Sumopocky | Custom Bakes: BakingWithAbby

Pineapple Tart Macarons

Celebrate Lunar New Year with Festive Pineapple Tart Macarons

The Lunar New Year holds a special place in my heart. It's a time when the whole family gathers, and the air is filled with the tantalizing aroma of festive treats. This year, I wanted to add a modern twist to our celebrations by combining a CNY favorite, pineapple tarts, with my love for macarons. The result? Pineapple Tart Macarons — a delightful fusion of tradition and elegance.

The Inspiration Behind the Flavors

Pineapple is a cherished ingredient during Lunar New Year, as it symbolizes wealth and prosperity. The Chinese word for pineapple, “feng li” (飞利), sounds similar to “coming prosperity” (幸福來). Its sweet, tangy flavor brings a refreshing burst of brightness to any celebration.

Black tea, on the other hand, adds a layer of warmth and sophistication, grounding the macarons with its earthy and slightly floral notes. Tea is an integral part of Chinese culture, often served as a gesture of hospitality and respect. By incorporating black tea into the ganache, these macarons pay homage to this cherished tradition.

Together, the combination of pineapple and black tea creates a balance of sweet and aromatic flavors, making these macarons the perfect treat to enjoy during the Lunar New Year.

Why Macarons?

Macarons may not be a traditional Lunar New Year dessert, but their vibrant colors and elegant presentation make them a delightful addition to your festive table. Plus, they’re highly versatile, allowing you to customize the designs to reflect the holiday spirit. For this recipe, consider piping the macaron shells in hues of amber and beige to mimic the warm, golden tones of pineapple and tea.

A Thoughtful Gift for Loved Ones

Homemade treats always carry an extra layer of meaning, and these Pineapple Tart Macarons are no exception. Pack them in beautiful red or gold boxes to create thoughtful gifts for family and friends. Not only are they a delicious treat, but they also embody the heartfelt wishes of happiness and prosperity for the year ahead.

Pineapple Tart Macarons

Tips for Success

Plan ahead: Macarons require precision and patience, so take your time and don’t rush the process. Remember to allow the assembled macarons to rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. This step helps the flavors meld and creates that perfect balance between chewy shells and the ganache.
Share the joy: Baking is always more fun with loved ones. Turn the macaron-making process into a family activity, letting everyone join in on the fun of piping, filling, and assembling.

Happy Lunar New Year and happy baking! May your year be filled with prosperity, joy, and, of course, delicious treats!

PINEAPPLE TART MACARON RECIPE
by Sumopocky

Yield: approximately 16-18 macarons

Ingredients
[For Macaron Shells]
Meringue: 70g of Egg whites + 90g of Castor sugar
80g of Almond flour
80g of Powdered/icing sugar
Gel food colouring

[For Pineapple Ganache]
20ml of Heavy Cream
50ml of White Chocolate
70g of Pineapple Paste

[For Black Tea Ganache]
20ml of Heavy Cream
2 bags of Black Tea Leaves
60ml of White Chocolate

Directions

[For Macaron Shells]

1. Prepare the meringue:

Beat egg whites on low speed with an electric mixer until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add sugar in four parts, increasing the speed to medium. Beat until stiff peaks form.

2. Combine dry ingredients:

Sift almond flour and icing sugar into the meringue.

3. Macaronage:

Fold the mixture with a spatula until just combined.

4. Divide and color the batter:

With 2/3 of the batter, make beige colour. Turn the remaining 1/3 into amber color (yellow + a bit of red food colouring would do the trick). To each of the batter colour, continue the macaronage process until you get a molten-like mixture and drips down like a ribbon when lifted. Transfer to piping bags.

5. Pipe the designs:

Transfer batters into piping bags and pipe onto a baking sheet. Watch my video for detailed piping instructions.

6. Dry the shells:

Allow the shells to dry in a non-humid environment until they form a skin. Touching them should leave no residue.

7. Bake:

Preheat oven to 150°C and bake for ~15 minutes. Allow the macarons to cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper and piping the filling

[For Pineapple Ganache]

1. Melt the white chocolate in heavy cream using a microwave. Put it on high speed for 1 min, stirring each time, and repeating till the chocolate has fully melted.
2. Mix in the pineapple paste till well combined.

3. Transfer to a piping bag when cooled.

[For Black Tea Ganache]

1. Heat up the heavy cream till it boils. Steep the black tea in the heavy cream for 3 minutes.

2. Melt the white chocolate in the black tea heavy cream misture. Put it on high speed for 1 min, stirring each time, and repeating till the chocolate has fully melted.
3. Transfer to a piping bag when cooled.

[To Assemble]

1. Take one macaron shell and pipe a ring of pineapple ganache along the outer edge. This creates a cavity in the center.

2. Fill the center of the ring with a dollop of black tea ganache, ensuring it doesn’t overflow.

3. Gently place another macaron shell on top and press lightly to sandwich the ganache fillings.

4. Repeat the process with the remaining shells and fillings.

5. Allow the assembled macarons to rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. This resting time helps the flavors meld together and softens the shells for the perfect texture.

January 28, 2025
7 Comments

Snowman Macaron Cake Recipe: A Sweet Christmas Memory with My Toddler

Baking

In the spirit of festive cheer, my daughter and I embarked on a delightful adventure in the kitchen. Our mission? To create a whimsical Snowman Macaron Cake that would not only be a treat for our taste buds, but also a fun representation of our family of 3 as snowman macarons ☃️🎄🤍

For the core of our macaron cake, we opted for a luscious combination of Cream Cheese Swiss meringue buttercream and decadent dark chocolate ganache. The rich, bittersweet notes of the chocolate mingled with the creaminess of the buttercream, creates a luxurious filling that danced on the taste buds with every bite.

