From Anne's Food 15-20 filled cookies 3 egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp caster sugar
200 g powdered sugar
110 g almonds, blanched
yellow food coloring (optional)
Combine powdered sugar and almonds in your food processor, and grind until very fine. Sieve. Re-grind any lumps or big pieces of almonds. Mix carefully (they tend to separate a little bit when sieving, since the sugar falls through first.)
Beat egg whites and sugar until you have a thick, glossy meringue. Don't overbeat. Stir in the almond-sugar powder, and fold together. Add food coloring, if using. Don't overmix this - most seem to say that you should use less than 50 strokes. (You can try it by dolloping a little batter on a baking sheet - if the peak falls down, it's ready. If it doesn't, try a few more strokes. The batter will thin as you keep stirring it.)
Pipe small rounds on a baking sheet with baking paper. Leave at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, to form a skin.
Bake at 150°C for 12-15 minutes. (I have a convection oven, and 12 minutes was perfect for me.) Let them cool completely before filling. Unused shells can be frozen, or kept in an air-tight container for a day or so.
<b>Lemon Cheesecake filling</b>:
150 gram cream cheese
60 gram unsalted butter, at room temperature
250 ml confectioner's sugar
finely grated zest from 2 lemons
Beat all ingredients until it's really light and fluffy. If it seems too runny, place it in the fridge to firm up for a short while, before sandwiching between the macaron shells. |