Heart-Shaped Rose Macarons
Recipe by: Betty Hung, pastry chef and co-owner, Beaucoup Bakery
Rose Ganache Filling
Ingredients:
216g / 1-1/4 cup white chocolate (preferably Valrhona Ivoire)
186g / ¾ cup whipping cream
33g / 2 tbsp honey
15 g / 1 tbsp rose water
15 g / 1 tbsp kirsch (optional)
Method:
Gently melt the white chocolate in the microwave oven in a microwavable bowl for about 60 seconds. Set it aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Place the cream and honey in a small saucepan and heat on medium low heat until it simmers. Pour the hot cream over the melted white chocolate. Let it sit for a minute and stir it with a spatula until it is cohesive. Add in the rose water and kirsch and mix it well.
Cover the top of the ganache directly with a piece of plastic wrap. Let it sit for 3-4 hours minimum, preferably overnight in the fridge before using.
To use, fill a piping bag and cut a 1/2” opening at the tip.
Macaron Shells
170g / ¾ cups egg white (about 5 egg whites)
155g / ¾ cups granulated sugar
210g / 2 cups + 3 tbsp almond flour
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255g / 2 cups + 1 tbsp icing sugar
2-3 drops pink gel food colouring
Dried rose petals, if desired
Method:
- Prepare your baking sheets and piping bag:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
If you’d like, you can trace hearts (around 1.5 inches in diameter) on the parchment paper to guide your macaron size. Flip the paper over after tracing so that the pencil/pen side doesn’t touch the batter.
- Sift the dry ingredients:
Sift together the almond flour and icing sugar into a bowl to remove any lumps and ensure a smooth batter.
Set the sifted mixture aside.
- Whip the egg whites:
In a clean, grease-free bowl, whip the egg whites using a stand mixer or hand mixer. Start at low speed and gradually increase to medium-high speed.
When soft peaks start to form, gradually add the granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. Lastly add in the food colouring. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form (the meringue should stand up firmly when you lift the beaters).
- Macaronage (folding the dry ingredients into the meringue):
Gently fold the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the whipped egg whites. Use a spatula and fold carefully in a circular motion.
The mixture should flow like lava and fall off the spatula in ribbons. This is important—if it’s too thick, your macarons won’t have the proper texture. If it’s too runny, your batter is overmixed, so be careful not to over-mix.
- Piping the macarons:
Transfer the macaron batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (about 1/2 inch wide).
Hold the piping bag vertically over the prepared baking sheet and pipe out the batter into heart shapes, about 1.5 inches in diameter.
Tap the baking sheet on the counter to remove air bubbles. Sprinkle the tops with crushed dried rose petals, if using.
- Resting the macarons:
Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, or until they form a skin. To check, lightly touch the surface of a macaron—if it doesn’t stick to your finger, it’s ready to bake.
- Baking:
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Bake the macarons for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven. The macarons should have a firm shell and lift off the parchment paper easily.
You may need to rotate the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Cooling and pairing:
Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheets before removing them.
Once cooled, gently peel them off the parchment paper.
Pair up the macaron shells that are roughly the same size.
- Filling the macarons:
Fill the macarons with the rose ganache using a piping bag .
Gently sandwich the two shells together.
- Resting the filled macarons:
For the best flavor and texture, let the filled macarons rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld and the macarons to soften slightly.
Enjoy your macarons!
