Are you a fan of matcha? Do you know that matcha tea is different from the green tea you drink in a cup? Yes. Green tea that we buy in the supermarket is just green tea leaves that are steeped in hot water. In contrast, matcha is the green tea leaves that are ground to a fine powder, which is why matcha tea is more bitter than green tea. Recently, I’ve been on a matcha trip. I’ve also been using matcha in a few baked treats at home, such as matcha cookies, matcha cupcakes, and even a matcha cake with whipped cream. Oh, and you must try my Pistachio Matcha Green Tea No-Churn Ice Cream. Even my kids love it. I regularly have at least 3 to 4 cups of green tea, but matcha tea? Nah, I still find it bitter. So, I try to use it in baked items like these matcha macarons.
About these macarons
The macaron shell is my basic macaron shell with a green food gel color. You can add a teaspoon of matcha powder. But the matcha powder I had was not a lovely bright green. So I was afraid I might not get the pretty green color I wanted. The authentic matcha flavor for these macarons comes from the matcha cream in this recipe. If you have been following my macaron recipes then you probably know that I love to use Swiss meringue or Italian meringue buttercream for my macarons. These are less sweet than regular buttercream and richer too. It also adds a nice richness to the macaron as a whole with that melt in your mouth quality.
Ingredients and substitutes
Egg whites – Always use egg whites by weight not measure. If you see I have said 110 grams. This is very important. And, you can use fresh eggs but make sure they are room temperature. Almond meal—Whether you buy it or make it at home, make sure it’s fine and can be sifted. Adding some of the powdered sugar from the recipe will help keep the mixture dry and not oily. Sugar – Use a fine grain sugar like castor sugar so it dissolves easily in the egg whites. Cream of tartar – A great way to ensure your egg whites whip to stiff peaks. Try looking for it. A pinch of salt work as a substitute as well. Extract – Always use an extract that’s not oil based. If you are not sure don’t add any extract at all. But do not use any oil based extract in your whipped egg whites. Food Colors – Use color gels, not water-based colors. Water-based colors will change the consistency of your macaron mixture. Also, powder colors actually work best with macarons but color gels are easier to find.
Short video – match macarons
Step-by-step instructions
Prepare dry ingredients
Place almond meal and powdered sugar in a food processor. Sift it and discard any big or remains that does not go thru.Pro tip – If you have a lot in the sifter – pulse some more.
Whip egg whites
Place the egg whites with cream of tartar in a grease-free mixer bowl with a whisk attachment. Start whisking on medium speed. After a minute start adding the regular sugar a little at a time. Once all the sugar has been added – whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks. Add extract and food color – mix the color well.
Macronage
Next, fold the almond/sugar mixture into the whipped eggs whites. As shown in the video – once the almond mixture has been folded in, continue to fold some more using the method shown in the video. Spread it around the bowl – bring it back to the center. I usually have to do this about 4 to 5 times with each batch. You need to fold the mixture until you have what is called a dropping consistency or a thick cake batter consistency. Which means when you hold a little batter on the spatula and drop it back into the bowl it should settle back into the rest slowly.
Pipe/ Tap /Rest
Pour batter into a piping bag with a large round tip (No.12). Pipe similar size macarons on to a parchment paper using a template. The best way to pipe is to squeeze until you have a good mound then swirl the tip to one side. But don’t worry if you don’t get it when you tap the pan these usually settle down. Tap the baking sheet on the counter a couple of times so all the air pockets will rise to the top and release. That way you won’t have big holes in your macarons. I do three taps on each side as shown in the video. Let the macarons rest in a cool dry place for about 20 minutes so the tops will get crusted. In places with high humidity, this can take up to 30 minutes. This will give you a dry shell on top when you touch. As long as it does not stick to your hand when you touch it – you are good to go. While the macarons are drying – preheat the oven to 150 C/300 F.
Bake/Cool
Depending on your oven, bake the macarons for 15 to 18 minutes. The tops will look set, and the bottoms should not be wet. The top shell should be shiny and the bottom crusty (also called macaron feet). Let cool on the parchment for a while then take them off and let cool completely.
Prepare matcha cream filling
Make thick matcha paste combining hot water and matcha powder (I used 4 tbsp water). Add the ganache and/or buttercream. Stir until smooth.
Prepare frosting
Prepare half a batch of the Swiss meringue buttercream using the recipe and the above video link.
Fill the macarons
Prepare two piping bags – one with matcha cream and one with Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Pair macarons shells so you have similar sizes to match and make a sandwich. Pipe a ring of Swiss meringue buttercream, then pipe the matcha cream in the center of that ring. Sandwich the two shells together
Storage
Macarons must be stored in the fridge and are best eaten one or two days later.
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