Pineapple Tart Macaron Recipe with Pineapple Buttercream

January 20, 2016

Pineapple tart macaron

Lunar New Year is approaching, and these Fortune Cat macarons are perfect to welcome the new year! To my dear readers overseas, the Fortune Cat is a lucky charm that’s very popular in Japanese and Chinese cultures and is believed to attract good luck and fortune! It is also known as maneki-neko, beckoning cat (zhao cai mao), or welcoming cat.

Pineapple tart macaron

They are available in different colours, but the most common ones are either white or gold. I decided to go for white, as it is believed to represent purity, happiness, and good things to come.

These Fortune Cat macarons are filled with a yummy pineapple buttercream with a pineapple jam center. The buttercream and jam are made from fresh pineapples as I wanted to make the pineapple jam from scratch. This pineapple jam is like the pineapple filling in traditional pineapple tarts. It has just been modified it slightly to suit this recipe. If you are unable to get your hands on fresh pineapples, you can also use ready-made pineapple jam that is sold in baking shops.

Pineapple tart macaron

Pineapple tart macaron
Pineapple Buttercream with a luxurious golden Pineapple Jam center!

Taste verdict? Yummy and leaves you craving for more. Compared to a traditional pineapple tart, this macaron is less dry because of the buttercream. It is also lighter on the palette because the macaron shell is less heavy than the tart. Highly recommended as a special Lunar New Year treat!



Pineapple tart macaron PINEAPPLE TART MACARON RECIPE
with PINEAPPLE BUTTERCREAM
by Sumopocky

Servings: 20 - 25 macarons
Time: 1.5 hour active time + baking time

Ingredients:
[For Fortune Cat Macaron Shells] 
Meringue: 70g of Egg whites + 90g of Castor sugar
80g of Ground almonds
80g of Powdered/icing sugar
Yellow, Red, and Black food colouring

[For Pineapple Buttercream Filling]
300g of Sliced pineapples
60g of Brown sugar
70g of Unsalted butter (softened)
25g of Icing sugar (adjust to taste)

Directions:
[For Fortune Cat Macaron Shells]
1. In a large bowl, sift the ground almonds and icing sugar.
2. To make the meringue, beat the egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until it is white and frothy (approximately 1 minute)
3. Gradually add the sugar 1/4 at a time. When the first addition of sugar has completely dissolved (approximately 1 minute later), increase the mixer speed to medium and add until all the sugar has been incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Add the meringue to the sifted ground almond flour and icing sugar in Step 1. Using a spatula, start the macaronage process. When the dry and wet ingredients just start to get combined, scoop 3 small portions and place in separate bowls. Mix in food colouring to get red, yellow, and black batter. Continue the macaronage process until you get a molten-like mixture and drips down like a ribbon when lifted. Read here on how to macaronage.
5. Then, transfer into a small piping bag/plastic bag and cut off a small tip. This will be used to decorate the details on the fortune cat.
6. Do the macaronage for the remaining white batter and transfer to a large piping bag with a round tip, and a piping bag with a small tip.
7. With the large piping bag, start with an oval that is slightly triangular for the cat's body. Pipe out the ears from the piping bag with the small tip. Knock the bottom of the tray against a flat surface to get rid of air bubbles and let the batter spread. Let the shells dry for about 5 minutes.
8. Pipe out a cat paw on one side of the body. Remember to pipe an equal number of cat paws on the opposite side. This is so that the shells match when you sandwich them!
9. Pipe out a red line for the collar and a yellow dot for the bell. Draw on the face and paws with black batter.
10. Let the shells dry again for approximately 30 minutes in an air-conditioned room. You should be able to touch it gently with the tip of your finger without it sticking.
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for approximately 10 - 13 minutes. Let it cool.


”Pineapple

[For Pineapple Buttercream Filling]
1. First, make the pineapple jam. If you have a fruit juice maker, use it to juice the pineapple and collect the pulp. Otherwise, use a blender to blend pineapple slices in a until they become puree. Sieve it and use just the pineapple pulp. Save the pineapple juice for use later.
2. Transfer the pineapple pulp and add 2 - 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice to a non-stick pot. Add sugar and heat on medium fire. Stir it constantly to avoid burning.
3. Lower the heat to let it simmer, and continue stirring till it becomes golden and sticky.
4. Let the pineapple jam cool completely in the fridge.
5. When the filling has cooled, prepare the pineapple buttercream. Cream the butter with an electric mixer until white and fluffy. Then, mix in the icing sugar. You can sieve it to avoid sugar lumps in the buttercream.
6. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice (depending on your preference) and mix well. Note: You can add more pineapple juice, but you'll need to add more icing sugar to get the right texture.
7. Finally, mix in the cooled pineapple jam. Save about 1/4 for filling the macarons.
8. Transfer the pineapple buttercream to a piping bag and squeeze a ring on one macaron shell. Fill the centre with the leftover pineapple jam. Sandwich with another shell, and you are done!

Pineapple tart macaron

Happy Lunar New Year! 

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