Chokoladbiskvier
Swedish Chocolate Buttercream Macaroons
When we visited Sweden, we took a marvellous hike-with-outdoor-cooking with Anders, just outside of Halmstad. Part of the spread Anders brought included some mini baked treats, which were utterly delicious, and he told me they had been baked by his wife, Viktoria.
I was quizzing him with all sorts of questions about the baking and assume he must have decided that I needed to hear it from the horse’s mouth, and a few days after our hike, completely unexpectedly, they very kindly invited us for fika at their home in Halmstad.
The day was balmy. We sat outside under a tree, at small table covered with a white tablecloth, and Viktoria served 6 types of bitesize fika, all baked by her own hands. This was my favourite of Viktoria’s treats, and she was further kind enough to share the recipe with me, which is what I have used to make these.
I’d say they are pretty close to what we had that day, though I would advise anyone to do a test run in your oven with a few of the bases at a time, to check your own oven’s bake time - these can easily overbake.
PORTION SIZE
Makes about 25-28 macaroons
INGREDIENTS & TOOLS
Base
275g skinless almonds or ground almonds
135g caster sugar
2 large egg whites (about 80g)
Buttercream
250g salted butter, softened (or half salted & half unsalted)
135g caster, vanilla or icing sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp rum, cognac or brandy (about 60ml - optional)
Chocolate enrobing
150g semi-sweet dark chocolate (45-60% cocoa solids)
20g coconut oil
Requires a baking sheet or a shallow roasting tin, 3-4cm deep, and a cooling rack
METHOD
If you are using whole skinless almonds, finely grind them in a food processor first. Transfer the ground almonds with the sugar to a large bowl and whisk to fully combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, and then mix in the dry ingredients. You should have a very thick paste, almost like marzipan.
Line a baking sheet with reusable paper. Weight out 17-18g of the mixture, roll into a ball between palms and then flatten slightly into a disc, approx. 4cm in diameter. Space about 4 cm apart on the baking sheet – they don’t spread at all during baking. Let them stand for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
**************** WAIT 30 MINS ****************
Heat the oven to 160°C fan, 180°C regular. Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes. They should be lightly tinged gold just at the edges when done (if bronzed all over, you have gone too far.)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet before loosening them and transferring to a wire rack.
While they are cooling, make the buttercream. Whisk the butter and sugar into a fluffy batter. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then add the alcohol, and whisk to combine.
Work quickly here as the buttercream can start to get a bit melty. Spread the buttercream on the underside of the macaroon taking it right up to the edges. Shape with a knife or spatula into a soft or peaked round – the peaked is traditional Swedish. Do your best, but don’t worry if you can’t make a perfect dome or teepee – smooth as best you can.
Lower the fridge temperature as much as you dare and refrigerate for about 1 hour, or in the freezer for 30 minutes so that they get really cold. You may leave them overnight at this point.
**************** WAIT 30 MINS TO OVERNIGHT ****************
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl over a pan of simmering water on the hob, or in the microwave at full power for 1-2 minutes. Gripping the edge of the base, dip the buttercream side of the macaroons in the chocolate briefly, to coat up to the edge but leaving the base uncoated. Allow the chocolate harden, then briefly dip it again.
STORAGE
Store the macaroons in a cool place, but preferably not in the fridge, as the chocolate surface can become dull.
The macaroons can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost them slowly in the fridge