Kirby Macaroons

Ingredients for Cookies:

• 3 large room temperature eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup of room temperature raspberries

Directions for Cookies:

1. Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into a large bowl
2. Sift 1 cup almond flour into the same bowl
3. Whisk together ingredients until thoroughly combined
4. Separate egg yolk from egg whites
5. Pour egg whites into another large bowl
6. Beat eggs for 4 minutes
7. Add sugar gradually while continuing to beat for 4 minutes
8. Add salt to egg & sugar mixture
9. Add pink food coloring & mix until thoroughly combined
10. Pour the powdered sugar & almond flour mixture slowly into egg & sugar mixture & gently fold 50-60 strokes *Careful not to over or under mix
11. Scoop batter into zip lock bag & cut the tip
12. Put parchment paper on cookie sheet 
13. Squeeze batter onto the parchment paper about 1-1 1/2 inch in diameter
14. Tap cookie sheet down on table so air bubbles surface to prevent lumpy cookies
15. Leave cookie sheet for 30 minutes while preheating oven to 300ﾟ
16. Bake for 20 minutes on top rack

Directions for Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting:

1. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl for 4 minutes until light & fluffy
2. Add powdered sugar gradually & continue to beat for 30 seconds
3. Mash raspberries in sifter until all the juices are in another small bowl
4. Pour 2 table spoons of the juice into the large bowl 
5. Scoop frosting into another zip lock bag & cup the tip

Final Directions:

1. Decorate Kirby faces with icing
2. Squeeze frosting into center cookie
3. Place another cookie on top

Analysis:

     For the cookies, I used the biscuit method, and for the butter cream, I used the creaming method. I really liked these French macaroons, but they were a bit too sweet. Mixing was really important because for the butter cream, you only wanted to mix it until it's light & fluffy or you'll get the wrong consistency. I thought the overall appearance was nice. I got the correct pink tone I wanted for Kirby. The top of the cookies were smooth & not cracked. I especially liked the raspberry butter cream frosting. I didn't get any of the seeds into the frosting either since I mashed it  using the sifter. It was a bit chewier than I had hoped but I still liked it. You can smell the warm raspberries when they came out of the oven. Eventually, I made more macaroons & played with the colors. So yes, I would make these again.

-Melody On Hour 1