The Christmas Table: Christmas recipes and tutorials A celebration of all things Christmas! | Page 99

MACRONAGE
Mix the remaining 120 gm egg whites into
the almond meal and icing sugar mixture. It
will be a very thick paste.

SUGAR SYRUP & WHIPPED EGG WHITES
Place castor sugar into a small saucepan
and add water. Wash down the side of the
saucepan with a clean, wet finger or wet
pastry brush. Attach your thermometer to
the side of the saucepan.
Heat the sugar and water mixture on a
medium heat until the mixture reads 110
degrees on a sugar thermometer.
At this point start mixing the egg whites on
a high speed.
Now things can get tricky as you are aiming
for the sugar mixture to reach 118 degrees
and for the egg whites to reach a soft peak
consistency at the same time (See Tips &
Tricks). Once this happens, slowly pour the
boiling sugar mixture into the still beating
egg whites and continue beating at medium
to high speed until the mixture has just
reached firm peaks.
The mixture should still be slightly warm to
touch and when you bang the whisk on the
side of the bowl the whites will drop out in a
big fluffy clump of airy meringue. If it is not
holding peaks or sounds wet when banged
out it needs to be beaten for a little longer.

Add ¼ of the whipped egg whites to the
almond meal mixture and mix together
with a spatula to ‘loosen’ the mixture. This
will make the mixture softer to work with
and ensure the mixtures combine evenly
without losing all the air.
Add remaining egg whites and mix together
using both circular strokes around the bowl
and strokes straight through the mixture
using the head of the spatula to deflate the
air out of the mixture.
Continue mixing until the mixture is smooth,
glossy and the trail left by the spatula falls
gently onto itself.
PIPING
Scoop the mixture into a piping bag
fitted with a size 11 tip. At the correct
consistency the mixture will slowly drizzle
out of the bag when held upright.
Pipe small circles of mixture onto baking
paper, using the macaron template
underneath as a guide. Lightly tap the tray
onto the kitchen bench.
Leave to dry flat on a table. The time it
takes depends on the mixture, temperature
and humidity but it usually takes around 30
minutes. You will know the mixture is ready
when it has formed a ‘skin’ on top and is dry
to touch when touched gently.

Macarons (Italian Method) | 99