Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Yo-Yo Macarons
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
PT2H
PT50M
PT4H
Serves:
Makes 18 assembled macarons (36 shells), plus spare shells
Dawn created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 13. Asked to disguise a macaron as something that was not a macaron, she made yo-yos - multicoloured shells sandwiched into plump discs with a fine sugar-paste string wound once around the seam. Prue Leith called the shells perfect, with nea...
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Ingredients
FOR THE MACARON SHELLS: 200 g ground almonds, sieved 200 g icing sugar, sieved 75 g egg white, at room temperature (for the almond paste) 200 g caster sugar 50 ml water 75 g egg white, at room temperature and aged 24 hours if you can (for the meringue) Gel food colouring in three or four bright toy-shop shades - red, yellow, blue, green
FOR THE STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CREAM: 250 g mascarpone, cold 60 g icing sugar, sieved 20 g freeze-dried strawberry powder, plus more to taste A pinch of fine salt 150 ml double cream, cold
FOR THE SUGAR-PASTE STRINGS: 100 g white sugar paste A little white vegetable fat, to keep the paste supple Gel food colouring to match or contrast the shells Edible glue or a little cooled boiled water, to fix
EQUIPMENT: Sugarcraft or clay extruder with a fine round disc Sugar thermometer Stand mixer Two or three piping bags with plain 1 cm nozzles Three baking sheets A printed template of 4 cm circles
Method
STEP 1: PREPARE THE SHEETS
Heat the oven to 150C fan and line three baking sheets, sliding a printed template of 4 cm circles under each sheet of paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE ALMOND PASTE
Blitz the ground almonds and icing sugar together briefly, then sieve. Stir in the first 75 g of egg white to make a stiff almond paste. Leave it covered while you make the syrup.
STEP 3: START THE SYRUP AND THE WHITES
Put the caster sugar and water in a small pan and bring to 118C without stirring. When the syrup reaches about 110C, start whisking the second 75 g of egg white to soft peaks.
STEP 4: MAKE THE ITALIAN MERINGUE
Pour the syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin steady stream with the mixer running, then whisk until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled to just above blood heat.
STEP 5: COLOUR THE PASTE AND THE MERINGUE
Divide the almond paste between three or four bowls and colour each one boldly - gel only, and more than looks right, since baking dulls it. Divide the meringue the same way.
STEP 6: MACARONAGE, ONE COLOUR AT A TIME
Fold the meringue into the paste, pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl and turning, until it falls from the spatula in a thick ribbon that settles back into itself in about ten seconds. Stop the moment it does.
STEP 7: PIPE AND SKIN THE SHELLS
Pipe 4 cm rounds, keeping the bag vertical and stopping short of the template line. Rap each sheet firmly on the worktop twice, prick any bubbles, and leave to skin for 20 to 30 minutes until the tops are dull and dry to a fingertip.
STEP 8: BAKE THE SHELLS
Bake one sheet at a time for 14 to 16 minutes. The feet should rise early and set; a finished shell lifts cleanly from the paper once cool. Cool completely on the sheet.
STEP 9: MAKE THE STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CREAM
Beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder and salt until smooth, then whisk in the double cream and beat only until it holds a firm peak. It should be pink and openly, sharply strawberry - taste it and add more powder if it is not.
STEP 10: EXTRUDE THE SUGAR-PASTE STRINGS
Knead the sugar paste with a smear of white vegetable fat until pliable, colour it, and press it through the extruder with the fine round disc to make long even filaments. Keep them under cling film; they dry fast.
STEP 11: FILL AND PAIR
Pair the shells by size. Pipe a generous ring of cream on the flat side of one shell, leaving a clear 3 mm border, and set its partner on top with a gentle twist so the filling meets the edge but does not spill.
STEP 12: WIND THE STRINGS
Wrap a filament of sugar paste once around the seam of each macaron, fixing the ends with edible glue or a damp brush and trimming them flush. Leave a short tail curled away from the body of one or two so the yo-yo read is unmistakable.
