This is my last peach recipe for this year! Although we are lucky to have peaches in the Bay Area, all the way up till the month of October. I adore peaches and nectarines. Yellow ones are my favorite. I love the tartness of the yellow ones.
The pretty color of the peaches makes me so happy! The shades of yellow, slight orange with a touch of bright pink truly makes for a pretty fruit!
Peach and Corn combination
The combination of peaches and corn in a dessert is sublime. Corn adds a subtle sweetness and creaminess, and peaches bring the tartness in a dessert. My latest macaron recipe has a Corn Ganache and a Peach and Saffron Compote in the middle.
Ingredients of the Corn Ganache
The Corn Ganache is unique and the flavor is subtle and beautiful at the same time. The ingredients of the corn ganache are as follows:
- Fresh Corn: I have not tried this recipe with canned corn which is softer. I use fresh corn, when in season, because they are the sweetest when in season.
- Corn Syrup: is used for stabilization of the ganache and also smoothness.
- White Chocolate: I always use Valrhona. I get the bars from Whole Foods to make ganaches.
- A pinch of salt: to balance the sweetness
How to make the Corn Ganache
The corn is boiled in water, to soften. Once softened, it is blitzed in a food processor, then strained through a cheesecloth to extract the liquid from the solids. The liquid is further reduced to get a concentrated liquid along with the corn syrup. It needs to be measured so you can get the accurate amount, along with the corn syrup and white chocolate.
White chocolate is melted in a microwave and once melted, the corn mixture is added until combined. It is important to blend this mixture to get a homogenous ganache. Ganache is then poured onto a small tray and put in the fridge (preferably overnight) to set. Once set, it can be put into a piping bag, fitted with a round piping tip for the macarons.
Ingredients for the Peach and Saffron Compote
The ingredients for the peach and saffron compote are:
- Yellow peaches, cut into tiny pieces
- Granulated Sugar: I add about half the amount of sugar in weight as the fruit
- Pectin: helps to set the compote slightly
- Lemon juice: also adds as pectin and provides a lovely tartness to the compote
- Saffron: I love peaches and saffron and it is one of my favorite combinations.
Macaron Shells are made with basically few ingredients:
- Almond Flour: Use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour for best results!
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Almond flour and confectioner’s sugar are ground together as the first step always.
- Egg Whites: I have seen recipes that use cold egg whites, however i have always used room temperature egg whites.
- Cream of Tartar: This is used to stabilize the meringue.
- Granulated Sugar: This is used to make the meringue as well, in conjunction with the egg whites.
- Vanilla Extract: I use a tad bit to add flavor to the shells
Some tips for the macarons:
- Always ensure that you sift the almond flour and the confectioner’s sugar, atleast 4-5 times, and discard the bigger pieces that are left behind in the sifting process.
- Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar for about 5 minutes in total, and ensure that when you turn the whisk, there are stiff peaks formed for the meringue. Do not over whip.
- Bang the tray atleast 10 times for the macs to settle, and no bubbles to form on the top.
- Always let it set for atleast 40 minutes.
- If you are not decorating the macs on the same day, lay them on the tray and cover with a plastic wrap, so no air goes into the macs and hardens them. This will ensure that the center remains chewy.
What baking mat to use to make macarons?
I use the silpat macaron baking mats from Amazon, linked here to make my macarons. I highly recommend investing in these silpat mats since you can use them for cookies as well and the macarons come out foolproof. Plus they have the template already on the mat, which is great to help with piping.
How do I get the 2-toned macarons?
I mix the batter until it is just combined. Then I divide it equally between two medium bowls. I add color to each of the bowls (whatever color you desire). Then I start folding the batter with a rubber spatula, in one direction, like you would in the macaronnage process, until you get the ribbon-lava consistency. Stop!
Do the same with the other bowl. Now in the piping bag fitted with the piping tip, in a tall glass, start alternating and adding the colored batters. When you start piping them, they will form a swirl and pipe beautifully!
Once you have all the components ready, assembly is a breeze. Pipe the corn ganache around the macaron shell, on the flat side. Pipe a bit in the center so that the shell does not get moisture from the compote. Add a bit of the compote in the center. Place another macaron shell on the top and press gently to seal.
