TeaTime Special Issue – August 2019

75 Teatime Holidays

Snowman Macarons

Makes approximately 36

3 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1¼ cups fi nely ground almond fl our
Pearl shimmering food color spray
Black and orange edible food
markers
Coconut Filling (recipe follows)

• Place egg whites in a medium bowl,

and let stand at room temperature,
uncovered, for exactly 3 hours. (Aging
the egg whites in this manner is essen-
tial to creating perfect macarons.)

• Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with

parchment paper. Using a pencil,
draw snowman shapes 2 inches apart

onto parchment; turn parchment

over. (Snowmen shapes should be

approximately 11⁄4 inches wide at the

base and 3⁄4 inch wide at the top, and

approximately 21⁄2 inches tall.)

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted
  with the whisk attachment, beat
  together egg whites, vanilla bean
  paste, and salt at medium-high speed
  until frothy. Gradually add granulated
  sugar. Increase mixer speed to high,
  and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 to
  5 minutes. (Egg whites will be thick,
  creamy, and shiny.)


• In a large bowl, sift together con-
  fectioners’ sugar and almond fl our
  three times. Gently fold confectioners’
  sugar mixture into egg white mixture
  in three additions until batter falls off
  a spatula in thick ribbons. Let batter
  stand for 15 minutes.


• Transfer batter to a piping bag fi tted

with a small round tip (Ateco #802).

Pipe batter onto drawn snowman

circles on prepared baking sheets. Tap

baking sheets vigorously on counter

5 to 7 times to release air bubbles.

Let stand at room temperature for

45 minutes to 1 hour before bak-

ing to help develop the macaron’s

crisp exterior when baked. Macarons

should feel dry to the touch and not

stick to the fi nger.

• Preheat oven to 275°.


• Bake until macaron shells are fi rm
  to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let
  cool on pans completely. Spray top of
  macaron shells with food color spray.
  Let dry. Using edible food markers,
  draw snowman faces and buttons on
  half of macaron shells. Store macaron
  shells, with layers separated by parch-
  ment paper, in an airtight container,
  and refrigerate until ready to fi ll.


• Place Coconut Filling in a piping bag
  fi tted with a medium round tip (Ateco
  #805). Pipe Coconut Filling onto fl at
  side of blank macaron shells. Place
  macaron shells with snowman faces,
  fl at side down, on top of fi lling.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Macaron shells

will keep frozen for up to 3 months

in an airtight container with layers

separated by parchment paper. Let

thaw for 10 minutes before ¿ lling

and serving.

Coconut Filling

Makes approximately 2 cups

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup coconut milk

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

½ cup toasted unsweetened fl aked

coconut, cooled

• In a large bowl, beat butter with
  a mixer at medium-low speed until
  creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to
  scrape sides of bowl. Add coconut
  milk and salt, beating until combined.
  Add confectioners’ sugar and coco-
  nut, beating until well combined.
  Use immediately.