Foodie Finders NYC: Thanksgiving and French Macarons

Happy Thanksgiving foodies! Since Thanksgiving is the holiest food holiday I decided to make a really special dessert. I am going to do French Macarons. Macarons are becoming so popular these days. It seems as if French Macarons are becoming the next cupcake.

For anyone who does not know what a French Macaron is, it's a sweet confectionery with a meringue based cookie on the top and the bottom. In between is a filling such as butter-cream, jam or ganache. The cookie itself has layers of texture and flavor that are genius. It is like biting into a soft shell that leads to a moist cave yet very airy. Then your teeth move onto that filling as if your still in that cave, very thirsty, and then you find a water reservoir. It is such an experience to bite into that macaron.
So I was between a Martha Stewart recipe and a Sherry Yard recipe (Sherry Yard is the Pastry Chef at Spago) I compared the recipes and they were similar but I decided on the Martha Stewart recipe. Here are both the recipes if anyone wants to make either recipe.

Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Makes 35 macaroons

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, for filling
MACAROON VARIATIONS
Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.
Coconut: Substitute 2 tablespoons desiccated unsweetened coconut for 2 tablespoons of the almond flour, and add 1/2 teaspoon rum; sprinkle with additional coconut before baking.
Peanut: Substitute an equal amount finely ground unsalted peanuts (peanut flour) for the almond flour.
Pistachio: Substitute 1/2 cup finely ground unsalted pistachios (pistachio flour) for 1/2 cup of the almond flour, and add 2 to 3 drops forest-green gel-paste food coloring.
Raspberry: Add 1 tablespoon fresh raspberry puree, strained, plus 3 to 4 drops dusty- rose gel-paste food coloring.
Vanilla Bean: Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use.
SUGGESTED FILLINGS FOR MACAROONS
Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
Vanilla Bean: 1 cup Pineapple Buttercream , 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or 3/4 cup store-bought jam or preserves.

Directions

Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macaroons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
Let macaroons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macaroons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macaroons.)
Sandwich 2 same-size macaroons with 1 teaspoon jam. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Sherry Yard

Ingredients

8 ounces confectioners' sugar
4 ounces almond meal
1/2 cup egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
5 drops red food color, or desired color

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Sift together the powdered sugar and almond meal, directly into a medium size mixing bowl. Reserve.
Whip egg whites to a foam, add cream of tartar. Continue to whip to soft peaks and stream in the granulated sugar. Add drops of color. Continue to beat for 30 seconds.
Fold the meringue into the dry ingredients. Fill piping bag fitted with desired tip.
Pipe 1-inch rounds onto lightly greased sheet pans. Place in oven for 5 minutes turn and continue to bake for 7 minutes more.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Fill with desired filling, such as raspberry jam

My macarons were filled with a strawberry jam. I already tried the macarons and they are delicious. I hope my guests agree. Here are a few pictures of the macarons.