Makecaron Macarons: Make Your Own Ganache Fillings #Weekly Menu Plan

Product was provided by Makecaron for this post but opinions are 100% mine.

Macarons the light heavenly almond cookie that the French are know for has never been a make at home cookie until NOW.

The shell of a a macaron requires too much equipment, and too much fuss for a home cook, but the filling, the ganache is not very difficult to make and it is the ganache that really gives a macaron it's flavor.

The French pastry chef Francois Payard realized that home cooks would enjoy the pleasure of creating their own fillings and the Make-caron was born.

My daughter and I had such a good time coming up with ganache fillings. What a special treat our completed cookies were when we presented to our family. Everyone was so impressed that we made the fillings. We didn't tell them how easy it was to do!

If you have a parent who loves to cook with her kids or a lover of French desserts on your holiday list. I highly recommend sending her a box or two of Make-carons.

Click here to order Make-carons and to check out recipes that others have shared for fillings.

Ganache: Lemon, Chocolate & Raspberry Brandy

by Diane Balch and Daughter simplelivingeating.com

Note: Ganache can be used to fill any type of cookie or pastry. We like putting it inside puffed pastry. You can also roll it into balls and refrigerate them to make truffles.

Ingredients for Lemon Ganache:

12 ounces of white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of Lemon extract

1 cup of heavy cream

1 pinch of salt

Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache:

12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons of corn-syrup

2 teaspoons of coffee

1 cup of heavy cream

1 pinch of salt

Ingredients for Raspberry Brandy Ganache:

12 ounces of white chocolate chips
6 ounces of fresh raspberries chopped
1 tablespoon of brandy
1 pinch of salt
3/4 cup of heavy cream

Directions for the Lemon and the Chocolate Ganache:

1) Put chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl that fits on top of a sauce pan filled with water. Bring the water to a boil and stir the chocolate until it melts.

2) When the chocolate is melted take the bowl off of the heat and whisk in the corn syrup and coffee (for chocolate ganache) or lemon extract for (lemon ganache) and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

3) Bring the cream to a boil in a separate sauce pan.

4) Slowly whisk the cream into the melted chocolates.

5) Refrigerate ganache until it is firm enough to pipe on to cookies, about 30 minutes.

Directions for Raspberry Brandy Ganache or any fruit Ganache:

1) On medium high heat bring raspberries, brandy and salt to a boil in a sauce pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until it thickens a little.

2) Bring heavy cream to a boil in a separate sauce pan.

3) When cream is boiled slowing mix it into the raspberry sauce.

4) Refrigerate until firm enough to pipe into cookies about 40 minutes.