3 Tbsp (35 g) granulated sugar
Sift the almond flour into a bowl. Stir in the icing sugar, then sift again into another bowl.
Using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the salt. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat at medium speed. When all of the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick meringue, fold in the almond flour mixture with a rubber spatula. When the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a piping bag.
Pipe out the macarons onto a macaron baking mat or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, forming circles about 1¼ inches (3.5 cm) in diameter (you can use the template on page 198). Tap the baking sheet with the macarons once against the kitchen counter so any big air bubbles rise to the surface and burst.
Preheat the oven to 250ºF (125ºC) on the convection setting, or 275ºF (135ºC) on the regular setting. Allow the macarons to dry for about 40 minutes on the counter, then bake them on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if you’re using the regular oven setting. See page 190 for more detailed instructions.
Passion fruit cream
2 passion fruits
2 egg yolks, whisked
⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp (30 g) butter, cut into cubes and kept cold
Cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out the flesh, then press it through a strainer to make juice.
Combine 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of the passion fruit juice with the egg yolks and sugar in a double boiler, or directly in a saucepan over low heat. Heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture starts to thicken, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter. Set aside to cool.
Decoration
yellow liquid gel food coloring
water
1 egg white
1 tsp lemon juice
approximately 1⅔ cups (200 g) icing sugar
In a small bowl, mix a few drops of food coloring with a little water. Using a small brush, draw lines from the middle of the macaron shell to the edge to make flower petals. Repeat this on half of the shells.
Make icing with the egg white, lemon juice, and icing sugar according to the instructions on page 188. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring. Transfer to a piping bag. Make a small hole and pipe out little dots into the middle of each of the decorated macarons. Sandwich the macarons together with the passion fruit cream, using a plain macaron on the bottom and a decorated one on top. Keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
COFFE ICE CREAM CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE MERINGUE
makes one 9-inch (23 cm) round cake
The sun has melted most of the snow on the mountain, and you can finally hike to the top again. Dramatic chocolate meringue mountains decorate this coffee ice cream cake with a crispy meringue crust. The cake is easy to make, but it does take some time in the oven and the freezer, so make it a day ahead.
Chocolate meringue
3 medium egg whites (100 g)
pinch of salt
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp (180 g) granulated sugar
2½ Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
Preheat the oven to 175ºF (75ºC) on the convection setting, or 200ºF (90ºC) on the regular setting. Using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the salt (which makes the meringue firmer). Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat at medium speed until the sugar is dissolved and you have a thick meringue. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in 2 Tbsp of the cocoa powder.
Fill a piping bag with a little less than half of the mixture. Cut a fairly large hole or use a large round tip. Pipe out mountains onto parchment paper by squeezing and pulling upward. Sift ½ Tbsp of cocoa powder through a tea strainer onto the meringue mountains. Spread the rest of the meringue evenly in the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) round springform pan lined with parchment paper. Put both the pan and the baking sheet with the mountains in the oven and leave the meringues to dry for about 5 hours. Remove from the oven and cool.
Coffee ice cream
3 egg yolks
¾ cup (140 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp strong coffee, cooled
1¼ cups (300 ml) whipping cream
¼ tsp vanilla bean seeds, or 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract
Using a handheld mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale in color. Gently stir in the cooled coffee. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until fluffy using a handheld mixer. Add the vanilla seeds toward the end. Gently fold the egg mixture into the whipped cream. Spread the mixture over the meringue in the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put the cake in the freezer overnight.
Decoration
1 oz (30 g) bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped or grated
icing sugar
Remove the cake from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. While it thaws, sprinkle the chocolate over the cake and place the meringue mountains on top. Finally, sift some icing sugar to dust the mountaintops with snow.
Variations: For a more child-friendly version, skip the coffee in the ice cream. Nuts and pieces of chocolate can also be added to the ice cream. You can make the meringue without cocoa as well.
COCONUT OATMEAL COOKIES
makes 30 cookies
The white anemone, poking its head through the wilted leaves, is yet another sign of spring in Norway. In some places, the entire forest floor is covered in a white carpet. Mini marshmallows, cut diagonally, form the sweet white anemones on these chewy cookies.
Oatmeal cookies
½ cup (110 g) butter, at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (100 g) quick-cooking oats
⅓ cup (35 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
½ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, whip the butter and sugars together with a whisk until fluffy. Add the egg and whisk well. Stir together the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then add them to the butter mixture and stir until combined.
Roll the dough into little balls, approximately 2 tsp each. Flatten them a little on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
White anemones
1 egg white
1 tsp lemon juice
approximately 1⅔ cups (200 g) icing sugar
green liquid gel food coloring
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