Earl Grey Macarons
Gather the shell ingredients - * Sugar * Almond flour * Powdered sugar * Egg whites * Vanilla bean paste
Place a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved -- about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks -- about 5 minutes.
Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into the egg whites.
– Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. – Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the vanilla bean paste and continue folding, smushing the batter against the sides of the bowl as you go. Repeat the smush-and-fold process until the meringue reaches the figure 8 stage. If you can draw a figure 8 with the batter without the stream breaking, the meringue is ready.
- Pipe 1.5" macarons on the baking sheet. – Set the macarons aside to rest for 25-30 minutes, or until they have developed a skin. – Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, for about 14 minutes.
– Heat the heavy cream and tea bags in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the cream starts to bubble, remove it from the heat and cover it with a lid for 30 minutes before straining. – Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. – Beat the butter on medium-high speed until it becomes light and fluffy. – With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar followed by the tea infused heavy cream and vanilla extract. – Whip for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Place the macarons in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small amount of filling onto the center of one macaron and place another macarons on top. Press down gently -- just until the filling reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
– Transfer the macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight. – Bring the macarons to room temperature and enjoy.
Full recipe at mildlymeandering.com