Find out the best way to fill macarons, read about the tricks of making creams and ganache for this wonderful dessert.
You've probably already heard about the wonderful pasta cookies. Confectioners all over the world make amazing round cookies. They can be of different colors. The crust of these small desserts is crispy and the center is very tender. But the most interesting thing about such cookies is the combination of a small cookie made from almond flour, and the most delicate filling, which can be any.
The main filling that you can see most often is ganache. How is ganache different from butter cream? It is more dense, and will be able to glue two halves of pasta so that the shape of the dessert is neat and delicate, but at the same time it does not spread. If you put the ganache in the refrigerator for a while, the ganache becomes very dense - so much so that you can put a liquid filling in it - and it will hold its shape. Ganache can be on white, dark or milk chocolate. Here's a sample recipe for ganache:
White chocolate ganache: Break 200 g of white chocolate into small pieces, melt gently and mix with cream. If you are going to add butter, add it and stir.
The main subtleties in the manufacture of ganache:
Do not heat chocolate over an open fire. This will cause the chocolate to lose its luster and burn. A good way to melt chocolate is in a water bath. Another way is to melt the chocolate into small pieces, cover with cream, and microwave in small pulses: turn on the microwave, heat the mixture for 10-15 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave. Then the mixture must be pulled out, mixed (stir in one direction, so the mixture is stirred more evenly). Repeat the process until the mixture is melted. Cool the mixture slightly, add butter and fill a piping bag with the mixture. Close the bag, put it in the refrigerator for a while - this will solidify the ganache. Before filling the dessert with the filling, let the filling lie down a little at room temperature - this will melt the ganache a little, and it will become easier to work with it.
Milk chocolate ganache is made in the same way. If you want to make dark chocolate ganache, use more cream (about as much as chocolate).
For more interesting flavors, try other options based on the base ganache.
Flavored cream. The cream absorbs odors very well. This property can be used to flavor the filling. In order to flavor the cream, you can use lemon zest, bay leaves, basil, mint, lavender, cinnamon, and other spices. To do this, you can put your chosen herbs or spices in the cream, leave for a few hours. Then strain the cream - and use it as described above.
Ganache with fruit puree. Cook the ganache in the same way, but replace some of the cream with mashed fruit or berry puree. Very good options are strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, black currant puree. The puree should be very well wiped. It is best to use a sieve. To prepare ganache with mashed potatoes, melt the chocolate, cool slightly, add butter. Then add the puree in small portions, whisking the filling. The puree should be at room temperature.
An easier way to prepare the filling is to gently beat the mashed potatoes with melted chocolate. This option may work well with a banana-chocolate filling. The banana should be slightly less than the chocolate used.
Use these tips and you will have a really interesting dessert that you and your guests will love.
