Mad about Meringue
Chocolate & Nutella Cream Macarons
What do you do with 400g of egg whites leftover from making ice cream and custards? Make meringue, of course, you’d think. Except that meringue on its own isn’t all that exciting. I guess it was time to make macarons again!
It’d been 4 months since I made my last batch of macarons and I was definitely worried that I’d lost my “macaron mojo” (to quote Veron, who incidentally makes lovely french meringue macarons). I decided to go with that same method since the egg whites had already been sitting covered in the fridge for quite some time. I figured that could only help since french meringue macarons usually calls for 1 - 2 day old egg whites.
I was a little apprehensive, since my french meringue macaron batter tends to end up on the fluid side and I’d chuck the entire batch without even piping the batter. I braced myself for failure.
This time, however, the 1st batch of cocoa batter turned out perfect! The shells looked just like Helen’s beautifully tall french meringue macarons! The best part was not seeing a single air pocket in sight, a phenomenon that I’d encountered frequently with italian meringue. I did think they were slightly chewier than the italian meringue ones, but filled them and left them overnight in the fridge.
I took a bite the day and fell completely in love. The macarons were possibly the best that I’d ever made: thin crisp shell with an unbelievably soft and moist interior as well as beautifully high feet. Sis, however, preferred the harder shells of macarons made with the sucre cuit method.
The bad news: I haven’t been able to achieve the same results with plain or coloured batter; the shells were flatter, the feet were smaller and the taste was sweeter. I’m not sure if it was because I’d used fresher eggs for those, if I’d left the shells to dry too long, if the meringue didn’t like the rainy weather, or a combination of everything. I see more macaron experiments round the corner!
Mini Lemon Curd Meringue Tarts
Another way I like to use meringue is in combination with a lemon tart. The last time I’d made these, the tarts were much larger and the crust was less than ideal. This time I went with proper crusts but in a mini pop-in-your-mouth size.
Imagine a burst of lemon, crunchy bits of crust and silky soft meringue all in one mouth full. Just thinking about it makes me want to whip up another batch right away! The most encouraging part: even mum, who’s not a big on desserts and sweets, thought these were good. 
November 4th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Your chocolate macarons look fantastic! I think your plain batter french meringue ones look terrific too! I agree whenever I do not bake macaron for a few weeks I am afraid I might lose my mojo…it’s because these cookies are soo finicky!
November 5th, 2008 at 12:15 am
recipes?? please…
they all look delicious!
November 5th, 2008 at 12:52 am
all of your treats look magnificent! I am especially in love with the mini-lemon meringue tarts- I wish I had the time and patience to make such beautiful little treats!
November 5th, 2008 at 3:35 am
My mouth is watering! I can’t even decide which one I would want to bite into first. I am definitely a meringue addict.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Wow they all look stunning and absolutely delicious. Love the pic of the cocoa dusted macarons.
November 8th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I was wondering what recipe you use for your meringue tarts and if you put in a stablizer? The recipe that I use at times ’sweats’ and moves around and I am not sure what to do…your tarts look gorgeous!!!
November 8th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Sorry, my question was in regards to your meringue topping…thanks, Jo-Ann
November 9th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Wow, those macarons look seriously delicious!
November 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Thank you, Veron, Emily Rose, Rachael, Katie & Duncan! I’m still hoping that the success with french meringue macarons wasn’t just a fluke.
Jan: You might like to try Helen’s blog for macaron recipes. She has very generously shared her recipes for many different flavours.
Jo-Ann: I don’t use stabilizers, unless you’re referring to cream of tartar, which I do add in the early stages of whipping the egg whites. Try either Swiss or Italian Meringue for more stable results. Alternatively, check this site out for tips on how to prevent your meringue from weeping.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Hi Karen,
Your macarons and tarts look gorgeous. May I know the brand and model of your oven? My current oven has fan mode which I think is not suitable for baking macarons. Any good recommendation?
TIA
rgds
November 14th, 2008 at 3:05 am
absolutely lovely! i’m glad i came across your blog, really beautiful photos and DELICIOUS looking desserts. thanks for sharing!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Jennifer: I’m using an Ariston built-in oven (model FB 51.2 IX). I think it’s still possible to bake with fan mode. You can try lowering the baking temperature by about 20 degrees C and possibly keep the oven door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon or something similar. I haven’t tried it myself, but commercial kitchens do use convection ovens to bake macarons, so it has to be possible.
Lyndsay: Thank you!
November 15th, 2008 at 10:10 am
These macarons would make the ideal holiday gift.
November 15th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
hi karen, u’re driving me nutz with new pictures of your macarons AND having them in nutella cream
pls email me if you re-open for Xmas, i’ll be first to jump in line!
November 21st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Hi there, i was searching for mango mousse cake recipe and come upon ur wonderful mango mousse cake!!! do u mind emailing me the recipe for ur mango mousse cake that was in june 2007 entry? I want to bake a mango mousse cake for my hubby’s birthday that is in dec as he love mangos alot! Kindly appreciated!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Susan: Thanks!
Tanny: I’ll definitely let you know if I open for Christmas!
Elektra: As explained very clearly in the comment section for that particular post, I am not at liberty to send the recipes. Please get the recipes from the forum.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Hi Karen,
All your pastries are so pretty!! I would like to purchase some cookies, may i know if you are keen? Pls drop me an email, many thanks
January 21st, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Hi Ms. Karen,
You MuSt, mUsT, MusT, start taking some orders for macarons… Don’t keep your fans waiting… Will you consider one set of macaron each month for one lucky fan on the macaron waiting list? How about paid-workshop at the CC, so that we can see, smell and taste your wonderful macarons?
Wishing you a wonderful-baking year ahead!
February 5th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Okay these lemon meringues look so good. I may have to try these.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Do you sell them ? How do we order pls ? Thank you
February 13th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Shin-Dei: You are very very kind. I no longer accept orders due to work and personal commitments. BUT I’ll be happy to let you know the next time I do make a batch of macarons. You’re more than welcome to have some.
AK: Thank you very much for your enquiry. I’m afraid I no longer accept orders.
April 4th, 2009 at 1:13 am
Hi Karen,
Ur Macarons r so enticing! I chance uopn ur website thru another foodie blog and she mention about u having classes! Can u please please let me know if you are conducting any? I have failed miserably making macarons
Thanks!
August 4th, 2009 at 5:47 am
great macarons….
October 25th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Dear Karen,
Last night I baked my first-ever batch of macarons. Out of the three trays of shells, only one tray’s worth was usable! The pieces I managed to salvage produced morsels that were irregularly shaped, irregularly sized, and not the delightful rose-pink I was hoping for. They did, however, taste magnificent!
As amateur as they were, I still took them as my contribution to the high tea I’d been invited to. I feared they were unrecognisable as “macarons with white chocolate and raspberry ganache” so I created a little label for them. As it turned out, the macarons were a success! Everyone had to bring a plate of something yummy, but my plate was the most popular by far.
I’ve been perusing your deliciously delightful blog and am now inspired to try and make my macarons as pretty as yours
November 30th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Hi! i must say your macarons are possibly the prettiest i’ve ever seen! I am also very inspired by the fact that you can make macarons in Singapore (my first few tries were terrible; i’m not sure if it’s because of our climate) and i shall keep trying!
March 13th, 2010 at 3:37 am
hi there karen,i think the problems you’re facing with the plain ones were because they didnt have as much as acidity as you have in the cocoa ones.acid product helps to hold and produce a much stable meringue.you might want to go with some cream of tartar or egg white powder.hope this help