Blood orange meringue macarons

When it comes to gorgeous looking fruits let’s be honest blood orange is definitely the winner! Blood oranges are one of the few exciting things that January has to offer as there aren’t many things more photogenic than them (ok maybe kittens!). I really wanted to take the flavours of a classic lemon meringue pie and give them a twist. Swiss meringue macaron shells, filled with torched Italian meringue and blood orange curd is my twist on the classic and it is most definitely a mouthful of joy. The fruitiness of the curd works so well with the chewy macarons and gooey meringue. For the macaron shells you can follow the same method as my Tiramisu macarons where I explain why you should switch to swiss meringue method!

Ingredients for the blood orange curd

• Egg yolks: The egg yolks will act as a thickening agent for the curd and give it a lovely yellow colour and richness.
• Fresh blood orange juice: You will need the juice from two blood oranges, depending on the size, for this recipe. We will use both zest and juice so there is no waste here!
• Unsalted butter: The butter will be added at the end when the curd is cooked and off the stove. The butter will make the curd super creamy.
• Red gel colour: Red colour is completely optional but will give your curd a very pretty pink colour. Use a very small amount, on the tip of a knife.

Ingredients for the Italian meringue

• Egg whites: Egg white is the base for any meringue recipe. Make sure that the egg whites are at room temperature and there is no egg yolk left in them as the meringue won’t be as glossy!
• Caster sugar: Caster sugar is ideal for meringues as its ultra-tiny crystals dissolve more easily and completely when you whip them with the egg whites.
• Glucose: Together with the water and caster sugar, glucose will be heated to 121°C and poured over the egg whites to create a glossy and stable meringue.
• Orange extract: I wanted to have orange flavour in both meringue and curd; therefore I added a small amount of orange extract in the meringue but you can skip this step as the meringue is delicious on its own!

For the macaron shells

• Use the same recipe as tiramisu macarons
• 3g red gel colour

For the blood orange curd   

•  2 egg yolks (use the egg whites for the meringue)
• 40g caster sugar
• Zest from 1 blood orange
• 80ml fresh blood orange juice
• 30g unsalted butter
• Touch of red gel colour 

For the Italian meringue

• 60g egg whites (2 eggs)
• 100g caster sugar
• 8g liquid glucose
• 30ml water
• ¼  tsp orange essence (optional)

How to make the macaron shells

1. You can follow the same amount and method as my Tiramisu macarons.
2. Once the batter is ready you can add the red gel colour, fold gently with a spatula and pipe on trays.

How to make the blood orange curd

1. On a heat proof bowl over a double boiler place the eggs, sugar, blood orange juice and blood orange zest.
2. Turn the heat on medium and keep whisking until the curd reaches 75°C on the thermometer (*see Notes). It should have the consistency of a crème patissiere.
3. When the curd is cooked and thickened take it off the heat.
4. Whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.
5. Place in a heatproof container, cover with cling film and let it cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge.

How to make the Italian meringue

1. Whisk the egg whites in the clean bowl (*see Notes) of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
2. Combine the sugar, glucose and water in a saucepan. Brush any excess sugar left on the sides of the pan with a clean brush and some water. Bring to the temperature of 121°C over a medium heat.
3. Gently pour the boiling syrup very slowly into the meringue while having the machine on slow speed.
4. When all the syrup is incorporated, return the machine to full speed, add the orange extract and whisk to a stiff meringue and until the mixture is cold in temperature.

How to assemble the macarons 

1. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle number 5/6. If you are not too fussed about how the finishing looks you can skip the nozzle and simply cut a small hole.
2. Pipe the meringue around the macaron as close to the edge as possible leaving some space in the middle for the curd. Torch the meringue slightly using a blowtorch being careful not to burn the macaron shells.
3. Carefully spoon a dollop of curd in the middle. Top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells, meringue and curd.
4. The macarons are best on the same day as the meringue will start losing its structure slightly after placed in the fridge.
5. If you want to consume them later you can also freeze the macaron sandwiches for up to one month.
6. Enjoy 🙂

Notes

• I strongly recommend cooking the curd over a double boiler because mixing these ingredients over direct heat quickly leads to burning, especially when you are making a small amount.
• Even a drop of fat from the egg yolk, water or oil will prevent the egg whites from foaming. So be sure that the whisk attachment is clean too!

 Meringue kisses,

Athina xx