“Food supports a story. Remember, there is a story behind everything you shoot.”
Adam Pearson
March 20th is marked as World Macaron Day / Jour de Macaron, a day that celebrates the very elegant and much applauded French cookie that is often referred to as the ‘new cupcake‘. Nothing appears to get close to shaking the macaron off its lofty perch as it continues to mesmerise and charm the world with delightful flavour combinations.
At MacTweets nothing gives us as much joy as celebrating this exquisite creation, and we do it every month with a great bunch of passionate macaron bakers. This March, Jamie & I call for a new beginning. March welcomes the first changes from one season to the next, hinting at warmth and sunshine, the coming of springtime for some of us, the chilly days of winter for others.
We ask you to add a bit of spice to our lives with this change of season challenge at MacTweets. To make it even more fun, we call for you to be the harbingers of the coming season with something new, fresh and lively, incorporating both fruit and spice into one magnificent Macaron.
I had many thoughts when the month began, leaping between the umpteen spices the spice-box offered, making it a difficult choice. I had thoughts of pink peppercorn with strawberries, black pepper & sour orange marmalade, cinnamon and apple. Then tragedy struck Japan and my thought pattern changed completely.
My macarons had to be a tribute to the spirit of Japan, a brave and resilient nation which has stood up and faced the horrific natural disaster that hit it over a week ago. As tales of trauma and destruction continue to haunt the world, tales of bravery and rescue offer much needed joy. 9 days after calamity struck, an 80 year old lady and her grandson were rescued today. H O P E …
The macaron shells are matcha flavoured, the filling some home preserved brandied cherries nestled in home made mascarpone. Matcha, though not a true spice, is sometimes referred to as a tea spice. The jar of brandied cherries in my fridge completed my tribute to Japan, a reference to cherry blossoms or sakura. Cherry blossom is an omen of good fortune and is also an emblem of love, affection and represents spring. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the fleeting nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art.
The beginning of the year has hit Japan very hard, but they are a people that have risen above all odds, displaying strength and dignity in the face of unimaginable adversity. Sending good wishes their way with these macarons and four little rosebuds from my rambling rose.
Do you want to join us making MACARONS?
If you do, you are most welcome to join us for this challenge, or the next. You can find all the information at our dedicated macaron blog MacTweets. We generally post the round-up by the end of every month, following which a new challenge is posted!
Recipe: Matcha Macarons with Mascarpone & Brandied Cherries
Summary: Macarons for Mactweets, the theme being Sugar & Spice, & everything nice…& fruity! I made these with Japan in mind – Matcha Japanese Green tea and cherries for their beautiful cherry blossoms that are referred to as ‘sakura’.
Ingredients
Macarons:
1 egg white {I didn’t age mine}
2.5 tbsp powdered sugar
1/8 tsp egg white powder
1/4 tsp matcha
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Filling:
125gms mascarpone cream {homemade recipe here}
2 tsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup brandied cherries, drained {or preserved cherries, drained}
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 140C.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Blend the powdered sugar, almond meal and matcha brifely in the bowl of your food processor to mix. {you can sift it too}
In a large clean bowl, beat for about 20 seconds till the egg white appears foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat till it becomes firm and holds peaks, about 2 minutes.
Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg white with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding. {Do not overmix}
Using a teaspoon, or piping bag, drop / pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1″ circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then rest for about an hour.
Bake them for 15-18 minutes.
Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.
Filling:
Gently whip the mascarpone with sugar till smooth. Don’t overmix or it will become very runny.
Pat the drained cherry gently on a kitchen towel, flatten.
To assemble
Match equal halves of macarons, and keep together.
Use a small spoon or piping bag/nozzle, deposit a tiny amount of mascarpone on the flat side of the macaron, top with a flattened cherry, add a teeny dot of mascarpone, and sandwich with another half of the same size, squeezing gently. Leave to set in fridge.
Notes
I bake my macarons on the upper shelf in my oven, using just the lower element for heat. I also use double baking trays.
Baking time (duration): 30 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 8
Meal type: Snack/Dessert
Culinary tradition: French
My rating: 4 stars: ★★★★☆ 1 review(s)
Copyright © Deeba @ Passionate About Baking.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
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Deeba I love anything macha especially since I never use the ingredient. These look phenomenal!! So pretty!! A great tribute to Japan!
foodwanderings´s last [type] ..Pita- Plain- with Zaatar & Tomatoes
Japan is in our mind too… beautiful macarons as usual.
Miriam/The Winter Guest´s last [type] ..Potatoes sarladaises
Gorgeous! Those are marvelous flavors.
Praying for Japan too…
Cheers,
Rosa
This is a wonderful tribute to the Japanese people Deeba. To me macarons themselves would symbolize the tenacity of human nature to try and try again and to persevere. Sometimes you are met with failure and in the case of macarons do not get the coveted “feet” but we as a human race always land on our feet and the Japanese are doingh just that as a nation.
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I really love baking dear Deeba is the best! and these macarons look amazing, love the pictures like always!! gloria
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Yummycelicious looking macaroons… Superb clicks as usual…
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Mmm 2 ingredients that I absolutely love but never thought to combine. That’s so cute that there are now so many national food days
. I can barely keep up. What a lovely treat to celebrate the delectable macaron and one I hope to try one day.
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beautiful tribute
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What a lovely and thoughtful post.
