MACS ARE IN THE AIR

I ♥ you because of your simplicity.

I ♥ you because you are temperamental.

I ♥ your gorgeous deliciousness. 

I ♥ your perfection. 

I ♥ you even if you have failed me many a times. 

I ♥ you because you inspire me. 

I ♥ you more everyday. 

I ♥the pitter patter of your tiny feet...

Hang on! Before you jump to any naughty conclusions I was actually talking about my ♥ for macarons... my new found love.

For February’s Mac Attack Jamie and Deeba have asked MacSweethearts to create something for Valentine’s Day. 

Valentines Day is the Dday celebrating love and affection. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by gifting flowers, chocolates or exchanging cards. There is just no choice, no escaping it! Every little shop in town is filled with deep red roses,the colour of love and innumerable confectioneries, fancy greeting cards and gifts.

I chose strawberry, rose and chocolate the eternal combination to express love in my macarons. I find the Italian Meringue method the best to make macarons and will stick to them. The shells have a pale pink from the (have not used any colour) powdered strawberries. I have filled them with a rose-strawberry buttercream and also have a secret  dark chocolate centre to convey the bittersweet and secretive nature of mine ;-). Even 'S', a macaron fiend, loved them. I let my wildly romantic side take over and made them heart shaped (although they seem to have lost their shape while baking) and also painted hearts using melted chocolate. Nothing says I Love You like a sweet little something, the size of a kiss, the flavor of your wildest desire, the macaron. This is for you 'S' to say in my own special way how much I ♥ you!

For the Strawberry Rose Macarons
Ingredients
27g egg whites
75g caster sugar
20g water
1tsp rose water
75g ground almonds
75g powdered sugar
1tsp strawberry powder
27g egg whites
Method:
Pulse the almonds,strawberry powder and icing sugar in a processor until fine. Sieve twice. Mix one part of the egg whites to this. Meanwhile whisk whites till frothy. Bring the sugar and water to boil and let it reach 115-118 C in a candy thermometer. Add this to the whites and whisking all the while on high as you pour till it form glossy peaks. Add the rose water. Mix a part of the whites to the almond mixture gently folding it. Mix in the remaining whites till you get a smooth mixture that forms ribbons when lifted. Do not over-mix as the mixture will turn liquidy and difficult to pipe. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe onto a baking sheet with silpat/ non-stick sheet. Leave it to form a skin for 30 minutes. When you touch them they should not stick to your hand at this point, if they do leave them for some more time. Preheat oven to 140C and bake these babies for 12-15 min depending on size. They should come off the sheet once cooked. Transfer to wire rack and cool. Pipe desired filling and sandwich the macarons.
For the Filling
Strawberry Rose Buttercream and Chocolate centre
I have used the recipe from here and have added powdered strawberries and few drops of rose water instead of lemoncurd.
50g of dark chocolate melted
Assembly
Once the macarons are cool fill a pastry bag with the buttercream and pipe small starts using a small nozzle all over the sides and fill melted chocolate in the centre. Top with another matching macaron.