Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Orange-Mango Macarons: Tasty with an Outrageous Color Clash

Food coloring and I are having some issues lately. Especially when it comes to macarons.

Not only are those things BRIGHT, but they clash.

This is why I am not an artist like my mom. But do you know what I can do, even if I can’t match colors? I can make up awesome flavor combinations, even for the temperamental macaron. Observe: Orange-Mango Macarons.

Ingredients for Shells (as adapted from Tartlette)

1 2/3 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup almond flour

1 teaspoon dried orange zest

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Few drops yellow and orange food coloring

The addition of the orange zest to the shells gives them a bit of a citrus kick, so be sure you have that on hand.

Blend the powdered sugar, almond flour, and orange zest in a food processor until very finely ground, set aside. Whip the egg whitess until foamy, then continue whipping while slowly adding the granulated sugar. Finally, add a few drops each of red and yellow food coloring.

Again, color doesn’t have to affect taste. May I suggest eating these with your eyes closed. First, you have to finish them.

Carefully fold the meringues and almond-powdered sugar mixture in fewer than 50 strokes, taking care to scrape the bottom of the bowl on the strokes. Pipe the mixture in rounds about 1 ½” in diameter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

So pink. So not orange.

Let the piped rounds sit for 45 minutes, bake at 280° F, for 20 minutes.

Again, unintentional color mishap, but perfect feet.

As if those shells weren’t ugly enough, I promptly set out to make some clashing, but tasty, ganache filling.

Orange-Mango Ganache Filling Ingredients

6 ounces chopped white chocolate (Callebaut)

4 ounces mango puree

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons orange oil

Heat the cream, mango puree, and white chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly until well combined; add orange oil.


Orange mango ganache is quite tasty, and carries its own color from the mango puree, so no food coloring was necessary to create an epic clash of colors when filling the macaron shells.

Listen, I’m an engineer with no fashion sense and no artistic skill. And even I can tell that these clash.

Do you know what else I can tell? I can tell that these ugly pink-orange macarons have the perfect blend of orange and mango flavor. So you’ll eat them fast enough that the color will be irrelevant.

How important is color to you when you bake?

12 comments:

  1. Color isn't as important as taste....my grandfather always said that it doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it tastes good! =D

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  2. 1) Yummy! and 2) Next time go for blue and orange. Wahoowa! (UVA colors)

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  3. I never worry about color(well, to be fair most of what I make is brown from chocolate). Good food will stand alone on its flavor.

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  4. None at all! The uglier the better :)

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  5. Maybe instead of saying they clash, you could say they're 80s inspired? ;)

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  6. You know, I don't think the colors are *that* bad, it just makes the macarons look like they're peach and mango. Besides, what does it matter when the cookies themselves look so fabulous? Mango is one of my favorite fruits, so I can see these in my future.

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  7. @fitchocoholic I think I like your grandfather. Smart man.

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  8. @BethActually, college-team themed macarons is a brilliant idea for bowl season/March Madness. Ideas........

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  9. @Evan Thomas Brown from chocolate is the best color.

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  10. @Sarah Hehehe. Then it's not "too pretty to eat."

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  11. @Hannah Ah yes, the 80s. Hmmm...Maybe I could just eat them really fast.

    Actually, these are still in my freezer looking for a home.

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  12. @Jessica @ bake me away! Definitely give mango a try...it's just tricky with the color. I wonder if the best way would be to make the ganache and THEN match the shells to it.

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