In the end, our Christmas baking adventure wasn't just about crafting a delightful snowman spectacle; it was about infusing each layer with love, creativity, and a symphony of flavors that would make our holiday celebration truly memorable.

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

SNOWMAN MACARON CAKE RECIPE
WITH CREAM CHEESE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
by Sumopocky

Macaron Ingredients
[For Macaron Shells]
Meringue: 70g of Egg whites + 90g of Castor sugar
80g of Almond flour
80g of Powdered/icing sugar
Food colouring

[For Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream]
50g Caster sugar
1 Egg white
75g of unsalted butter (softened)
75g of Cream Cheese
A few drops of lemon juice

[For Dark Chocolate Ganache]

50g of Heavy cream
50g of Dark chocolate

Macaron Directions

[For Macaron Shells]

1. Make the meringue. In a bowl, beat the egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until it is white and frothy (approximately 1 minute). 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.

2. Sift the almond flour and icing sugar to the meringue.

3. Begin macaronage. 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 become combined. In other words, you can't see traces/clumps of almond flour/icing sugar in the meringue. At this point, the batter should still be quite tacky.

4. Prepare different colours of batter. For this macaron cake, we will be preparing 1 main batter colour that is white. Before preparing the white batter, scoop out 1 teaspoon of batter for light blue, 1/2 teaspoon for black, 1/2 teaspoon for orange, and 1/2 teaspoon for pink. Add food colouring to get the desired colours. To each of the batter, continue the macaronage process until you get a molten-like mixture and drips down like a ribbon when lifted. Transfer to piping bags.

6. Pipe out shells onto parchment paper. You'll need 3 large circles for the macaron layers. For the snowman macarons, please refer this video. If you'd like to add the Christmas tree as decor, refer to my recipe here.
7. Let the shells dry in a non humid place or an air conditioned room. You should be able to touch it gently with the tip of your finger without it sticking.

8. While waiting for the shells to dry, preheat the oven to 150°C. Bake the large shells & small shells in separate batches. Remove the smaller shells after 15 minutes, and the larger shells after approximately 20 minutes.

9. Let shells cool and pipe with filling. Watch the video above on how to assemble.

[For Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream]
1. 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.
2. Beat the egg white mixture using an electric mixer with a whip attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. 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.
4. In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese in a mixer on medium speed.
5. Scrape the bowl down then mix in the swiss meringue buttercream on low speed until everything is combined.
6. Add a few drops of lemon juice to bring out the taste of the cream cheese. As Singapore is quite warm, chill slightly before using.

[For Dark Chocolate Ganache]

1. Bring heavy cream to a boil.

2. Pour heavy cream over chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute and stir with a whisk till all the chocolate has melted. Let it cool.

3. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and let cool

December 25, 2023
12 Comments

Baking with Toddler: No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Recipe

BakingWithAbby

Welcome to our new series - Sweet Memories - where we invite you into our kitchen for a sweet and messy baking adventure with my toddler! In this video, we're taking you along as we whip up a delicious No-bake Oreo Cheesecake together. Abby had lots of fun for sure 🤍

Baking with my toddler, Abby, is an experience that has always held a special place in my heart. It's something I had been looking forward to ever since I learned I was going to be a parent. Even before my little one was old enough to help out in the kitchen, I had this vision of us standing side by side, creating delicious treats and sweet memories together.

Not going to lie, it was messy and requires lots of patience. But it's all worth it as it's an opportunity for her to learn, explore, and have fun. Above all, it's a great way for us to bond. And the look of sheer delight when she took that first taste of what she helped create was worth all the mess.

So, if you're a fellow parent looking for inspiration on activities to do together with your child - consider baking together! Bound to create #SweetMemories that are long-lasting ❤️

NO-BAKE OREO CHEESECAKE RECIPE

by Sumopocky

Silicon cake mould (approx 6inches diameter)

Ingredients
[For Chocolate Shell]
White chocolate 170g

[For Cheesecake Batter]
275g of Cream Cheese (Softened)
30g of Icing Sugar
170g of Whipping Cream
9 Oreo cookies (crushed) for batter
3 Oreo cookies (lightly crushed) for base
1tsp Gelatin + 1tsp hot water (Optional)

[For Decoration]
Fondant for decoration
Colouring - Red, Yellow, Black

Directions
[For Chocolate Shell]
1. In a microwaveable bowl, melt the white chocolate.
2. Use a spatula to coat the cake mould
3. Let it harden in the fridge.

[For Cheesecake Batter]
1. Beat cream cheese on high speed till it's smooth and fluffy.
2. Add in sifted icing sugar and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, crush Oreo cookies and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat whipped cream till soft peaks form.
5. Mix in whipped cream and crushed Oreo cookies. Optional: Add in gelatin and hot water mixture for more structure. Mix well.
6. Remove the chocolate shell from the fridge, and pour in cake batter. Leave some for later.
7. Line the cake with lightly crushed chunks of Oreo cookies.
8. Cover the cake with the remaining batter and smooth it out evenly.
9. Let it set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

[For Decoration]
1. Add food colouring to fondant and mould them to desired shapes for decoration
2. When the cake has been gently removed from the mould, place fondant decorations on cake.