BUDDING PASTRY CHEF DHANESH GANDHI'S DECADENT MACARONS #KitchenAid

Watch out pastry chefs....this baker boy's Macarons can give anyone a run for their money- pic courtesy- Ankit Vyas

"The future king of macarons (I hear there is already a queen), I can travel to Uganda and back if it means learning more about food. Extremely curious about the culinary world and its secrets so much so that it might lead me tied up in a trunk of a random car, quite exceptional in presentation (My instagram account can speak for it) and I never get tired of whisking (some call me “the Kitchen Aid”)...says Dhanesh Gandhi, a 3rd year Culinary Arts student at IHM- Aurangabad by Taj.

This young Baker boy has developed this Macaron recipe which is truly commendable...so without much ado let's read on what makes it click!

Fresh orange blossom Macarons

FOR THE ITALIAN MERINGUE

Egg white: 37.5gms; sugar: 100gms; Water: 37.5gms

THE DRY INGREDIENTS

Almond flour: 100gms; Icing sugar: 100gms; 37.5g egg white (For the French meringue) {the missing element in most recipes); orange blossom water: 2 tbsp.

FRESH ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

Butter softened: 0.5 cups; Cream cheese softened: 100gms; Orange zest: 1 tbsp; milk: 2 tbsp; Orange juice: 2 tbsp; A drop of yellow food coloring.

Preheat the oven to 115 degrees Celsius 

Method: - In a pan heat 100g sugar with 37.5g water until 119 degrees Celsius with a candy thermometer or firm ball stage, in your handy dandy kitchen aid stand mixer start beating the egg whites with the whisk attachment while gradually adding the sugar syrup, switch the machine on high speed and stop once stiff peaks are formed.

Voila...stiff peaks using the KitchenAid

Clean the mixing bowl and add the egg whites to prepare the French meringue (This step is skipped in most recipes but according to me this gives the macaroon its stability) beat until stiff peaks are formed!

 

A nice trick for those with the urge to show off is to lift the bowl above your head! I guarantee you that not a single drop will fall. 

Mix all the dry ingredients with the French meringue and fold in the Italian meringue to the dry ingredients with the orange blossom water and food coloring, I emphasized on fold because if this step is done wrong then you will achieve flat macaroons. 

Finally line a tray with butter paper or a silpat and pipe the macrons evenly. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to develop a skin. Bake at 115 degrees for 15 minutes and start celebrating because these little beauties are going to rise in the oven and bring a smile to your face.

Fresh orange butter cream

Using your kitchenAid with its paddle attachment beat the butter, cream cheese and orange zest at medium speed, gradually add powdered sugar and milk and beat at low speed until creamy and smooth. Pipe the butter-cream on the macaron shell and sandwich it with another shell and tada!! Your macarons are ready.

PIC COURTESY ANKIT VYAS