STEP 13: CHILL, THEN SERVE
Chill for at least an hour before serving; overnight in a sealed box is better still, and brings the shells and filling into one texture. Bring back to cool room temperature to eat.
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Instructions
FOR THE MACARON SHELLS:
200 g ground almonds, sieved
200 g icing sugar, sieved
75 g egg white, at room temperature (for the almond paste)
200 g caster sugar
50 ml water
75 g egg white, at room temperature and aged 24 hours if you can (for the meringue)
Gel food colouring in three or four bright toy-shop shades - red, yellow, blue, green
FOR THE STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CREAM:
250 g mascarpone, cold
60 g icing sugar, sieved
20 g freeze-dried strawberry powder, plus more to taste
A pinch of fine salt
150 ml double cream, cold
FOR THE SUGAR-PASTE STRINGS:
100 g white sugar paste
A little white vegetable fat, to keep the paste supple
Gel food colouring to match or contrast the shells
Edible glue or a little cooled boiled water, to fix
EQUIPMENT:
Sugarcraft or clay extruder with a fine round disc
Sugar thermometer
Stand mixer
Two or three piping bags with plain 1 cm nozzles
Three baking sheets
A printed template of 4 cm circles
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: PREPARE THE SHEETS
Heat the oven to 150C fan and line three baking sheets, sliding a printed template of 4 cm circles under each sheet of paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE ALMOND PASTE
Blitz the ground almonds and icing sugar together briefly, then sieve. Stir in the first 75 g of egg white to make a stiff almond paste. Leave it covered while you make the syrup.
STEP 3: START THE SYRUP AND THE WHITES
Put the caster sugar and water in a small pan and bring to 118C without stirring. When the syrup reaches about 110C, start whisking the second 75 g of egg white to soft peaks.
STEP 4: MAKE THE ITALIAN MERINGUE
Pour the syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin steady stream with the mixer running, then whisk until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled to just above blood heat.
STEP 5: COLOUR THE PASTE AND THE MERINGUE
Divide the almond paste between three or four bowls and colour each one boldly - gel only, and more than looks right, since baking dulls it. Divide the meringue the same way.
STEP 6: MACARONAGE, ONE COLOUR AT A TIME
Fold the meringue into the paste, pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl and turning, until it falls from the spatula in a thick ribbon that settles back into itself in about ten seconds. Stop the moment it does.
STEP 7: PIPE AND SKIN THE SHELLS
Pipe 4 cm rounds, keeping the bag vertical and stopping short of the template line. Rap each sheet firmly on the worktop twice, prick any bubbles, and leave to skin for 20 to 30 minutes until the tops are dull and dry to a fingertip.
STEP 8: BAKE THE SHELLS
Bake one sheet at a time for 14 to 16 minutes. The feet should rise early and set; a finished shell lifts cleanly from the paper once cool. Cool completely on the sheet.
STEP 9: MAKE THE STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CREAM
Beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder and salt until smooth, then whisk in the double cream and beat only until it holds a firm peak. It should be pink and openly, sharply strawberry - taste it and add more powder if it is not.
STEP 10: EXTRUDE THE SUGAR-PASTE STRINGS
Knead the sugar paste with a smear of white vegetable fat until pliable, colour it, and press it through the extruder with the fine round disc to make long even filaments. Keep them under cling film; they dry fast.
STEP 11: FILL AND PAIR
Pair the shells by size. Pipe a generous ring of cream on the flat side of one shell, leaving a clear 3 mm border, and set its partner on top with a gentle twist so the filling meets the edge but does not spill.
STEP 12: WIND THE STRINGS
Wrap a filament of sugar paste once around the seam of each macaron, fixing the ends with edible glue or a damp brush and trimming them flush. Leave a short tail curled away from the body of one or two so the yo-yo read is unmistakable.
STEP 13: CHILL, THEN SERVE
Chill for at least an hour before serving; overnight in a sealed box is better still, and brings the shells and filling into one texture. Bring back to cool room temperature to eat.
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