A French twist on Thanksgiving

Skyler Kraft
Thu, 26 Nov 2020 01:29:41 +0000
Arts & Life, food & drink, Instagram Page, News, baking, dessert, food, French, French dessert, macaron cookies, macarons, Ohio, ohio state, ohio state university, osu, recipe, thanksgiving

Add a French twist to your Thanksgiving dessert line-up with the traditional sandwich macaron. Credit: E. Jason Wambsgans via TNS

If you’re tired of the traditional pumpkin pie, or you want to compliment your coffee with something light as you’re gearing up to eat your second plate of food, macarons are the dessert for you this Thanksgiving. Adding a flavorful French twist to the holiday, macarons are a simple treat that are easy to make and will quickly become a part of your list for Thanksgiving must-have eats.

Macaron cookies

Recipe courtesy of Bodee Kraft and Tasty.com

Materials:

3 large bowls

Whisk

Parchment paper?

Cookie sheet

Piping bag and tip

?Ingredients:?

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup almond flour, finely ground

1 teaspoon salt, divided

3 egg whites, room temperature

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

Food coloring (optional)

Buttercream filling:?

1 cup salted butter, (2 sticks) room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and almond flour in a bowl. This works best if you mix it until it’s fine.?

2. Beat egg whites and remaining teaspoon of salt until foamy in a large bowl.

3. Slowly add the granulated sugar into the egg whites, mixing it in.

4. Add the vanilla extract, whipping it into the mixture. If you choose to add food coloring, adding it at this step works best.?

5. Add 1/3 of the mixture from step one into the egg white mixture at a time, gently folding it in. After it’s all added in, continue to fold batter until thoroughly mixed.?

6. Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a small tip attachment.

7. ?Pipe the macarons onto parchment paper lining a cookie sheet in 1 1/2-inch (3-cm) circles, spacing each at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart

8. Shake and tap the baking sheet against the counter firmly to help release air bubbles within the batter.

9. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch.

10. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

11. Bake the macarons for 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper.

12. After baking, remove the macaroons from the sheet and place on the cooling rack. Allow to completely cool before handling.?

13. Begin to make buttercream filling by adding the butter to a large bowl and beating with a mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat to combine. A thick and creamy texture is a sign that it’s well mixed.?

14. Ensure the macaron cookies are fully cooled and place the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.?

15. Liberally add as much buttercream as desired to a macaron, then place an additional macaron on top to make a sandwich. Repeat the process until all cookies are used.?

16. Place the sandwiches in an airtight container, allowing flavors to bloom.