Johns Almond Swiss Meringue Recipes

ALMOND MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. While beating, gradually add the sugar and then continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the almond extract.
• Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star pastry tip and pipe 1-inch meringues onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until the meringues are no longer glossy and feel light and dry when picked up, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven but leave the meringues inside with the door cracked open until the meringues are completely cooled and dry, about 2 hours more. The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

MANDELMAKRONEN (ALMOND MERINGUES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, while continuing to beat at high speed. Combine ground almonds and cinnamon in a bowl and fold into the egg white mixture with a spatula. Add more ground almonds if mixture is too runny.
• Use 2 teaspoons to place little mounds of almond mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and baked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

ALMOND MACARONS WITH VANILLA SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• To a medium mixing bowl, add egg whites, and let sit at room temperature, uncovered, for exactly 3 hours.† Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw 1 1/2-inch circles, 2 inches apart, on parchment paper. Turn parchment paper over; set aside. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine almonds and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, pulsing until finely ground. (Do not overprocess, or nut butter will be created. The nut particles should stay separate and dry, not clump together.) Add remaining confectioners' sugar, and process until just combined. Set aside. Using a mixer at medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Egg whites will be thick, creamy, and shiny.) Add vanilla extract and desired amount of food coloring; mix well. Add almond mixture to egg whites, folding gently until well combined. Let batter sit for 15 minutes. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe batter into drawn circles on prepared baking sheets. Tap baking sheets vigorously on counter 5 to 7 times to release air bubbles. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking; this will help develop macarons' signature crisp exterior when baked. (Macarons should feel dry to the touch and should not stick to finger.) Preheat oven to 275°. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let cool completely on baking sheets, then remove to airtight containers. Refrigerate until ready to fill and serve. Place Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream in pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe mixture onto flat side of macaron, and top with another macaron, flat sides together, pushing down gently and twisting slightly so that filling will spread to edges. Repeat with remaining macarons and filling.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg whites and sugar. Using a mixer at medium speed, whisk together. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture registers 140° on an instant-read candy thermometer. Remove mixture from heat. Using a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat at high speed for 10 minutes, or until mixing bowl is cool to the touch and meringue is tripled in volume. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, and beat to combine. Using mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat mixture at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Use immediately.

FOOLPROOF SWISS MERINGUE

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a simmer in a medium pot.
• Combine sugar, egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Reduce the heat of the pot and place the bowl over the steam. Whisk egg whites lightly until a digital or candy thermometer inserted into the mixture reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
• Place bowl back onto the stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until egg whites are cool and stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Mixture should hold peaks effortlessly and start balling up around the whisk attachment while appearing silky, shiny, and pure white.
• Use meringue immediately. It will hold its shape without separating for about a week in the refrigerator.

SIMPLE SWISS MERINGUE MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Use a double boiler and heat and whisk egg whites and granulated sugar until reaches 160 degrees or hot to the touch.
• Add mixture to your mixer and whip until stiff peaks are formed.
• Add almond flour, powdered sugar and any desired flavor ingredient and follow macaronage steps.
• Pipe your mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet in rounds. Lift pan about ten inches above counter and drop a few times to remove bubbles.
• Allow your rounds to sit for about ten minutes. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool on parchment paper.
• Combine all ingredients in mixer and blend until peaks are formed.
• Pipe filling inside two of your macarons.
• Refrigerate in airtight container until ready to serve.

JOHN'S ALMOND SWISS MERINGUE

Steps:

• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Use immediately.

JOHN'S ALMOND SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is very warm to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add almond extract and continue beating until incorporated. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-high speed, quickly add butter, a few tablespoons at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and has increased in volume. (If the frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, continue beating until smooth again.), Reduce speed to low, and continue beating for 2 minutes to eliminate any air bubbles.

ALMOND SWISS MERINGUE

Steps:

• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Use immediately.