Ube Macaron Recipe
Prep Time: 100 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Yield: 10-12 macarons
It is officially spring! And what better way to welcome the season than appropriately colored macarons? I always enjoy cooking and baking but this recipe was even more fun because of the flavor and color! It took a couple tries to get the recipe just right - and it felt somewhat like a science experiment to get the right ratios.
Macarons are the quintessential French pastry and of course, I had to put a little Filipino flair into it. You'll find my notes below on what worked best for me. My conclusion: it takes a little work, a little patience, but they are so worth it!
Tips and tricks
Making macarons is all about weight proportions. I used cups / tablespoon equivalents as best as I can, but the ideal way to measure the correct amount is weighing them.
The ratio that worked best of egg whites : almond flour : powdered sugar : white sugar is 1:1:2:0.5
Measure almond flour and powdered sugar first, and then sift. I also found it best to sift them together.
Use light colored pans so that the bottom doesn't cook faster.
Use a small measuring cup or other item to draw out circles that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter on your parchment paper. Put enough room between each one (1/2 inch) so they don't expand onto each other. Don't forget to flip the parchment paper over so that you pipe batter onto the side without the pencil markings.
Pipe less batter than you think will fill your template; it will run.
If you use the same brand ube flavoring I did, be careful as the color stains!
Ingredients
2 large egg whites (76 g)
1 cup super fine almond flour (76 g)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (153 g)
1/4 cup white sugar (37 g)
1/2 teaspoon ube flavor (bought mine at Asian grocery store, found similar here)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
For buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ube flavor
Instructions
Start by separating your egg whites. Measure the weight of the egg whites to use as base for ratios. It's best to work with room temperature egg whites, so leave them out after separating (I let mine sit out for two hours).
Cut out a parchment paper the size of the baking sheet you are using and draw out 1 1/2 inch circles using a small measuring cup (see notes and pic above). Note: Prepare 24 circles as this recipe will yield 10-12 finished macarons.
Use a stand mixer to beat the egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy (see pic above, takes about 3-5 minutes).
Once the egg whites are frothy, add in the white sugar in three increments, waiting until it is incorporated before adding the next increment. Once all the white sugar is added, add the cream of tartar and increase speed to medium (4-6 on a Kitchen Aid).
Whip the egg whites and white sugar mixture until stiff peaks form (see pic above, takes about 6-10 minutes).
Meanwhile, sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a separate bowl.
Remove the bowl from the stand. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture, again in three increments. Mix until the almond flour and sugar are incorporated before adding the next increment. The finished batter will be quite dense.
Add in the ube flavor (careful not to spill, as the color stains!) and fold batter until thoroughly mixed.
Place the batter into a piping bag with 1/2 inch circular tip (or a quart Ziploc bag, with the corner cut out). Pipe the batter into the prepared parchment paper by placing the tip in the middle of the circle, applying pressure until batter almost fills the circle. Leave some space as the batter will run.
After piping, slightly lift the tray and bang against or drop on the counter top / surface to remove any air bubbles in the batter. Let sit at room temperature to dry for 1 hour.
While waiting, if using buttercream, cream the softened butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the sugar is fully incorporated. Once all the sugar is added, mix in ube flavor. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
After the batter has dried for an hour, bake for 14-16 minutes. Each macaron should have 'feet' about halfway into baking and will rise a bit.
Let cool before removing from parchment paper. Place buttercream in between two macarons to make a sandwich (or any other filling you like!)
Enjoy! Note: refrigerate any leftovers; it will retain its shape better!