Kat says: When I first started baking, I was obsessed with perfecting macarons. I had little success until SAB member Rebekah Yau introduced me to the Swiss Meringue Method. It turns out that heating egg whites along with sugar results in more stable, more foolproof macarons! Here we pair herbaceous matcha shells with citrusy buttercream.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Yields is about 16 to 19 macarons

Ingredients

For the macaron shells

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour, sifted
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons matcha
Pinch of salt

For the buttercream filling

½ cup butter, softened and cubed
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon lemon or yuzu juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon or yuzu zest, plus more for garnishing
1 teaspoon miso or a pinch of salt

Method

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the macaron shells.

Using a double boiler, heat the egg whites and sugar until the mixture reaches 50°C and no higher to avoid cooking the egg whites. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Tip in the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, matcha, and salt and fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for a few seconds. Using a flexible spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl and hand mix the batter until shiny and flowy like molten lava. (As you gently swirl the batter, it should fold and sink into itself like wet sand ribbons. When you lift the batter with a spatula, you should be able to draw a continuous figure 8 with it.)

Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe 4cm circles onto the prepared baking sheet. Tap the sheet against the counter five times to get rid of air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles and smooth out the tops of the shells. Rest until a skin forms on top and the shells are no longer wet to the touch, about 30 to 60 minutes.

About 25 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 170°C and place a rack in the centre. If your oven tends to run hot, try a lower temperature, such as 150°C to 157°C.

Make the buttercream filling. Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat until combined. Transfer to a piping bag. Refrigerate or set aside.

Bake the macaron shells for 13 to 16 minutes, until the macaron shells peel away from the parchment paper when lifted. Cool completely.

Pipe the buttercream filling onto the bottom side of a shell. (I like to add some fresh lemon zest on top of the buttercream.) Sandwich together with a similarly sized macaron shell. Tada!

Refrigerate the macarons in an airtight container and consume within 5 days.

If the macaron shells are wrinkly, the batter was overmixed or too oily, according to SAB’s resident queen of macarons, Salinda Ngo (@macanomnom).

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