My MacInspirational Brown Sugar Cake - Balsamic Roasted Fig Macarons

I was so inspired to make something more for this months Mactweets Challenge, after finding firm 'feet' with my Green Tea Macarons. I had to try some new flavour so I roasted some fresh figs (that I bought for 4 quid) with some good balsamic vinegar, pulsed them with the almonds,Icing sugar and Voila..it worked like magic. I then sandwiched the cakes with a luscious mascarone frosting & roasted figs. It was so lovely with a drizzle of balsamic-honey reduction I made.

The MacQueens asked us to combine or integrate macarons into any dessert, making it a new part of an old favorite, or turn them into a favourite dessert; inspired in flavor, texture, colour.

I have to share this beautiful sunset scene that I captured the other day making these Raspberry Macs (pictured above). How can one not find inspiration in such beautiful surroundings? I have to try making macs in each of those colours!! At least I got the pink right.

Brown Sugar Cake - Balsamic Roasted Fig Macarons
For the Brown Sugar Cake (makes two 8" cake)
Ingredients
175g self raising flour
175g unsalted butter
175g muscaovado sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp baking powder
3 eggs
2tbsp sour cream
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 8" pans. Sift all the dry ingredients twice. Beat the butter and sugar till light. Add eggs one by one and beat well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream & vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in two additions. Pour into the prepared tins and bake for about 25-35 min or until skewer inserted to the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
For the Roasted Balsamic Fig Macarons
Ingredients 1 cup fresh figs sliced
1 heaped tbsp good balsamic vinegar
Method:
Preheat oven to 125C. Place the figs on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Oven dry it for about 45-60min. Reserve about 1/2 cup.
For the Macarons
Ingredients 1 aged egg white (aged for 2-5days)
10g caster sugar
65g powdered sugar
35g ground almonds
1/4 cup of roasted figs
1/2 tsp egg whites powder

pinch cream of tartar
1/4 tsp Organic beetroot powder for colour
Method:

Preheat oven to 160C.
Line a baking sheet with silpat. Pulse the powdered sugar with the almond powder, colour and roasted figs in a processor. Sift them twice.
Beat the egg whites until foamy and add the granulated sugar, whites powder, cream of tartar. Beat until very stiff and firm. Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding. The mixture should be thick and fall in ribbons when lifted. Fill a piping bag with this and pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1″ circles evenly spaced apart. Tap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then rest to form a skin for about an hour. Bake them for 12-15 minutes depending on size. Once done, transfer them to a cooling rack.

For the Mascarone icing
Ingredients 1 tub of mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
Method:
Whisk the mascarpone, icing sugar and cream till you get soft peaks. Chill if not using immediately.
Assembly:

Place one layer of the brown sugar cake and spread a generous portion of the icing. Lay some roasted figs on top and sandwich with the other layer of cake. Cover the cake completely with the mascarpone icing, using an offset spatula.
Decorate with the fig macarons as desired.
Note
You could just make the macarons, use just half the icing. Pipe the icing onto the shells, place some roasted figs and sandwich them.

Head over to Mactweets and see what everyone else has been up to this month!