One cut after another the paper Christmas tree I’m crafting is taking shape. I’m excited and going to share it with you soon…
But for now let’s speak about the dessert I told you about in my previous post. Not a conventional Christmas dessert, a tart. But not any kind of tart, a macaron tartlet. And the dessert Paprika and I agreed to have on our table for the Christmas eve dinner- even if I know I’ll prepare a beigli too.
Summer fruits and berries are plentiful right now and this tart makes a good use of them.
The original idea was found in a bakery in Paris, during our trip last July. We were invited for a dinner and we brought the dessert. We knew that our host is very fond of strawberries, so we chose a tart nicely garnished with fruits rouges -mixed berries.
The dessert was a hit. Not so keen on berries (except for blackberry) and macaron myself, I was the first surprised to say that I like it. So much that I thought of recreating the tart back in my kiwi kitchen this summer.
And here it is. It was not that obvious though. After a first failing attempt to make the macaron base, I’ve read and watched different resources over the net and in books before giving another try. Here’s a medley from my readings. I was all excited when I saw the little pied forming under the macarons and the shells remaining intact. All this -endless- sifting time was finely rewarded !
Once you are done with the base, the tart is easy to assemble. And the macaron shells can be made one or two days ahead and kept in an airtight container. On the day, I advice you to dress the tartlets a couple of hours before and let them rest in the fridge.
I promise you that you’ll like this tart and your guests too !
Mixed Berry Macaron Tartlets
(Makes 6)
Macaron Base
3 large egg whites at room temperature
65gr / 5 tbsp granulated sugar
85gr / 2/3 cup ground almonds
150gr / 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
In a food processor pulse together ground almond, powdered sugar and cocoa to a fine powder. Sift the mixture through a sieve and keep aside. Prepare two baking sheets lined with baking/ parchment paper. Draw 10cm / 4 inches diameter circles on baking paper, allowing large spacing between each circle (3 circles on each baking sheet). Turn over the baking paper on the baking sheet. In a clean and dry mixing bowl, using an electric beater, beat egg whites on high-speed until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites. Keep beating until the meringue is stiff, firm and has a glossy texture. Gently fold in the sifted almond mix and using a spatula stir to incorporate the almond mix. (This video tutorial was helpful for the macaronnage step). Fill a piping / pastry bag with the batter. Pipe the batter onto the center of the circles drawn previously on the baking paper. Keep in mind the batter tends to spread so pipe a smaller circle of batter to reach the final wanted diameter. Rap firmly the baking tray on the work surface a couple of times to even the surface. Let dry the macaron at room temperature for 30 minutes or more until the batter does not stick to your finger when you touch it (mine took more than one hour). Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 150˚C / 302˚F. Place the baking sheet on an oven grid above the oven rack and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow macaron shells to cool for a couple of minutes on a wire rack before removing them from the baking paper. Proceed with the second batch the same way.
Garnish
270gr mascarpone
350gr (about 3 cups) mixed fruits rouges (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry…)
Icing sugar for sprinkling.
Spread mascarpone on the macaron shell and lay over fruits (sliced if necessary). Let rest the tartlets in the fridge and remove them 10-15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve.
