I know, my first reaction was eekkk, really?

#challengeaccepted.jpg

Well, no surprise, olive oil works in desserts as well. Remember the olive oil chocolate cake? it kinda works somehow or rather. But with this macaron, I must say it’s quite peculiar as there aren’t other strong flavours, apart from white chocolate and the almond shell itself. Vanilla was used in the ganache but it was overpowered by the olive oil. But peculiar in a good way. Somewhat fruity and sweet. I gave some away for my colleagues to try (of course my family too) and it’s well accepted.

Who knew, that extra virgin olive oil, white chocolate in a macaron would be a good fit? Oh right, monsieur Pierre Herme does.

This is another Pierre Herme recipe. And also because of this, I went all out to buy Valrhona Ivoire (note that Valrhona chocolate is quite a luxury here, priced at about RM100/kg. You can buy it from Gourmandines. Felchin’s milk chocolate is pretty good too, I wonder how their white fares. Anyways…

For the olive oil ganache, it’s better to use first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, with a sweet floral note. PH’s recipe also includes olive strips, honestly, I’m not a big fan of green olives. Black ones are better for me. But I didn’t put any in. If you wish to, you may sandwich them in between the shells.

Macaron a l’Huile d’ Olive et Vanille

adapted from Pierre Hermé’s Macaron
(makes about 45) 

Olive Oil Ganache

60 g whipping cream
1/4 vanilla pod
90 g extra virgin olive oil
135 g Valrhona Ivoire couverture (white chocolate)

1. Melt the couverture in the microwave. Bring the cream to a boil with the split and scraped vanilla pod.

2. Remove the pod and gradually pour the cream into the chocolate. Stir so it emulsifies with a rubber spatula. Pour the olive oil at when the ganache is at 40C . Stir till it combines (takes a while).

3. Cover with a cling wrap and leave to crystallise at room temperature. Set aside till it’s harden.

Now you have to refrain yourself from eating this straight from the bowl. 

 

Macaron

200 g ground almond meal
200 g icing sugar
75 g liquefied egg whites
1 g green food coloring

200 g caster sugar
50 g water
75 g liquefied egg whites
1.5 grams egg white powder

2. Sift almond meal, icing sugar in a wide bowl. Add in the egg white and colouring and mix well. Do this only when you’re ready to cook the sugar, otherwise it gets hard.

3. In a medium sized pot, pour in caster sugar and water. Bring to a boil and to 118 C. Which means that yes you need a candy thermometer. When the sugar syrup reaches 108 C, in a mixing bowl, whisk egg whites and egg white powder (I’ve tried without it, it’s alright) It should be somewhat medium peaks when the sugar syrup reaches 118 C.

4. While the mixer is still whisking (about medium speed), gradually pour in the sugar syrup. (To wash the pot, add in water and bring to a boil, it’s easier to wash) Then turn up the speed of the mixer for about 2 minutes till it turns glossy. Reduce the speed to medium and let it whisk till it’s stiffer. It should be somewhat stiff, but not so stiff.

5. Now, add in 1/4 of the meringue into the almond mixture from step 1. Whack it till it’s well incorporated. At this first step, I usually literally do it un-TLC-ly just to get some air out from the meringue and to lighten the almond mix. With the remaining 3/4 of meringue, add into the almond mix and fold it in. This time, a little more TLC until it becomes lava like. Separate batter into 2 and fold in colouring. Which also means that you should undermix the initial colourless mixture so when you mix in the colour, it’s just nice.

6. I’m using a 10mm nozzle. Fit into a piping bag and scoop the batter into the bag. Pipe onto a tray lined with parchment paper or silpat. Lightly tap the tray on a table top. Let it rest for about 10 minutes then bake at 150 C for 14 minutes.

7. When it’s cooked, remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Once it’s completely cool, it should be able to peel off easily.

8. When the ganache has reached pipable consistency, fill one shell with a nice dollop of ganache, top with another macaron, making sure to assemble 2 shells of the same size.

9. Store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before consuming. Take out of refrigerator, 1/2 hour before consumption. Or if your place is hot and humid, don’t take the macs out for too long before serving otherwise the ganache becomes oily and sticky.

Christmas this weekend!!

Incase I don’t blog till then, Merry Christmas and have a good celebration!!