Hi Cookery: Champagne Macarons with Caviar- Cream Cheese Filling

Hi Cookery: Champagne Macarons with Caviar- Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

For the champagne macarons (Italian meringue method)

1. 1 cup almond flour/meal
2. 1 cup powdered sugar
3. 3 egg whites (fresh, unpasteurized and aged overnight at room temperature)
4. ½ cup sugar
5. ¼ cup water
6. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1 teaspoon champagne (we used pink champagne)

For the caviar-cream cheese filling

1. Cream cheese, whipped
2. Caviar, chilled

Directions:

Macarons

1. Sift the almond flour/meal with the powdered sugar. Grind in a food processor in batches to remove any lumps (optional).
2. Whip the egg whites until peaks form.
3. Make a simple syrup to stabilize the egg whites by boiling the sugar and water together until it reaches a temperature of 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until it reaches a soft ball stage).
4. Pour into the egg whites and whip again until stiff and glossy.
5. Stir in the vanilla and champagne. Fold in the almond flour/meal-sugar mix until the consistency “flows like magma.”
6. Pipe one-inch discs on a parchment paper on top of an insulated baking sheet. Let the discs air dry to develop a thin skin for at least 30 minutes.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Watch the “feet” develop, but be careful not to brown or burn the macarons.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the macarons from the parchment paper. Sort by size and match pairs.  

1. Whip the cream cheese to a spreadable consistency.
2. Generously coat one half of the macaron shell with the cream cheese. Place another shell on top of it as a sandwich.
3. Press the caviar on the sides of the cream cheese filling with a spreader.
4. Serve immediately as caviar is perishable.