Recipes from ATELIER CRENN: Metamorphosis of Taste by Dominique Crenn.

Copyright 2015 by
Dominique Crenn. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights
reserved.

Many people dont realize that most of the flavor in macarons originates with the filling component,
rather than the cookie shell. If you were to taste the shells right out of the oven, they might seem
overbaked and underflavored, but because we press the shells together with the ganache and allow them
to mature in the refrigerator, they soften and acquire the flavor of the filling. The amount of time needed
to mature will depend, in part, on the fat content of the filling: We need forty-eight hours to mature the
ganache-filled macarons in this recipe, but when we make our raspberry-rose or blackberry-jasmine
macarons, they are ready in just six hours, because the moisture of fruit fillings acts more rapidly to soften
and infuse the shells with flavor. | Makes 100

Cedar Macarons
INGREDIENTS

225 grams (2 cups) almond flour

225 grams (1 cups) confectioners sugar
1 whole vanilla beans
6 large eggs
225 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
7 drops green food coloring
135 grams (4.75 ounces) unsweetened white chocolate
110 grams ( cup) heavy cream
7 drops cedar essence
Kosher salt
3 (6-inch) fresh green cedar branches
EQUIPMENT

Sifter
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Cooking thermometer
Rubber spatula
2 pastry bags
Teflon or silicone mat
Immersion blender
Pestle
At least 2 days before serving:
In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour and confectioners sugar. Split the vanilla beans
lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the almond-sugar mixture. Discard the scraped pods or reserve for
another use.
Separate the eggs, reserving the yolks for another use. (At Atelier Crenn, we freeze our egg whites for 3
days to break down the albumen, then thaw and skim the egg whites so that they are completely liquid
and easier to work with.)
Add 80 grams (2.8 ounces) of the egg whites to the almond sugar mixture and mix together with a
spoon. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

 In a medium pot with a cooking thermometer attached, combine the granulated sugar with 55 grams
(scant cup) water. Over low heat, slowly raise the temperature to 118C/245F. While the sugar water
is heating, add the food coloring to the almond sugar mixture and mix together until thoroughly
combined. When the sugar water reaches 115C/239F, whip the egg whites in the stand mixer on the
highest speed until the meringue holds soft peaks. Once the temperature of the sugar water reaches
118C/245F, add the sugar water to the egg white mixture, while continuing to whip for 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn off the mixer and check the temperature with the cooking thermometer. When the temperature
drops to 40C/105F, pour the meringue into the almond mixture in three batches, using a rubber spatula
to fold just until the batter slowly drips off the spatula and back into the mass like lava, about 5 turns for
the first and second batches and 15 gentler turns for the third batch.
Do not overmix. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag.
Preheat the oven to 165C/325F.
Line a baking sheet or sheet tray with a Teflon or silicone mat.
Pipe 1-inch rounds of the almond flour mixture onto the
Teflon or silicone and let sit, uncovered, at room temperature until a soft skin forms, 25 to 30 minutes.
(To test the skin, gently touch the surface with your finger to see if it leaves an impression. The skin will
take longer to form in humid or rainy weather.)
Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the Teflon or silicone mat.
WHILE THE MACARONS ARE BAKING, MAKE THE GANACHE:
Fill a small pot halfway with water and heat over low heat. When the water begins to steam, fit a large
bowl on top, such that the bowl does not touch the water. Add the white chocolate to the bowl and melt
over low heat. In another small pot, scald the cream over medium-high heat. Remove both from the heat
and pour the cream into the bowl of melted white chocolate. Use an immersion blender to emulsify until
you see a light sheen, about 2 minutes. Season with the cedar essence and a pinch of kosher salt and mix
well. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the ganache and let the bowl sit at room temperature
until the mixture changes from the consistency of pudding to the consistency of frosting, 45 minutes to 2
hours. (Test the ganache periodically with a spoon; the process will take longer in humid or rainy
weather.)
Transfer the ganache to a pastry bag.
Match pairs of macarons by size and pipe 1 teaspoon of ganache onto the flat side of 1 macaron and
press with the flat side of its match.
Bruise the cedar branches with a pestle to release their oils. Line a sheet pan or baking sheet with
parchment paper and lay the cedar branches on it. Arrange the macarons between the branches so that
they dont touch anything other than parchment paper. Tightly wrap the sheet pan or baking sheet with
plastic wrap across the top of the branches, without touching the macarons, and refrigerate to mature for
at least 48 hours.