Paddle Pop Macarons with Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
February 23, 2016
"Funny how we're always telling children to grow up. Shouldn't it be the other way? Look around you. Who are the ones laughing the most? The ones who think that nothing's difficult. Sure ain't the grown-ups. It's the ankle-biters. The ones who get excited by pebbles. The ones who don't care about money. The ones who run for no reason. They're the ones with the inside track on life, and all its thrilling possibilities. Jeezy, wouldn't you run too? Most of us were children once. How about we look inside ourselves and go back there again? The only problem? We wouldn't be able to drive.” - Honda
While gazing out of the window from the passenger’s seat one day, I caught myself trying to mentally slow down the moving scenery. A longing for my childhood then struck me, a time when one of my greatest “problems” then was not being able to capture everything that passed. At that time, happiness was digging through the freezer in a provision shop for your favourite ice cream – mine was the paddle pop. Boy, were those the simpler days.
These lavender paddle pop macarons were created in the name of nostalgia and the familiar swirled rainbow popsicle. A bite of these paddle pop macarons is like a second taste of childhood. I made some in the classic round macaron form. To take it a step further, I made some shaped just like a popsicle and added ice cream sticks between the shells.
If you are feeling daunted about making multi coloured macaron shells, be comforted to learn that it takes only two additional steps on top of the usual steps to make macarons - mixing in food colouring separately, and layering the batters on in a piping bag instead of pouring it in.
If you are feeling daunted about making multi coloured macaron shells, be comforted to learn that it takes only two additional steps on top of the usual steps to make macarons - mixing in food colouring separately, and layering the batters on in a piping bag instead of pouring it in.
The filling is Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Lavender is actually a member of the mint family, but it has a unique and distinctive flavour that distinguishes itself from other mints. I like how the taste of lavender brings the feeling of freshness, unlike how lavender scents and essential oils counterparts that have calming and sleep-inducing qualities. It has a strong floral aroma and flavour and brings a surprising punch when added to a recipe. Infusing milk with lavender will help to provide a subtle taste.
Most methods require soaking the lavender in milk for at least a few hours, but I sped up the process by microwaving lavender tea in milk for 5 seconds, and letting it infuse while preparing the swiss meringue buttercream.
You can also add optional purple food colouring to achieve a lavender tone. I personally love how the purple compliments with the pastel coloured macaron shells, and could get lost in the swirls of this sweet colour palette.
I couldn't resist making full use of the bouquet of purple roses I received recently, and simply had to incorporate them into the food styling. Not lavender flowers, but close enough. Flowers are always a good idea.
PADDLE POP MACARONS withLAVENDER SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM RECIPE
by Sumopocky
Servings: ~ 30 macarons
Ingredients:
2 Egg whites
150g of unsalted butter (softened)
2 tbsp of Milk
1 tbsp of Lavender tea
Purple food colouring (optional)
Ice cream sticks
Directions:
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 dry ingredients in Step 1. Using a spatula, start the macaronage process by folding and lightly scraping the top of the batter. Continue until the wet and dry ingredients just start to combine. Then, split into three equal portions.
5. Add an individual food colouring to the 3 separate portions. Continue the macaronage process until you get a molten-like mixture and drips down like a ribbon when lifted.
6. Transfer to a piping bag by scooping a bit of each coloured batter to fill 3 sides of the bag. Repeat and layer the batter. Then, pipe batter on parchment paper. You can choose to pipe circles or popsicle shapes.
6. Let the shells dry 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.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for approximately 10 - 13 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Meanwhile, place sugar and egg whites in a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk continuously until the sugar is dissolved. It is natural for the egg mixture to become thick and sticky.
3. Beat the egg white mixture using an electric mixer with a whip attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Continue beating at medium-high speed while adding small chunks of softened butter gradually. It might curdle, but keep beating until the butter is blended in and the buttercream is smooth.
5. Pour the lavender infused milk through a sieve and mix well. You can choose to add purple food colouring for the lavender colour. As Singapore is quite warm, chill slightly before using. Pipe between 2 macaron shells and you are done! If you want to make the popsicle version, pipe some buttercream on one shell, place half an ice cream stick, add more buttercream, and sandwich with another shell. Just be careful not to bite into the ice cream stick ;)
Time: 1.5 hour active time + baking time
Ingredients:
[For Macaron Shells]
Meringue: 70g of Egg whites + 90g of Castor sugar
80g of Ground almonds
80g of Powdered/icing sugar
Yellow, blue, and red food colouring
[For Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream]
80g Caster sugarYellow, blue, and red food colouring
[For Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream]
2 Egg whites
150g of unsalted butter (softened)
2 tbsp of Milk
1 tbsp of Lavender tea
Purple food colouring (optional)
Ice cream sticks
Directions:
[For Macaron Shells]
1. In a large bowl, sift the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa powder.
2. In a separate bowl, make the meringue. Beat the egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until it is white and frothy (approximately 1 minute)1. In a large bowl, sift the ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa powder.
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 dry ingredients in Step 1. Using a spatula, start the macaronage process by folding and lightly scraping the top of the batter. Continue until the wet and dry ingredients just start to combine. Then, split into three equal portions.
5. Add an individual food colouring to the 3 separate portions. Continue the macaronage process until you get a molten-like mixture and drips down like a ribbon when lifted.
6. Transfer to a piping bag by scooping a bit of each coloured batter to fill 3 sides of the bag. Repeat and layer the batter. Then, pipe batter on parchment paper. You can choose to pipe circles or popsicle shapes.
6. Let the shells dry 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.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for approximately 10 - 13 minutes. Let it cool.
[For Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream]
1. Heat up milk and lavender tea in a microwave on high speed for 5 seconds. Be careful not to heat for too long as the milk boils very quickly and would splatter all over! Let it cool and allow the lavender tea to infuse in the milk. 2. Meanwhile, place sugar and egg whites in a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk continuously until the sugar is dissolved. It is natural for the egg mixture to become thick and sticky.
3. Beat the egg white mixture using an electric mixer with a whip attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
4. Continue beating at medium-high speed while adding small chunks of softened butter gradually. It might curdle, but keep beating until the butter is blended in and the buttercream is smooth.
5. Pour the lavender infused milk through a sieve and mix well. You can choose to add purple food colouring for the lavender colour. As Singapore is quite warm, chill slightly before using. Pipe between 2 macaron shells and you are done! If you want to make the popsicle version, pipe some buttercream on one shell, place half an ice cream stick, add more buttercream, and sandwich with another shell. Just be careful not to bite into the ice cream stick ;)
Colourful macarons make me happy. You can't buy happiness, but you can certainly bake and eat macarons, and that's kind of the same thing ;)
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