White chocolate and peach macarons
Lately I have done a lot of baking with fresh peaches. I love how versatile they are and easily incorporated into any dessert. They are especially lovely and sweet at this time of the year and I plan to take full advantage of that.
I made a simple white chocolate ganache with heavy cream, chocolate and a small amount of vanilla paste. If you don't have vanilla paste you can easily substitute it with vanilla pod. For maximum vanilla flavor, place the seeds and the pod in heavy cream before you heat it. After the vanilla is infused take the pod out, wash it and let it dry. Place it in your sugar container for vanilla flavored sugar, this way you really make the most out of your vanilla pods.
For the peach component in my macarons, I made a peach gel. Try using ripe and sweet peaches for the best result. I purred the peaches and cooked them with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice. I also added dried black lemon powder. I bought this powder in Abu Dhabi, when I was on vacation two years ago. The powder is black and doesn't look appealing but once I tried it I loved it. It is acidic and it added a nice freshness to the peaches.
I was happy with the peach gel but the flavor didn't fully stand out, probably because the white chocolate has a strong taste on its own. Next time I will try to incorporate peach marmalade or preserves for a stronger taste.
I had some meringue cookies on the counter and I decided to incorporate them in the macarons. I just crushed a few meringue cookies and sprinkled the meringue bits over the ganache and peach gel. The meringue eventually looses the crunchy factor but the sweet flavor remains. You can find the recipe for my meringue cookies here.
After a day in the fridge the macarons were very soft because of the peach gel. I recommend that you eat them the same or the next day and put the rest in the freezer. They freeze really well and they preserve their texture better than in the fridge.
For the marble effect, pour half of the non-colored mixture in a piping bag. Add a drop of orange food coloring and mix (make sure you are using gel food color or powder and not the liquid kind. Adding additional liquid to the mixture may effect the look of the shells.).
Pour the orange batter in the same piping bag. Mix the mixture in the piping bag gently with a spatula to marble the two colors together.
Pipe the macarons on a parchment paper/silicone mat. Tap the trays with the macarons on the table a few times to pop the air bubbles in the shells.
Bake in the preheated oven at 150°C (302°F) for 15 minutes. Let the macarons cool completely, if the macarons are still sticky at the bottom return them to the oven and bake some more.
Assembly:
Pipe a generous dollop of the white chocolate ganache on a bottom half of the macaron. Pipe along the edges of a macaron, then with a palette knife smear the ganache to the center, making a small dent in the middle. Pipe in the peach gel. Crush meringue cookies and sprinkle over.
Top with the upper macaron shell. Normally you should wait 24 hours before eating them, but these macarons go soft very quickly so you can just go for them the same day. Store the rest in the fridge in an air-tight container, or better yet, in the freezer (to keep their texture).
I made a simple white chocolate ganache with heavy cream, chocolate and a small amount of vanilla paste. If you don't have vanilla paste you can easily substitute it with vanilla pod. For maximum vanilla flavor, place the seeds and the pod in heavy cream before you heat it. After the vanilla is infused take the pod out, wash it and let it dry. Place it in your sugar container for vanilla flavored sugar, this way you really make the most out of your vanilla pods.
For the peach component in my macarons, I made a peach gel. Try using ripe and sweet peaches for the best result. I purred the peaches and cooked them with sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice. I also added dried black lemon powder. I bought this powder in Abu Dhabi, when I was on vacation two years ago. The powder is black and doesn't look appealing but once I tried it I loved it. It is acidic and it added a nice freshness to the peaches.
I was happy with the peach gel but the flavor didn't fully stand out, probably because the white chocolate has a strong taste on its own. Next time I will try to incorporate peach marmalade or preserves for a stronger taste.
I had some meringue cookies on the counter and I decided to incorporate them in the macarons. I just crushed a few meringue cookies and sprinkled the meringue bits over the ganache and peach gel. The meringue eventually looses the crunchy factor but the sweet flavor remains. You can find the recipe for my meringue cookies here.
After a day in the fridge the macarons were very soft because of the peach gel. I recommend that you eat them the same or the next day and put the rest in the freezer. They freeze really well and they preserve their texture better than in the fridge.
White chocolate and peach macarons
(Makes about 35)
Time:
Preparation: 1 hour
Cooling: 20min
Resting: 30min
Baking: 15-18min
Resting: 30min
Baking: 15-18min
For the macaron shells:
- 95g room temperature egg whites
- 125g granulated white sugar
- 40g water
- 135g almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 135g icing sugar
- orange gel food coloring (optional)
- 3 ripe peaches (peeled and pitted)
- lemon zest from 1/2 lemon (not chemically treated)
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar (to taste)
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon black lemon powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon agar-agar
- 100g heavy cream
- 180g white chocolate
- a pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste (or 1 vanilla pod)
Making the white chocolate ganache:
Chop the chocolate and place in a heat-proof bowl.
Pour heavy cream and vanilla paste in a small sauce pan and cook until just boiling. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate in three additions, stirring after each one, until you have a smooth ganache. Add salt to taste.
Pour in a piping bag and place in the fridge to set.
Making the peach gel:
Place pitted and peeled peaches in a bowl and puree with immersion blender or mixer.
Pour the puree in a small pot and add sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, black lemon, salt and agar-agar. Mix and bring to the boil. Boil the mixture for about 3 minutes. Pour the hot puree in a heat-proof container and set aside to cool. Once cooled place in the fridge to set.
After about 1 hour the mixture should be set and jelly like. Place in a bowl and puree with an immersion blender. Add a tablespoon of water to emulsify. Pour in a piping bag and place in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Making the macaron shells:
Chop the chocolate and place in a heat-proof bowl.
Pour heavy cream and vanilla paste in a small sauce pan and cook until just boiling. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate in three additions, stirring after each one, until you have a smooth ganache. Add salt to taste.
Pour in a piping bag and place in the fridge to set.
Making the peach gel:
Place pitted and peeled peaches in a bowl and puree with immersion blender or mixer.
Pour the puree in a small pot and add sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, black lemon, salt and agar-agar. Mix and bring to the boil. Boil the mixture for about 3 minutes. Pour the hot puree in a heat-proof container and set aside to cool. Once cooled place in the fridge to set.
Making the macaron shells:
For the marble effect, pour half of the non-colored mixture in a piping bag. Add a drop of orange food coloring and mix (make sure you are using gel food color or powder and not the liquid kind. Adding additional liquid to the mixture may effect the look of the shells.).
Pour the orange batter in the same piping bag. Mix the mixture in the piping bag gently with a spatula to marble the two colors together.
Pipe the macarons on a parchment paper/silicone mat. Tap the trays with the macarons on the table a few times to pop the air bubbles in the shells.
Assembly:
Pipe a generous dollop of the white chocolate ganache on a bottom half of the macaron. Pipe along the edges of a macaron, then with a palette knife smear the ganache to the center, making a small dent in the middle. Pipe in the peach gel. Crush meringue cookies and sprinkle over.
Top with the upper macaron shell. Normally you should wait 24 hours before eating them, but these macarons go soft very quickly so you can just go for them the same day. Store the rest in the fridge in an air-tight container, or better yet, in the freezer (to keep their texture).
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