Unicorn Macaron Carousel (blue pea flower coloured)

This is my first attempt at a macaron structure :). Unicorn carousel!

If only I could mount this on a motorized turntable for display!

I made a few extra unicorns (from my last bake) and various sizes of round macarons to create this carousel. You may refer to my previous post on how to make the unicorn shells.

I made enough round shells to make two carousel structures just in case some shells didn't turn out well so you may wish to half the recipe.

Ingredients:
200g almond meal (preferably superfine)
200g icing sugar
200g caster sugar
160g egg whites, divide into two equal portions + extra to top up (preferably aged but not necessary)
75 ml water
1 tbs dried blue pea flowers (optional if unavailable)
Royal blue, sky blue and white gel food colouring

Steps:
You may refer to the detailed steps in my previous macaron post. I will just briefly describe.

1. Prepare baking trays with circle templates and baking sheets.

2. Prepare blue egg whites by steeping blue pea flowers in 80g of egg whites for an hour. Remove dried flowers and top up with any egg whites to make the portion 80g again.

Before and after 1h of soaking blue pea flowers in egg whites

3. Prepare the mass. Divide mass into two equal portions. Colour one light blue and another portion darker blue. Blue pea flower adds a dull blue tinge to the mass so some artificial colouring is still needed.

4. Prepare Italian meringue. Divide the meringue into two.

5. Fold the meringue into the mass. You may refer to this post for macaron basics such as how to fold and test the consistency of the batter.

Mass (upper pic) and batter (lower pic)

6. Transfer batter into piping bags fitted  with 6-7mm round tip (Wilton #12).

7. Pipe circles of different sizes. Bang trays on table a few times to release trapped air. Dry the shells until you are able to run a finger across the surface.

Piped shells at 2.5cm, 3.5cm, 6cm, 10cm and 13cm diameter

8.Preheat oven to 130°C. Bake the shells at the following times. Note that this is an estimate as each oven is different. Check to see if the feet appears dry towards end of baking time to gauge for doneness.

2.5, 3.5cm: bake for 17-18 minutes, rotate tray halfway.

6cm: bake for 17-18 minutes, rotate tray halfway, 115°C for 7 minutes.

10cm: bake for 17-18 minutes, rotate tray halfway, 110°C for 17-20 minutes.

13cm: bake for 17-18 minutes, rotate tray halfway, 110°C for 22-30 minutes.

Cool the macarons completely before peeling the baking sheet away from the shells.

Freshly baked!

Fill the macarons for supporting pillar with lemon white chocolate. Stick the macarons together with stiff royal icing. Add more icing sugar to the royal icing recipe in the link provided until stiff peaks are able to hold.

Let this supporting structure dry overnight. You may use edible marker to mark the positions of the unicorns with a dot.

Fill the unicorns with lemon white chocolate and stick straws in the middle.

Cut the straws to appropriate length corresponding to the height of the carousel structure.

Assemble the whole structure with stiff royal icing as glue.

Store the carousel at cool room temperature.

Thank God that the carousel and loose pieces of macarons were very well received! My recipients couldn't bear to take apart the carousel!

With love,
Phay Shing


Pre-orders for Creative Baking: Macarons is now open from 10-21 Feb! Don't miss the dates!