These duck macarons on pond cupcakes are so tasty and would be perfect for a baby shower or a young child's birthday party. You can read more about these on my blog here - http://www.craftstorming.com/2012/05/quackaroons-and-pond-cupcakes.
To make the macarons you will need;
200g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
2 x 80g egg white (at room temperature)
200g caster sugar
75g water
yellow and orange food colours
some royal icing
duck template (included in this Instructable)
For the buttercream (to fill the macarons and decorate the cupcakes) you will need;
130g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
70ml milk
600g icing sugar
yellow, blue and green food colours
For the cupcakes you can use whichever recipe you want to.
To make the macarons you will need;
200g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
2 x 80g egg white (at room temperature)
200g caster sugar
75g water
yellow and orange food colours
some royal icing
duck template (included in this Instructable)
For the buttercream (to fill the macarons and decorate the cupcakes) you will need;
130g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
70ml milk
600g icing sugar
yellow, blue and green food colours
For the cupcakes you can use whichever recipe you want to.
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Signing UpStep 1: Make your macaron batter
Before you start, print out your duck template. I find two copies most helpful. Also, get at least 2 large backing trays ready and place on top of the baking paper to flatten it out. Finally, weight the mixing bowl of your food mixer. Now you can start making your macarons.
Place the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times until well combined.
Sieve this into a large mixing bowl, discarding any lumps that don't pass through the sieve easily.
Place the caster sugar and water in a large saucepan. Place over a high heat and do not stir.
Meanwhile place 80g of egg white in the bowl of a food mixer and (with the whisk attachment) along with just one small drop of lemon juice. Mix gently to soft peaks.
When the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches 105° increase the speed of the mixer.
When the sugar syrup reaches 115° remove from the heat and pour in a thin ribbon onto the beaten egg whites, continuing to beat white you pour. I find a low speed helpful while pouring so the syrup doesn't splatter up the bowl. Continue to beat it on a high speed for a further 10 minutes until it is cool.
Take the remaining 80g of egg whites and stir into the almond and sugar until it forms a smooth paste.
Using a flexible spatula mix about a third of the Italian meringue mix into the almond paste, then add the rest of the meringue.
At this stage I took out about 10% of the mix and placed it in a separate bowl. Place 10% of the remaining meringue into this bowl and the other 90% into the original mix. To do this weigh your mixing bowl and deduct the weight you took at the beginning. Now divide this figure by 10.
Without mixing yet, add orange food colouring into the small amount of mix (i.e. the 10% bowl). I use powder colours and found I needed at least half a teaspoon. Don't leave it too late to add enough food colour as you will end up overmixing.
For the large (90%) bowl add at least 1 teaspoon of yellow food colour.
Be very careful not to overmix here (otherwise your macarons will not rise much and won't have feet). You should get it to a consistency where it will just drop the spatula smoothly and without being too runny. There are lots of resources on the internet that can show you how to achieve the perfect consistency.
Place the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times until well combined.
Sieve this into a large mixing bowl, discarding any lumps that don't pass through the sieve easily.
Place the caster sugar and water in a large saucepan. Place over a high heat and do not stir.
Meanwhile place 80g of egg white in the bowl of a food mixer and (with the whisk attachment) along with just one small drop of lemon juice. Mix gently to soft peaks.
When the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches 105° increase the speed of the mixer.
When the sugar syrup reaches 115° remove from the heat and pour in a thin ribbon onto the beaten egg whites, continuing to beat white you pour. I find a low speed helpful while pouring so the syrup doesn't splatter up the bowl. Continue to beat it on a high speed for a further 10 minutes until it is cool.
Take the remaining 80g of egg whites and stir into the almond and sugar until it forms a smooth paste.
Using a flexible spatula mix about a third of the Italian meringue mix into the almond paste, then add the rest of the meringue.
At this stage I took out about 10% of the mix and placed it in a separate bowl. Place 10% of the remaining meringue into this bowl and the other 90% into the original mix. To do this weigh your mixing bowl and deduct the weight you took at the beginning. Now divide this figure by 10.
Without mixing yet, add orange food colouring into the small amount of mix (i.e. the 10% bowl). I use powder colours and found I needed at least half a teaspoon. Don't leave it too late to add enough food colour as you will end up overmixing.
For the large (90%) bowl add at least 1 teaspoon of yellow food colour.
Be very careful not to overmix here (otherwise your macarons will not rise much and won't have feet). You should get it to a consistency where it will just drop the spatula smoothly and without being too runny. There are lots of resources on the internet that can show you how to achieve the perfect consistency.
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19
RollerScrapper says:
Jun 8, 2012. 7:02 AMReplySimply adorable! I live to make macarons but haven't made any shapes except by accident, these are fantastic!
72
supersoftdrink says:
May 28, 2012. 12:12 PMReplyAdorable cupcakes! Bonus points for not using that barely edible abomination known as "fondant." Wonderful pictures, directions, and instructable. :) :) :)
3
Craftstorming (author) says:
May 29, 2012. 10:52 AMReply
Ha, I don't like fondant either, always pick it off.
3
Craftstorming (author) says:
May 28, 2012. 3:07 PMReply
Thanks everyone. I've made a few shaped macarons now and they're so fun to make. I find they rise a bit less than the standard circle shape but still rise well and get feet.
61
lmnopeas says:
May 27, 2012. 8:30 PMReplyReally creative! I've haven't seen a lot of shaped macaroons. Nice work!
108
Penolopy Bulnick says:
May 27, 2012. 3:39 PMReplyThose are the most adorable macaroons I have every seen! I have never seen them in a shape other than circle! I love how unique it is and how you even incorporated the macaroons with cupcakes :) YUM!
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