H E RM É PIERRE
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS AND ESSENTIAL ADVICE ON: ● MACARON SHELLS
MACAR ON
● CHOCOLATE GANACHE ● BUTTERCREAM
KITCHEN GUIDE
● ASSEMBLY ● EQUIPMENT
Macaron Shells Step-by-Step 1
Five days in advance (ideally one week in advance), prepare the “liquefied” egg whites: Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place the egg whites in a bowl according to the quantity in each recipe.
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Push the end of the pastry bag down into the pastry tip to prevent the macaron batter from flowing out when the bag is filled.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and using a small knife, poke several holes in the top of the plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator.
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Prepare two pastry bags, the first for the macaron batter and the second for the filling. Using scissors, snip off the tip of each pastry bag to make a 1⅛-inch- (3-cm-) wide opening and firmly insert the pastry tip.
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With the aid of a cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass, make a template. Trace circles measuring about 1½ inches (3.5 cm) in staggered rows onto a white sheet of paper trimmed to fit the inside of a baking sheet. Place a piece of parchment paper of the same size on top of the white paper.
Place the ground almonds and the confectioners’ sugar in separate bowls according to the quantities in each recipe.
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Macaron Shells Step-by-Step 7
Stir together the ground almonds and the confectioners’ sugar and sift them over a large bowl to thoroughly combine them.
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Place the granulated sugar and water in separate bowls according to the quantities in each recipe.
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While the syrup is boiling, add the rest of the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk.
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Divide the egg whites according to the quantity in each recipe. If the recipe calls for food color, add it to the first quantity of egg whites. Set aside the second quantity of egg whites.
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Add the color-tinted egg whites to the confectioners’ sugar–almond mixture, but do not mix.
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Add the water to a saucepan then add the sugar. Place the saucepan over medium heat then place the probe of a digital thermometer into the saucepan to monitor the temperature of the sugar syrup.
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As soon as the syrup starts to boil, wipe down the inside of the saucepan with a dampened pastry brush.
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As soon as the syrup reaches 239°F (115°C), begin beating the egg whites on high speed.
When the syrup reaches 244°F (118°C), reduce the mixer speed to medium-high and pour the syrup in a steady stream down the inside edge of the bowl into the beaten egg whites. To avoid spattering, do not let the syrup fall on the whisk.
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Continue beating on medium-high for 1 minute, then reduce the mixer speed to medium again and beat until the meringue has cooled to 122°F (50°C).
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When the meringue has cooled to 122°F (50°C), it should look smooth and shiny and have peaks that slightly droop in the shape of a “bird’s beak” when the whisk is lifted.
Using a silicone spatula, fold the meringue into the confectioners’ sugar–almond–tinted egg whites mixture. Fold the batter by lifting it up from the center bottom and around the edge of the bowl and over onto itself.
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Continue folding just until the batter is smooth and shiny and falls in a wide ribbon when the spatula is lifted.
Using a silicone spatula, transfer the batter to the pastry bag, scraping the spatula clean against the inside of the bag. Fill the bag only half full.
Once the bag is filled, pinch it closed and twist it one-quarter turn then push the batter down toward the pastry tip by squeezing the bag with the palm of your hand.
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Gently pull down on the pastry tip to release the portion of the bag that you pushed into it.
Hold the pastry bag in a vertical position with one hand on the bag and the other hand near the pastry tip to control the movement of the bag. Pipe disks about 1½ inches (3.5 cm) in diameter onto the parchment by lightly squeezing the bag with the palm of your hand.
As soon as a disk is piped to the correct diameter, release the pressure on the bag and quickly but gently twist the tip one quarter turn to release it.
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Macaron Shells Step-by-Step 25
Slide the template with the circles out from underneath the parchment paper and set it aside to use with other baking sheets.
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Set the disks aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or more, according to the recipe, to allow a skin to form. Lightly touch the top of one of the disks to test if they are ready to go into the oven; the batter should not stick to your finger.
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After removing the shells from the oven, slide them still on the parchment paper onto a work surface to stop them from baking.
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Lift the baking sheet and gently tap it down on a work surface covered with a clean kitchen towel to gently smooth out the disks.
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Pipe four small dabs of batter into the corners of the baking sheet underneath the parchment paper to prevent the parchment from moving during baking.
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Preheat a convection oven to 350°F (180°C). Note that ideal cooking temperature may vary from oven to oven; the temperature should not be so high that the shells change color or begin to brown as they cook.
Place the baking sheets in the oven all at once or two at a time. Bake the shells for 8 minutes then quickly open and close the oven door. Bake for an additional 2 minutes then quickly open and close the oven door again. Bake again to reach the total time indicated in the recipe.