My prayers are with Japan too.
Great idea to pair up both ingredients.
I love your photos, outstanding work ♥
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Deeba, What a sweet and touching tribute to the people of Japan. Your photos are stunning and your words convey your sense of caring and your spirit. Thank you for sharing.
These macaroons sound incredible with the matcha flavor and the filling of mascarpone and brandied cherries, so nice! What a beautiful tribute to Japan.
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as always, Deeba, simply gorgeous! your photos, your writing, your stories – perfect. Thanks for your creativity.
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I can’t believe I missed World Macaron Day! Where have I been? I think this flavor combination is a wonderful tribute to the spirit of the people of Japan.
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Gorgeous perfect macarons, darling Deeba, and what a lovely and fitting tribute to the people of Japan and their amazing spirit! I love the flavors and your photos are beautiful! You are an inspiration! I sadly missed World Macaron Day with my head in the sand trying not to think of all the sad images we’ve been bombarded with, but now I think whipping up a batch of macarons is the therapy I need.
Miss you, darling girl. xoxo Jamie
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Deeba you’ve written a beautiful post and made gorgeous macarons. A fantastic combination using matcha tea and cherries – two flavours that are very important to the Japanese people. 私は日本に私の愛を送ってください (I send my love to Japan).
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it’s amazing how everyone around the world are using different ways and means to get their prayers, best wishes and help to the wonderful people of Japan. Wonderful and thoughtful post Deeba!
Deeba, would you know any pudding recipes such as lychee pudding, mango pudding etc?
someone was telling me abt a pudding made from lychee squash/concetrate, cream, gelatine n condensed milk. by any chance would you know about this. it would be of great help as i plan to make it for my darling nephew!
Deeba they are absolutely perfect – LOVE them. And I love how you were able to match your theme to raise awareness about Japan. Gorgeous feet, btw!
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Japan has been on all our minds I think. A fitting tribute, dear Deeba. The macarons came out perfect.
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Macarons looks soo pretty ….i recently had two failed macarons episodes…I almost gave up..Now seeing ur cute little macarons, I am soo tempted to give it one more shot…
I simple love ur clicks…hats off to ur baking/photography skills:-)
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They looked lovely.
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Just discovered your lovely blog and what a great post. Beautiful photography and goes without saying, your macarons look amazing! I can totally identify with you on the Japanese situation. Nice touch with the Matcha.
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OMG! They have to taste like heaven!!
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Such beautiful macarons Deeba and stunning photos. I have only just started using matcha in desserts, making a pudding several weeks ago and really enjoyed it so I will try your macaron recipe and keep my fingers crossed.
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There is so much heart in this post Deeba~ I love it.
Absolutely gorgeous and wonderful macarons and such a lovely thought behind them. Stunning photos as usual!
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Love it, I’m a huge fan of matcha! Gorgeous photos!
wat a great tribute to Japan, i love anything with matcha and macarons looks utterly gorgeous
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beautiful & gorgeous as always!!
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A lovely tribute to Japan. So much sorrow and need. I love that you dedicated your perfect macs to them.
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Very beautiful macarons!
How gorgeous, your macs look amazing and the photography is just stunning.
Brilliant post and I love your tribute to Japan.
Oh, I have to add something: This is not only food, but also art!
So lovely. Love Matcha
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A fine tribute, Deeba. These macarons look lovely. And I love your filling…cherries and mascarpone sounds delicious!
Such a beautiful and elegant post Deeba, a very fitting tribute.
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Such a sweet post for the people of Japan. I just love your blog so much. Beautiful clicks!
Now that is a beautiful tribute to Japan Deeba. Love the matcha macarons too. I’ve finally managed to find a source for matcha here too so I might try to recreate this beautiful color!
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This is a wonderful idea and tribute to the people in Japan.
I like your photos of macs, I’m sure it looks as delicious as shown on the pictures.
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You are definitely a macaron QUEEN and I love all of your macaron work and initiatives and admire the sense of community you have developed through this incredible delight. Beautiful. (and yummy!)
Valerie
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Wow, these macarons look fantastic! I was just in France and able to sample a few macarons there, and these look just wonderful! I love the combination of flavors.
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Gorgeous macs D! Lovely feet. You’ve finally conquered them
Where did you find matcha?
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You can buy it from Amazon.com
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What lovely flavours – I’ve never tried matcha powder before. Homemade brandied cherries sound fabulous.
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Beautiful macarons!
The shells are sooo beautiful!
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Beautiful macarons and exquisite photos as always. And a very thoughtful post in support of Japan.
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You have a beautiful heart to dedicate your matcha macs and sakura-style filling to Japan. We, too, wish the nation the best in their recovery after the natural disasters. The flavor combinations are both exotic and very special. As always, you do such a wonderful job on your macarons. Thanks to you and Jamie a billion times for hosting the MacAttack challenges.
Whenever I make macarons with mascarpone filling, they are wet and very soaky after 2 days… do you know this problem, too?
Hello
We are very impressed by your matcha macatons. We would potentially like to use your image and recipe on our website http://www.koyumatcha.com
Is this something that you would be interested in ? Is there something you would want from us in return ? Please let me know your thoughts
Regards
To celebrate the cherry blossoms, I used matcha to make green tea frosting. Delicious!
http://sillyapron.com/2013/04/16/cherry-blossoms/
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