Other peach recipes on my blog are as follows:
- Corn Pakoras with a Peach, Nectarine, Heirloom Tomato Salad
- Easy Summer Peach, Tomato and Farro Salad
- Peach, Raspberry, Lemon Frangipane Tart with Rose Whipped Cream
If you do make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Peach and Corn Macarons
Ingredients
Corn Ganache
- 330 grams of fresh corn
- 2 cups water
- 20 grams corn syrup
- 250 grams white chocolate (use Valrhona)
- A pinch of salt
Peach and Saffron Compote
- 125 grams yellow peach, cut into tiny pieces
- 65 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pectin
- A pinch of saffron
Macarons
- 5.2 ounces confectioner’s sugar
- 5.2 ounces almond flour
- 4 ounces egg whites, room temperature
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Corn Ganache
- In a medium pot, on medium to high heat, add corn and water to boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Blitz the mixture through a high speed mixer until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth, hanging over a small pot. Twist the cheesecloth, and strain the corn mixture as much as possible. This process takes about 10 minutes, since you want to remove all of the “corn juice” and the solids will remain in the cheesecloth.
- Add the mixture back into a small pot, along with corn syrup, on medium to low heat, simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes, until reduced to about ¼. It should weigh ~150 grams.
- In a microwaveable bowl, add the white chocolate and microwave in 30 second increments upto 1.5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to almost smoothen out the mixture.
- Add corn mixture to the chocolate, and mix to combine.
- Add the mixture to a tall jar, and using a hand blender, blend the ganache using an immersion blender, to emulsify for 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture will look smooth and homogenous.
- Pour the mixture onto a ⅛ baking tray. Spread it with a rubber spatula. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Next day, place the ganache in a 12 inch piping bag, fitted with a xx piping tip. Keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
Peach and Saffron Compote:
- In a small pot, add all the ingredients, and set it aside for an hour, for the mixture to macerate.
- In a small to medium pot, on medium to high heat, add the ingredients and stir to combine.
- Mixture will come to a boil and bubble, stirring occasionally. The bubbles will subside and become small. Cook the mixture for a total of about 10-12 minutes.
- Using a hand blender, blend the compote to break down any chunks of fruit and get a smooth compote.
- Let cool completely. Pour into an airtight container, store in the fridge until ready to use.
Macarons
- Preheat the oven to 310℉. Line 2 baking sheets with silpats.
- In a food processor bowl fitted with a metal blade, pulse the confectioner’s sugar with the almond flour until a fine powder forms. Transfer the powder to a mixing bowl. Using a drum sieve, sift the mixture four times into a second large bowl.
- Make the meringue: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all sugar is incorporated and the mixture is thick, about one minute, scrap the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Increase the speed to high, whipping for at least 4 to 5 minutes, until firm, glossy peaks form. You can remove and turn the whisk and the meringue should hold.
- Complete the macaronnage: Sift the almond flour mixture, one-third at a time, over the meringue, and fold with a large spatula until the batter is smooth and shiny. Once all of the almond flour mixture is incorporated, check the consistency. The batter should be firm, have a glossy shine and drip smoothly from the spatula. Make sure the entire almond mixture is incorporated. Take in the batter with your spatula and press it against the bowl in the same motion to remove the air from the batter. This step is very important. If you over whip, the batter will be too runny. It should flow slowly like lava and form ribbons. You should be able to form the figure 8 with batter dripping off the spatula into the bowl.
- Transfer the batter to a 16-inch pastry bag fitted with an Ateco #802 round tip. Seal the bag from the top and pipe 1⅓-inch rounds on the prepared pans. Gentle tap each sheet on the work surface to release trapped air. Do this step at least 10 times. If the macarons have a tip on top, gently pat it down with a slightly wet finger. Let stand at room temperature for at least 40 minutes. Check for a slight crust to form on the macarons. The shells should not stick to your finger when lightly touched.
- Bake one sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until the shells are crisp and firm, about 16 minutes.
- Allow the shells to cool on the pans for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Assembly
- Fill a 12 inch piping bag, fitted with an Ateco #801 round tip, with the Peach and Saffron compote.
- Match the macarons to ensure that each pair is the same size.
- Turn one macaron, flat size up. Pipe the corn ganache around in a circle, leaving ¼ cm around the rim. Pipe a tiny bit in the center as well.
- Pipe the compote in the center. Take another macaron shell, and cover the macaron and press gently to seal.
- Repeat for the remaining macarons.
Storage
- Store the macarons in an airtight container, lined with parchment paper. Place about a tablespoon of rice under the parchment. Rice will help to absorb any unwanted moisture from the container.
- Macarons can be stored upto 2 weeks for maximum freshness.
Notes
- The peach and saffron compote, and the corn ganache can be made 2 to 3 days ahead of making the macaron shells.
- The macaron shells can be made a day ahead, kept on the baking sheet, and covered tight with plastic wrap. And assembly can be done the following day.
- The macarons can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to two weeks. Place rice in the container to absorb any moisture.
- More tips on the macarons, and baking silicone mats used are mentioned in the blog post.
- Tips on how to achieve the 2-tone color for the macarons is also mentioned in the blog post.
