This lovely galaxy-themed macarons are a deliciously and stunning cookie you can make to take your friends to a galaxy far far away! They are also gluten free!!

Supplies

Ingredients

Macaron Shell:

200g Sifted Almond meal (You will need more as you will sift out lumps)
200g Pure Icing sugar (again may need slightly more) (It is important to use our icing sugar as using icing mixture can change the texture, this step also makes it gluten-free)
80g Old egg whites, room temp (old egg whites refer to separated egg whites that have been cracked 3-5 days beforehand, covered in a cling wrapped container. this gives a better meringue)
70g Fresh egg whites, room temp (cracked at the time)
50ml water
200g caster sugar
Edible food colouring (ideally gel or powdered, not liquid)

Filling:

Use any filling that you like, such as a chocolate-based ganache or salted caramel, I have a separate video for the salted caramel but the ingredients are.
250g caster sugar
70ml water
120ml thickened cream
200g butter
1-2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1-2 tsp salt (I recommend trying this and adding more salt than you think, the shells are quite sweet, therefore having a salty filling complements the flavour really well)

Equipment:

Small saucepans
candy thermometer
standing mixer with the whisk attachment and metal mixing bowl
oven
spatula/scraper
circle macaron print templates (I use one off of google images with XXXcm diameter circles)
Baking paper (NOT wax paper)
Piping bags 11mm round piping tip
toothpicks or skewers
Whisk

Step 1: Make Your Filling

I typically make the filling for my macarons the night before I make my macarons so that it can chill adequately.

I have a separate full video for this on my channel but here are the pictures

For the salted caramel filling:

Place the 250g caster sugar and 70ml water in a small saucepot and put on high heat until it changes colour. For a sweeter caramel let it go yellow, for a slightly bitter caramel let it go darker (I recommend this as the darker more bitter caramel tastes lovey with the sweet macaron shell).

Once it changes colour, immediately whisk in the thickened cream (WARNING) This will steam quickly so be careful not to burn yourself. Then whilst mixing, add a candy thermometer and allow it to come to 108 degrees Celcius (226.4F). Immediately place the pot into cold water to stop the caramel from getting hotter.

Once cooled for a minute, add the vanilla bean paste, salt and whisk in half of the butter. (do this quickly so that the butter doesn't melt and separate from the caramel). Then add the rest of the butter and whisk. taste it and make sure it is to your liking. I would make it slightly saltier than expected as the shells are quite sweet.

You can fill them with any delicious filling and I have some other options on my channel if you want to try different ones.

Such as raspberry and white chocolate ganache, vanilla white chocolate ganache etc.

Step 2: Prepare Dry Ingredients

In a large metal, bowl sift/whisk together the almond meal and pure icing sugar.

Step 3: Make the Meringue

Prepare a standing mixer with a whisk attachment and metal mixing bowl. Ensure the bowl is properly clean with no water, dust or oils, it needs to be clean for a good meringue.

In a small saucepan heat 200g caster sugar and 50ml water to a boil. With a candy thermometer heat it up to 117.5 Degrees Celcius (243F). Once it reaches this temperature immediately plunge the pot into cold water to stop the sugar syrup from heating up further. Once the syrup stops making small bubbles it is ready to add to the egg whites.

On a medium-high speed quickly beat the egg whites for 30 seconds. Then slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup so that

The egg whites don't cook
the sugar syrup does not clump and cool on the bowl

Then continue to beat the meringue on a high speed for about 8-10 minutes, or more until it creates stiff peaks and that the bowl is cool to the touch.

Step 4:

In the metal bowl with the dry ingredients add the 70g new egg whites and mix them all together to form a paste. Then slowly fold in half of the meringue into the mixture. This will help loosen up the almond paste. Then add the rest of the meringue mixture and you want to fold it in about 30 times until it is uniform is consistent.

Step 5: Colour the Mixture

To colour the macaron mixture separate them into 3 more bowls, these can be any colours you like but I like purple, blue, pink and a bit of white from the main batch.

It is important to use either gel or powdered food colouring so that you do not change the liquid content. Also do not add too much colouring as this can affect the consistency.

Step 6: Pipe the Mixture

Place a sheet of baking paper over the macaron template and place a mug on top of it to stop the paper from moving. Then place the round-tipped piping nozzle into the piping bag. Then to have the galaxy effect you can either do the following:

In the piping bag place the macaron mixture on different sides of the bag, as shown. so that they are separated but will mix when pushed through the bag. Then lightly pipe the mixture into the borders of the circles, try to make them all the same size.

Then place the baking paper on a baking tray and bang it onto the table top, rotating the tray 90 degrees after a few taps. if you see any visible air bubbles pop them with a toothpick.

Step 7: Bake the Macarons

Allow the macarons to sit for between 20-30minutes after piping them. you will notice the shells will go from a shiny-wet look to a dried out skinned shell.

Then in an oven pre-heated to 145 degrees Celcius (293F) bake the macarons for between 9-12 minutes. Now macarons are very time-sensitive and the time will vary on how much you pipe, on how even your oven bakes and the humidity of the room. I would recommend 10 minutes, the best way to tell if they are done is if you can lightly lift the macaron off the paper without leaving any batter behind.

It's better to check at the 9-minute point and add time if it is needed.

Step 8:

Once your macarons have baked allow them to cool fully. Then lift them off the baking paper and match them as closely as you can in terms of size so that the halves match.

Then place the filling into a piping bag and then pipe it onto one half of the macaron shell. Then place the second macaron shell on top of it. Then place them in the fridge for about 24 hours to allow the filling to rest into the macaron shells and the flavours to mingle.

Step 9: Serve / Storage

I hope you try and enjoy making these macarons! and that you share them with your friends and family!

These macarons are best served at room temperature so take them out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you would like to serve them.

You can also freeze them for up to a month or so. A little tip when freezing anything you you can vacuum seal the air out of the bag and double bag them it avoided them getting freezer burn and lasting longer.