. Enjoy!

These macarons can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to a week.