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Let the shells cool for several minutes on the parchment paper before removing them. Turn half of the shells over onto a new piece of parchment paper. When the shells are completely cool, they can be assembled, or stored for 48 hours in the refrigerator or freezer.
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C G S
Chocolate Ganache Step-by-Step 2
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt it to between 113°F (45°C) and 122°F (50°C) set at low temperature over a bain-marie or in a microwave. Stir gently with a silicone spatula. Remove from the heat once the chocolate is completely melted.
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Pour the next third of the cream into the chocolate, stirring first in the center then in increasingly wider concentric circles toward the sides of the bowl once the mixture starts to develop a smooth consistency. Add the last third of the cream and stir in a circular motion starting again from the center then moving out toward the sides of the bowl.
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On a work board, finely chop the chocolate using a serrated knife. Make a gentle movement outward by holding the handle of the knife with one hand and resting the other hand against the top of the blade.
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In another saucepan, bring the cream to a boil while stirring with a whisk to prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
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Pour one-third of the hot cream into the center of the bowl containing the melted chocolate then whisk for several minutes. The mixture will look somewhat “broken” as the fat molecules from the cream and the chocolate separate.
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If the recipe calls for butter, add it to the chocolate and cream mixture. Use an immersion blender to blend the ganache until it is completely smooth.
Pour the ganache into an 8½-by-9½-inch (22-by-24-cm) baking dish. Cover the ganache by gently pressing plastic wrap onto its surface to prevent condensation from forming. Refrigerate the ganache for 2 hours or more, according to the recipe, just until it develops a creamy consistency and is ready to use.
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Buttercream Step-by-Step
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Prepare an Italian meringue (see steps 10 to 17 in “Macaron Shells Step-by-Step”).
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Prepare the crème anglaise. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.
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Strain the cooked cream, then transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk and beat on medium speed until cooled.
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In a large bowl or separate saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until lightened. Slowly add the hot milk to the yolk-sugar mixture while whisking vigorously.
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Cook the mixture over low heat while whisking continuously until it reaches 185°F (85°C) on a digital thermometer.
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Prepare the buttercream. Beat the butter on high speed for 5 minutes in a stand mixer. Add the cooled crème anglaise and any flavorings.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and, using a silicone spatula, fold in the Italian meringue a little at a time.
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Assembly Step-by-Step
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Using a silicone spatula, transfer the filling to a pastry bag, scraping it clean against the inside of the bag. Fill the bag only half full. Pinch the pastry bag closed then twist it one-quarter turn. Squeeze the filling down into the pastry tip using the palm of your hand.
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If the recipe calls for an addition to the filling (such as dried fruit, pieces of cake, jellied filling, compote, etc.), pipe a dab of filling on top of it to ensure the macaron stays together.
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Hold the pastry bag vertically ¾ inch (2 cm) above the flat side of the macaron shell and squeeze gently to pipe the filling onto the shell.
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Generously pipe the filling onto half the number of shells, leaving a clean ⅛-inch (3-mm) border around the edge of the shell.
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Close the ganache-filled shell with a second shell and press down lightly. Be sure to match shells of the same size.
Place the macarons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate the macarons for 24 hours. Remove them from the refrigerator 2 hours before eating them.
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Equipment A precise scale that weighs in grams is a necessity.
Glass or stainless steel bowls of different sizes and with rounded bottoms for various preparations.
A sieve is used to thoroughly sift together the confectioners’ sugar and ground almonds.
It’s a good idea to have several baking sheets on hand to allow you to work faster and to pipe out all of the shells at once.
A microplane grater gives you a finely textured zest from citrus fruits.
A spatula with a silicone or soft rubber head allows you to easily fill the pastry bag, properly mix the macaron batter, and cleanly scrape mixtures into bowls.
A hand whisk is used to prepare creams and ganaches.
The pastry brush allows you to wipe down the sides of a saucepan when sugar begins to caramelize.
A serrated knife is useful for chopping chocolate. A paring knife is also useful.
A baking dish measuring 8½ by 9½ inches (22 by 24 cm) is used for cooling ganaches and creams.
Clear plastic wrap serves to cover bowls containing egg whites and other ingredients.
Parchment paper is indispensable when baking macaron shells.
A stand mixer allows you to easily beat egg whites when creating an Italian meringue for macaron shells.
An immersion blender blends ganaches and creams into smooth mixtures.
There are pastry bags made from nylon, or plastic ones that are disposable. For macarons, use a plain pastry tip measuring about ½ inch (11 to 12 mm) across the tip. A pair of scissors is also important to snip off the tip of the pastry bag.
A digital thermometer is indispensable when making an Italian meringue to accurately measure the temperature of the sugar syrup.
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