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Strawberry Cheesecake Macarons with truwhip Filling |
Macaroons?
Or Macarons? Whichever spelling you prefer (the single "o" is the
French spelling), these are coveted as one of the most difficult cookies
in the baking world. Temperamental and delicate, these little babies
are not for the lighthearted kitchen goer. You've got to be committed
for these...so I'm gonna break it down for ya!
The recipe base I use is from
Food Network Magazine. I like it because it gives fairly simple instruction, and the steps don't scare the crap out of first time Macaron-ers.
I
LOVE that these cookies are made from just a few ingredients. They're
also gluten-free, and actually have a little protein from the egg
whites! You can fill them with just about anything from jelly, to
whipped topping to frosting. But, like I said, be committed, and be
patient...verrrrryyy patient.
In my Macarons today, I also used some
strawberry baking emulsion.
Emulsions are great, because they act just like extracts, but the
flavors don't bake out of the emulsions like extracts sometimes do.
But
let's face it. Cookies are all about what's in the center, right? I
mean, I've NEVER met anyone eat the outside of an Oreo and throw away
the center. That's just wrong. So today, I used just a bit of cream
cheese, a little powdered sugar, and LOTS of
truwhip!
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truwhip (shown frozen) in regular and "skinny" varieties |
I've always LOVED the light, airy and
fluffy texture of store-bought whipped toppings, but I hated the JUNK
that was in them. I just thought that was the only way for them to get
that texture...through some kind of gross, scientific GMO experiment.
Not so... and
truwhip is here to let everyone know that!
Made
mostly of tapioca syrup and palm kernel oil, this non-GMO product is
free of high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, trans fats AND
gluten! SIGN.ME.UP. Make sure you visit their
nutritional page
for more info. I LOVE how they break down each ingredient with a
little cloud and some helpful into as you hover over them. OH, and did I
mention that they also have a SKINNY VERSION?! Yep. That just
happened.
So here's what I'm going to do. This is Food Network's recipe, and I'll give some notes in
bold, red italics as I go:
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup almond flour (I like Trader Joe's the best, but Bob's Red Mill is okay too)
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar (regular granulated sugar works just fine)
- 2 to 3 drops gel food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, almond or mint extract (this is where your baking emulsion would go)
- Assorted fillings (see below for truwhip Strawberry Cheesecake filling)
Special Equipment:
- Oven with convection setting
- 4 baking sheets (2, I'll tell you why below)
- 3 silicone baking mats (2)
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Pastry bag with 1/4-inch round tip (a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off works too)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees using the
convection setting. Line 3 baking sheets with silicone mats.
(I
flip the baking sheet over and place the silicone mat (or Silpat) on
top. PLEASE use silicone mats, or Silpats. I know they're expensive,
but they make a HUGE difference, and REALLY help keep the cookies in a
perfectly round shape. NOTE: You CAN just use parchment paper, but
don't expect perfect circles for your cookies). Measure the
confectioners' sugar and almond flour by spooning them into measuring
cups and leveling with a knife. Transfer to a bowl; whisk to combine.
Sift
the sugar-almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a fine-mesh
sieve into a large bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to pass through
as much as possible. It will take a while, and up to 2 tablespoons of
coarse almond flour may be left; just toss it.
(If
you're a crazy perfectionist like me, you CAN run the almond flour
through the food processor first, to make the grind even finer).
Beat the egg
whites, cream of tartar and salt with a mixer on medium speed until
frothy. Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add the superfine
sugar and beat until stiff and shiny, about 5 more minutes.
Transfer
the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Draw a
rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until incorporated,
giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold.
Add the food
coloring and extract. Continue folding and turning, scraping
down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a
thin flat ribbon, 2 to 3 minutes
(don't
over stir the batter, or you'll end up with flat little frisbees. Not
that I've EVER done that or anything. Someone told me.)
Transfer the batter to a
pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip
(or just the plain old ziploc I told you about earlier). Holding the bag vertically
and close to the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/4-inch circles (24 per sheet).
Firmly tap the baking sheets twice against the counter to release any
air bubbles
(drop it like its hot).
Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the
tops are no longer sticky to the touch, 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending
on the humidity
(if you live in Florida, it may take a week. I would just go to the store and buy some). Slip another baking sheet under the first batch (a
double baking sheet protects the cookies from the heat)
(I
just flipped the baking sheet upside down. This prevented the Silpat
from having a lifted edge and did the same thing they mentioned above).
Bake the
first batch until the cookies are shiny and rise 1/8 inch to form a
"foot," about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat,
using a double sheet for each batch. Peel the cookies off the mats and
sandwich with a thin layer of filling (see below).
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/french-macaroons.html?oc=linkback
truwhip Cheesecake Filling
Ingredients:
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Strawberry Cheesecake Macarons with truwhip Filling |
- 10oz. truwhip, thawed
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped, fresh strawberries
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large
mixing bowl and whip on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase
to high speed and mix until creamy and combined.
Spoon about 2 tsp. filling into the center of one of the cookies. Top with another cookie and serve!