Pear & Hazelnut Tart, Citrus Macarons

I noticed that a number of people are stumbling across my little blog because it is coming up in google search results for "macarons" and "air-pockets"... I am assuming from people who are struggling to solve the problem of air-pockets in their home baked macarons. Since google seems to think that my blog should provide that information, I decided I should probably share some of what I have learned on this subject over the past few months of trouble-shooting recipes.

It took about 3 or 4 months of experimenting for me to find a reliable recipe. As mentioned in a previous post, I started working with a "french" method recipe, but ultimately settled on the Italian method, which seems more complicated at first glance but is actually much more forgiving. See this post for more information on the difference between the french and italian methods. Syrup and Tang also has an excellent explanation of the two.

With the french method, I never solved the air-pocket problem. I tried every oven temperature variation... I tried baking with two sheets to insulate the shells... I tried over mixing and under mixing... each time my shells looked beautiful but the texture was completely off. The exterior shell would crunch when bitten, revealing a large interior air pocket between the softer "cake". A combination of patience and Pierre Herme's italian method helped me fix this problem.

I noticed that even with the italian method, the air pocket problem still exists if you try to eat the shells fresh out of the oven. The air pocket also remains if you try to eat the shells immediately after filling them. Interestingly, if you fill the shells and then refrigerate them for about 24 hours, the air pocket disappears and the macarons have the delicate texture of those you find in a professional bakery. I think it has something to do with the shells absorbing some of the moisture from the filling - it softens the interior and just helps the whole thing come together. Moral of the story - macarons can't be rushed!

Moving on to this week's baking... as the Christmas party in Salem rapidly approaches, I find myself trying to squeeze in a few last test runs to make sure that everything comes out alright. We had a dinner party on Friday night, and as usual, I volunteered to bring dessert. I had a ton of leftover hazelnuts, so I thought I would give the pear frangipane tarts another go. The first time I experimented with this recipe, I did a straight walnut frangipane. It was okay... A loved it... but I did not think that the walnuts were flavorful enough when paired with the poached pears. Hazelnuts did the trick, giving the tart a more interesting flavor. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream adds a nice touch. A miniature version will be added to the Christmas menu.

And of course some macarons to accompany the coffee. Now that I can make them, I will gladly jump on any excuse to whip up a batch. Leftover meyer lemon curd meant citrus macarons were on the menu.

Recipes after the jump!

Citrus Macarons

Adapted from Pierre Herme's basic recipe for macaron shells

yield: approximately 36 gerbet

150 grams almond meal

150 grams powdered sugar

87 grams egg white

10 grams orange extract

A few drops of yellow and red food coloring (optional)

250 grams powdered sugar

67 grams egg white

62 grams water

In a medium bowl, whisk 150 grams almond meal and 150 grams of powder sugar together to smooth out any lumps. Pour 87 grams egg white, 10 grams orange extract and food coloring into the mixture. Do not stir. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, pour the remaining 67 grams egg white. Begin whipping into a meringue on medium high speed. At the same time, mix 250 grams powdered sugar and 62 grams of water in a sauce pan. Heat on high heat until a thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 244 degrees. At  this point, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the meringue, which is being mixed on medium high speed. Pour the syrup in a way that it runs down the side of the mixing bowl before hitting the meringue. Do not pour the syrup directly into the meringue or it will cook. Continue to whip the mixture until it has cooled somewhat.

Give the almond meal/sugar/egg white mixture a quick stir and then pour it into the meringue mixture. Using a rubber spatula, quickly fold the almond mixture into the meringue using firm strokes. Continue to mix until the batter has the texture of cool honey. If you drag your spatula through the batter, it should return to its original shape by the time you count to ten.

Load the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Carefully pipe batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment or silpats. Let the piped shells rest for 30 minutes at room temperature to dry out. When you can lightly touch the top of a shell with your finger and it feels dry, it is ready to go in the oven. Bake at 240 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the shells show slight color.

Let the shells cool on the baking sheets for about 10-15 minutes. Carefully peel them off the liner and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

I filled the shells above using leftover meyer lemon curd mixed with an equal amount of cream cheese and a few tablespoon of powdered sugar for thickening.

Pear and Hazelnut Tart

Pate sucree (I used the recipe on Foodbeam which might be the best pate sucree recipe I have ever tried!)

Poached Pears

2-3 pears peeled, cored and halved

1 vanilla bean

1/2 ounce lemon juice

1/2 lb granulated sugar

To poach the pears, fill a large sauce pan to about 3/4 full with ice water and add the lemon juice. Add the pears to the water. Remove the ice and add the sugar and the vanilla bean. Place a circle of parchment paper with a hole in the middle on top of the pears in the water. This will prevent discoloration as the pears cook. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until pears are slightly soft. Harder pears will take longer to poach. Remove from heat and allow pears to cool in the liquid. Store pears in the refrigerator in the cooking liquid until you are ready to use them. They should keep up to two weeks.

Hazelnut Frangipane

2.5 ounces hazelnuts

2 ounces granulated sugar

2 ounces brown sugar

4 ounces butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 ounces flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine hazelnuts and granulated sugar in a food processor and grind into a fine meal. Cream butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in nuts, cinnamon, vanilla extract and orange extract until completely incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time. Combine flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to the nut mixture, beating on low speed just until absorbed. The hazelnut frangipane will keep in the refrigerator for about one week or in the freezer for months.

Assemble the tart

Roll tart dough out and fit into an 8 or 9 inch tart mold. Spread the frangipane evenly in the crust, taking care to make sure that the frangipane goes no higher than halfway up the side of the crust, as it will rise significantly in the oven. Thinly slice the poached pears in a decorative pattern on top of the frangipane. Cook tart for approximately 40 minutes, or until frangipane sets, in a 350 degree oven.