Charcoal Macarons

 

"Creativity is intelligence having fun"

 

Charcoal Macarons 

           I have a lady in town that takes my macarons to the next level! I am always opened for fresh ideas especially when it comes to innovative macaron flavors. I live in a historic coal mining town (a.k.a. Hunger Games District 12.. any Hunger Games fans out there?)  in Central Washington. We just had a new restaurant opened called the Coal Chute Cafe and Pub just down the street from me. She wanted to give them coal mining them macarons! (how creative is that?) I took the challenge and incorporated a Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream. I have posted a simple recipe for swiss meringue buttercream (for this recipe all you have to do is add cocoa powder). The only thing I added to the buttercream was cocoa powder, activated food grade charcoal and added Super Black food color. 

           This was honestly such a fun and unique macaron recipe. According to what I have heard, activated charcoal can whiten teeth, detoxify, alleviate gas, treats poisoning and more. I mean how awesome to have a sweet gluten-free confection with a detoxifying component! It can't get better than that! 

Let's begin! 

Yield: 60 pairedAuthor: CharmainePrint Recipe

Charcoal Macarons

prep time: 35 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 55 mins

Charcoal Macarons

ingredients:

300 grams Almond Four 

300 grams Powdered Sugar 

110 grams Egg Whites 2x 

300 grams Caster Sugar 

75 grams Water

5 grams desired food color 

5 grams food grade charcoal powder

instructions:

1. Sift and weigh almond flour, charcoal powder and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the first 110 grams of egg whites to the sifted almond mixture. You want to mix it until it looks like an almond paste. 

3. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water together. Heat sugar syrup on medium-high until it reaches 118 degrees celsius  (244 degrees F).

4. Once your sugar syrup reaches to about 90-100 degrees celsius, place egg whites in a stand mixer and whip egg whites on medium.

5. When sugar syrup reaches 118 degrees C (egg whites should be foamy) slowly pour in sugar syrup while eggs white are whisking. 

5. Increase speed slowly and add desired food color. Egg whites should have a stiff peak meringue.

6. Combine 1/4 of the meringue mixture into the almond paste mixture.

7. Combine the rest of the meringue into the almond paste mixture until you get a molten lava consistency.*

8. Transfer mixture into a piping bag with a round tip (Wilton 1A).

9. Pipe 1- 1 1/2 inch circles onto a macaron template on parchment or silpat mat.* 

10. Pre-heat your oven 280 degrees F 

11. Once ready, place macarons in the oven for 20 minutes. If macarons don't stick to the mat, they are done. 

12. Cool macarons, fill and pair with buttercream or ganache filling. 

NOTES:

*Macarons are better eaten the day after. Give at least 24 hours of maturing time to get the flavors to blend.
*I prefer silpat mats for a more round shape
*Do not over mix or else macarons will end up flat. They need to have a stable consistency for a more round shape

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