Pastel Macarons with Swiss Meringue Buttercream & Lemon Curd

Colours make us happy doesn't it? ^0^

Too ambitious this time round to create multi colours macarons!

Not all batches turned out well, almost 50% were flaw, either crack or a hump appear on the surface >.< Plus the purple turned out the least satisfactory (too flat and over baked thus the brown edge). But overall they still look appealing when assembled together :D

Recipe adapted from Tartelette...
Ingredient (makes approx. 30 cookies, 15 macarons)

• 50gm egg whites (aged for 1-2 days)
• 25gm granulated sugar
• 100gm icing sugar
• 55gm extra fine ground almonds
• wilton food colour paste

Method

1. Sift ground almonds and icing sugar together and set aside.
2. Beat egg whites on high speed till foamy. Add sugar gradually and beat till glossy and stiff peak form. Beat in colourings till well blended.
3. Fold in almond mixture in batches until well blended.
4. Transfer batter into piping bag and pipe on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and rest for 30mins until dry.
5. Baked at preheated oven at 160 deg cel for 12-15mins.
6. Remove from oven, cool down for 5mins and peel the cookies from parchment paper. Cool completely on wire rack.

* For one batch I've divided the almond mixture into 2 parts and fold in individual colour paste. 

Ready for filling....Swiss Meringue Buttercream & Homemade Lemon Curd

Swiss Meringue Buttercream with Lemon Curd

Ingredient 

• 50gm egg whites
• 70gm sugar
• 115gm unsalted butter, soft but still cold, cut into small cubes
• 3 tbsp lemon curd

Method

1. Lightly whisk egg whites in a mixing bowl, place over a pot of simmering water.
2. Add in sugar in 3 batches, whisk mixture till sugar is fully dissolved (rub some with fingers, if it feels grainy, it hasn't dissolved yet), takes about 2-3mins.
3. Remove from heat and whisk for 5 mins till stiff peak formed, thick and glossy.
4. At this point, the mixing bowl should be cook to the touch but still slightly warm at the bottom.
5. Place the bowl of meringue on top of a large bowl filled with a few ice cubes and water.
6. With a electric whisk, beat and add in butter cube one by one, ensuring that each addition is well incorporated before adding the next one.
7. Beat till mixture become curdles, stop the mixer.  Continue beat till mixture becomes creamy and satiny. Beat in lemon curd. Ready to use.

To assembly : Transfer buttercream into a piping bag. Make a small cut on the tip of the piping bag. Pipe 2 rings of cream onto one macaron shells. Fill in extra 1/2 tsp of lemon curd into the middle ring. Sandwich with another macaron shell. Press it down slightly. Store in air-tight container and chill in fridge. Best serve the next day.

I am linking this post to the Bake Along event created by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids