Mocha French Macarons with Marshmallow Filling

what's that? you think i'm obsessed with making macarons???

...well you're correct. i am. and the fact that i all but failed on my latest attemp makes me even more determined to perfect my macaron making.

i'm not sure what i did- but i think i whipped my egg whites too much & then proceded to deflate the batter by overmixing.
boooo.

they looked pretty good on the Silpat (wonderful investment):

but hardly any came out with "feet" and they pretty much all cracked on top.
however they still tasted amazing & had that wonderful crispy/chewy texture.


so my fingers are crossed for next time.

Mocha French Macarons with Marshmallow Frosting
You Need (my base recipe)
110 g slivered almonds (this is how much they weigh AFTER you grind them)
200 g powdered sugar (minus 2 tblsp & 1 tsp)
2 tblsp cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee
50 g of sugar
100 g egg whites (about 3 egg whites, aged for at least 12-24 hours, @ room temp)

Pulse the almonds in the food processor until finely ground. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa & coffee & pulse until well blended.
Sift (sifting was a PITA for me. the almonds = a bit moist after griding, so make sure you have a good sifter or big enough metal sieve)
Whip the egg whites until foamly & gradually add the granulated sugar until you get a shiny meringue (don't whip them too much- like i did- or they get too stiff & dry)
Add the almond mixture to the egg whites & incorporate quickly but gently. (again, quickly but not too much- like i did- just until no streaks remain & you have a batter that "ribbons" off your spatula)
Pipe your batter out on Silpat (or parchment paper) lined baking sheets & let the shells sit @ room temp for 30- 60 min (until they develop a hard shell)
Pre heat oven to 300 & bake for 8-10 min (depending on size- i had to bake this batch for 15 min! again, i effed it up. my batter was too wet)
Allow them to cool & remove from baking sheet (pairing them up to size)

Fill a pastry bag with the marshmalow filling (recipe below) and pipe onto the rounds.
Pop them in an airtight container & into the fridge. Allow them to come to room temp before serving.
I think (with this marshmallow filling) that putting them in the fridge overnight = success.
The filling can get oozy in the heat- so getting them cold & then to room temp = a nice melding of flavors & firmed up filling. these were SO good the next day!

Marshmallow Filling (or frosting)
4 large egg whites (room temp)
1 cup granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all of the ingrediants (sans the vanilla) into a bowl that you can place over simmering water (or use a double boiler)

Whisk the egg white mixture (over simmering water) constantly until the sugar has dissolved & it's hot to the touch (takes about 4-5 min)

Pour into a larger bowl (stand mixer bowl), add the vanilla & and whip for 3+ minutes (until fluffy. mine took about 5 minutes)

Done! (i used a pastry bag with a round tip to fill my macarons)

Dude- this frosting taste just like marshmallows. Or fluff- but not as sweet. the husband licked it off the beaters (it's that good)

I have a little leftover- i intend to send it to work with the hubs to make fluffernutter sammies for lunch.