How to make Gin & Tonic macarons

To usher in the Year of the Monkey, dim sum teahouse Yauatcha will be serving Gin & Tonic macarons - here's the recipe for you to try at home
Year of the MonkeyL Yauatcha's gin and tonic macarons
Kate Lough26 January 2016

Chinese New Year, one of the most important and auspicious festivals in the Chinese calendars, falls on Monday February 8. This year marks the Year of the Monkey, which London dim sum restaurant Yauatcha is celebrating with a collaboration iwth Monkey 27 Gin. If you want to raise a glass to the new Chinese year at home, why not raise it in the form of a delicious macaron, flavoured with G&T? Simply follow the recipe below:

INGREDIENTS (makes 30 macarons)

For the shells

300g ground almonds

300g icing sugar

220g egg white

280g caster sugar

55ml water

Grapefruit and Monkey 47 Pate du fruit

800g grapefruit puree

400g jam sugar

150g liquid Glucose

20g lemon juice

130g Monkey 47 Gin

Tonic Buttercream

100g egg whites

180g caster sugar

60g water

200g unsalted butter, soft

400g tonic water

METHOD

For the Shells

Place the ground almonds, icing sugar and half the egg whites in a mixing bowl and mix together to form a smooth paste. Remove from the mixing bowl and set aside. Clean the mixing bowl and paddle thoroughly.

Place the remaining egg whites in the clean mixing bowl and begin to whisk on low speed.

Put the caster sugar and water into a pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, increase the heat and use a sugar thermometer to monitor the temperature of the sugar syrup. When the temperature of the sugar syrup has reached 105˚C, increase the mixer speed to high and add the remaining 20g of caster sugar to the egg whites to help stabilise the meringue.

Once the sugar syrup has reached 118˚C (soft ball stage), reduce the mixer speed to medium and gently pour the hot liquid into the egg whites in a slow, steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to high and mix for one minute. If colour is required, reduce the speed to low, add the desired food colouring and whisk until combined, or until the meringue has cooled to blood temperature and is thick and glossy.

Fold one third of the meringue into the almond mixture with a spatula and mix carefully until incorporated.

Repeat with another third of the mixture and when incorporated, fold in the remaining meringue and mix until smooth and shiny.

Pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain 10mm nozzle and pipe 45mm rounds on to baking trays lined with silicone baking paper. Leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so that a dry skin forms on the top of the macarons.

While the macarons are resting, pre-heat the oven to 130˚C/Gas mark ½. Place the baking trays in the oven for 17–18 minutes until the macarons just peel off the paper. Allow to cool completely before filling and decorating.

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For the Grapefruit and Monkey 47 Pate de Fruit

Place the grapefruit puree into a pan with the liquid glucose and bring to the boil.

Place the jam sugar into a bowl and whisk into the boiling puree, cook on a moderate heat until it reaches 104C.

Add in the citric acid and mix well. Then add in the Gin, finally pour onto a tray lined with baking paper.

Allow to cool and set, and then blend and place into a piping bag.

For the Tonic Buttercream

Boil the tonic water gently until it reduces to 20g.

Whisk the egg whites on a moderate speed. Meanwhile place the caster sugar and water into a pan and boil until the temperature reaches 118°c, gently pour over the whisked egg whites.

Increase the speed and whisk the egg whites until the meringue reaches 36.5 degrees, gradually mix in the soft butter and whisk until smooth and fluffy.

Add the tonic reduction and use immediately.

The Gin & Tonic macarons are part of Yauatcha's Chinese New Year menu, available at Yauatcha Soho and Yauatcha City from Jan 25-Feb 21; yauatcha.com

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