I have been wanting to play with flavors of dried lavender for a while and decided to kick things off by partnering with shop owner and pastry chef, Cindy Summers. Today she is sharing a special recipe for Lavender Macarons by Sugar Fixé.
Lavender Macarons by Sugar Fixé
Cindy is inspiring. She left her successful corporate career to go to pastry school and eventually opened her own shop. Fast forward a few years and Cindy now has two successful shops in Chicago area – one in Oak Park and one in Lincoln Park. It’s also no secret that she has been voted as having the Best French Macarons in Chicago. See more of her success stories here.
I met up with Cindy at her Patisserie in Oak Park to ask her how she left the stability of a successful career to follow her passion. She said, “It’s important to have a business plan, a good support system and then, it’s up to you to just do it.”
Which is exactly what she did.
—
Sugar Fixé in Oakpark
When I stopped into Sugar Fixé to pick up the Lavender Macarons for my photo shoot, it was bright and welcoming. People were sipping latte’s and nibbling tasty bites and I was surrounded by beautiful pastries, macarons, quiches and croissants… not to mention, some of the most beautiful and unique wedding cakes I have ever seen.
Cindy and her newest Pastry Chef, Bess Ronchetti, came out to say hello. They told me how they added a twist to the recipe by caramelizing the honey to sprinkle on top of the macarons. I couldn’t believe how beautiful their creations looked. Cindy and Bess are true artists.
Be sure to follow Sugar Fixé on Instagram and make a point to stop in and say hi to Cindy. If you’re able to brave the delicacy of “the macaron” in your own kitchen, Cindy has graciously allowed me to share her recipe for you below. Perhaps I’ll tackle the recipe myself one day, but for now, I’ll let the experts take care of me.
Cheers!
Lavender Macarons by Sugar Fixé
Recipe by Cindy Summers from Sugar Fixé
Ingredients
For the Macarons
- 135 grams almond flour
- 135 grams powdered sugar
- 52 grams egg whites
- 135 grams granulated sugar
- 33 grams water
- 50 grams egg whites
- ½ teaspoon dried lavender
For the Italian Meringue Buttercream
- 17 grams water
- 13 grams corn syrup
- 70 grams sugar
- 68 grams egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 25 grams sugar
- 202 grams unsalted butter (soft)
- 4 grams vanilla extract
For the Caramelized Honey
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Macarons
- Mix almond flour, powdered sugar and lavender in food processor. Pull out any large pieces of lavender.
- In bowl, mix almond flour mixture with 52g egg whites until it forms a paste. Set to the side.
- In saucepan, heat sugar and water until 246 degrees F. While sugar is heating, start whipping 50g egg whites in a stand mixer on medium speed. Once the sugar hits 246 degrees, remove from heat and slowly stream hot sugar into the frothy egg whites. Once all sugar has been added turn mixer to high and whip until the meringue is almost cool.
- Add meringue in three additions to the almond flour mixture. Fold using a spatula. Mix until the batter has the consistency of honey.
- Pipe into half-dollar size rounds onto a sheet pan lined with parchment or silicone baking mat. Gently tap the bottom of the sheet pan to settle the batter.
- Let the piped batter sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the batter to dry on the outside.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until the cookies rise and form a “foot” around the bottom edge.
- Let cool and fill with caramelized honey buttercream.
For the Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Combine water, corn syrup, and 70g sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook syrup to 250 degrees F.
- While sugar is heating begin whipping egg whites and salt in stand mixer on medium speed. Slowly stream in 25g sugar.
- Once the sugar syrup hits 250 degrees, remove from heat and slowly stream into soft peak egg whites whipping on medium speed. Once all sugar syrup has been added, turn mixer to high and whip until meringue is cool. Reduce to medium speed. Add butter in three additions. Add vanilla. Turn mixer to high and whip for 2 minutes.
For the Caramelized Honey
- In saucepan, cook honey over medium low heat until it reaches a deep amber color. It should smell very nutty. Take saucepan off the heat. Whisk in cream and salt and let cool to room temperature. Add cool caramelized honey to 300 grams of your favorite buttercream.
- Use piping bag to pipe Caramelized Honey Buttercream onto half of the macaron shells. Sandwich with another shell. Wrap and place the filled macarons in the refrigerator for 24 hours (we call this the aging process). Bring macarons to room temp for one hour.
Notes
Sugar Fixé made Italian meringue buttercream, but any buttercream will do. American buttercream will result in a sweeter macaron filling.
All images ©Regan Baroni 2017.
—–
Disclosure: This post was in collaboration with Cindy Summers from Sugar Fixé. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you to my readers for supporting the brands and restaurants that keep me cooking, styling and shooting.
—–
These macaroons look amazing! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Did have a question though, what are the ingredients for the white glaze on the macaron shells? Also what’s that honey colored sprinkles?
Hi Susan! Thanks for your comment! I reached out to the chef on your question and please see her response below. Cheers!
The drizzle on the macarons is melted white chocolate. The sprinkles are gold pearlized sprinkles by Wilton. Here’s a link: https://www.wilton.com/gold-pearlized-sugar-sprinkles/710-041.html The look could also be replicated with sugar in the raw.