deliciously american... PB&J macarons

I can’t tell you what got into me, because I don’t fully understand where it came from. All I can say is, I’ve been craving PB&J.

It wasn’t the kind of thing that we made at home. My mum wasn’t American enough to think it was anything of interest… & my dad had a thing for peanutbutter & banana sandwiches. It was the kind of thing that was fed to us on school outings though.

They always put too much jam for my taste & not nearly enough peanutbutter. I like peanutbutter. It’s thick & sticky in my mouth making it hard to talk or swallow. Some how those characteristics make it good. Make it worth the extra energy it takes to eat it.

Make it fun.

I didn’t want to post a PB&J sandwich on my site though. The snob in me told my conscience that it wasn’t sophisticated enough to make an appearance. The child in me argued otherwise. Somewhere in all that chaos, I found a compromise that satisfied both the inner snob & my conflicting, obnoxious childlike self. It all blended together in the form of a macaron… & well all know how much I love making those. Seriously, there’s a problem with how much I adore them.

These aren’t for everyone. If you’re into it though & PB&J makes you think of being a kid, they’re probably for you.

Equipment/Tools/Ingredients:

Electric Scale - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xkKpQk

Stand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2yqXPiH

Food Processor - Cuisinart - http://amzn.to/2xkkZqK

Silicone Spatula - Zyliss - http://amzn.to/2y3Srkw

Non-Slip Pipping Bags - Pastry Gear - http://amzn.to/2fLxAZ0

Pipping Tips - Wilton - http://amzn.to/2yJVPy1

Organic GF Vanilla - Simply Organic - http://amzn.to/2xXdt2e

Ingredients: – 1/2 tsp salt – 100g egg whites (aged & room temp) – 50g sugar – 200g icing sugar – 130g raw, unsalted peanuts – 1 tsp peanut extract – grape jelly (or grape jam)

Directions: 1. combine the peanuts & the icing sugar together in a food processor & blend until very fine. Pass the mix through a fine mesh sieve & re-blend any large pieces that remain. Set aside. 2. combine the salt & egg whites in a bowl & beat on medium-low speed until the egg whites begin to get frothy. Start adding the sugar slowly to the whites, continuing to beat whilst adding. Continue on this way until all the sugar has been added & stiff peaks form. 3. sift in your peanut & icing sugar mixture to the egg whites, & then add the peanut extract as well. Gently fold all the ingredients together until evenly distributed. Mix until this happens, but no further. 4. transfer the mix to a pipping bag fitted with a round nozzle. Pipe your macarons onto several baking trays lined with parchment. Macarons should be between 2-2.5cm in diameter & about 1.5cm spaced apart. Give your baking sheets several hard taps against a countertop to ensure any air bubbles have been released, & then allow them to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (In my hot, dry climate I leave them for 30 minutes, any where else I’d leave them for an hour). 5. once the time has elapsed, preheat the oven to 150C. Bake your macarons for 18 to 20 minutes until done. Remove them from the oven, allow to cool & then fill them with grape jelly… As much or as little as you would like!

Tips: *** the peanut macarons have a tendency to go soft a touch faster than the almond ones. I would recommend consuming these the same day they are made *** *** ageing your egg whites simply means to separate out the whites & to leave them sit in a bowl, in the fridge over night. This helps to remove some of the excess water in them ***

#peanutbutter #peanuts #jam