How to Make Bel Cafe’s Key Lime Pie Macarons

Learn to craft the perfect macaron from a seasoned pro, Bel Cafe’s pastry chef Wayne Kozinko

Hawksworth‘s and Bel Cafe‘s Pastry Chef, Wayne Kozinko, will take you through every step of making his famous Key Lime Pie macarons. While seemingly simple, these confectionary pastries are tricky and temperamental to create.

With so few ingredients involved (basically ground almonds, egg whites and sugar), there’s no room for error. At Hawksworth and Bel Cafe, they go through around 10,000 macarons a month, so Chef Kozinko knows every trick, technique and potential red flag you should know about before you attempt to make these at home.

Read on (or watch the video below) for a pictorial step-by-step guide, pro tips from Chef Kozinko and, most importantly, the prized recipe for his scrumptious Key Lime Pie macarons.

Making the Almond and Sugar Base

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Combine the ground almonds with the icing sugar in a food processor and process for a few minutes. Sift and add graham wafer crumbs. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Pro Tip: You’ll need a digital scale and three thermometers – an oven thermometer, a candy thermometer and a standard instant-read thermometer. Precision is key to most baking and its especially crucial for macarons.

Perfecting the Colour

Combine the first batch of egg whites with food colouring and stir to blend well. Add this to the sugar almond base, but do not mix.

Pro Tip: Professional chefs prefer to use coloured gels, which are more concentrated than liquid food colouring, so they won’t dilute the batter’s consistency. Gels are available at retail gourmet food shops.

Making the Sugar Syrup

In a separate pan, combine the sugar and water and heat gently to dissolve the sugar and create a syrup. When syrup reaches 112°C, begin the next step.

Pro Tip: This is where you need your candy thermometer. Keep it in the pot so you can watch the temperature carefully.

Making the Meringue

While the syrup continues heating, whisk the second batch of egg whites with the sugar on medium speed to form a stiff-but-not-dry meringue.

Pro Tip: Chef Kozinko uses aged egg whites for all his baking at Hawksworth and Bel Cafe. To age egg whites, separate them and keep them covered with paper towel or cheesecloth in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Adding the Syrup to the Meringue

Once the sugar syrup reaches 118°C, remove from heat. Slowly pour it into the meringue as it continues whipping. You want this meringue to cool down to about 50°C, which will take about six minutes. During this time it will triple in volume and take on a marshmallow-like texture.

As the meringue continues whipping in the stand mixer, turn your attention back to the sugar almond base and begin mixing the food colouring in. Incorporate the colour thoroughly and evenly.

Pro Tip: This is the base for an Italian meringue, which is sturdier than a French meringue. It’s ideal for baking ahead and serving later.

Combining it All Together

Once the meringue has cooled to 50°C, add one third of it to the almond base and vigorously mix to lighten the batter. Then add the remaining meringue fold from the center to the wall of the bowl, smearing the batter as you do so. Continue this process until the paste takes on a glossy appearance, and falls from the spatula in a folding wave.

Pro Tip: Be aggressive here. It’s counter-intuitive, but you really want to smear the batter up against the side of the bowl as you stir. This will help deflate any air bubbles.

Piping the Macaron Shells

Using a # 8 plain tube, pipe onto parchment at 3.5 cm with 2 cm spacing. Sprinkle lightly with reserved graham cracker crumbs. Let rest at room temp for 15-30 minutes.

Pro Tip: Make a template by stenciling the circles on a separate piece of parchment. Lay another on top, and after piping the last macaron, simply slide the template out to reuse on your next batch.

Baking the Macaron Shells

Bake at 300°F for four minutes. Then rotate the pan and bake for another six minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to room temperature pans to cool completely.

Pro Tip: Don’t rush. Let the shells cool completely before filling with ganache. If they’re the least bit warm, the ganache will melt.

Melting the Chocolate

Start the chocolate melting on a double boiler. In a separate pot, combine 300g of lime juice with the condensed milk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add zest.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a double boiler, make one by placing a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water (see above). Just don’t let the bottom of the bowl actually touch the water.

Blending the Ganache

Slowly add the lime mixture into the melted chocolate in small batches, stirring well after each addition (approximately five additions). When done, use a stick blender to add the remaining juice.

Pro Tip: Don’t worry if the mixture separates and looks like it’s curdling. That’s all normal and everything will come together once you give it a blend.

Assembling the Macarons

Transfer the ganache to the piping bag and pipe onto the centre of a macaron shell, leaving room at the edge. Top with another shell, gently squish, repeat.

Pro Tip: You can make the ganache several days in advance. Keep it in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before piping. In fact, you can pipe and complete the macarons in advance as well.

Key Lime Pie Macaron Recipe

Ingredients for Macaron Shells (makes 72 shells for 3 dozen completed macarons)

• 40g finely ground almonds

• 145g icing sugar

• 105g graham wafer crumbs

• 110 g egg whites (divided, 55g and 55g)

• 165g sugar (divided, 15gg and 15 g)

• 50g water

• 1.5g leaf-green colour

• 1g golden-yellow color

Ingredients for Lime Ganache Filling

• 750g white chocolate chips (or finely chopped)

• 200g condensed milk

• 400g lime juice

• 10g lime zest

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Combine the ground almonds with the icing sugar in a food processor and process for a few minutes. Sift and add graham wafer crumbs. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

3.  Add the first batch of egg whites with food coloring and stir to blend well. Add this to the sugar almond base but do not mix.

4. In a separate pan combine the sugar and water and heat gently to dissolve the sugar and create a syrup. When syrup reaches 112°C, begin the next step.

5. While the syrup continues heating, whisk the second batch of egg whites with the sugar on medium speed to form a stiff but not dry meringue.

6. Once the sugar syrup reaches 118°C, remove from heat. Slowly pour it into the meringue as it continues whipping. You want this meringue to cool down to about 50°C, which will take about six minutes. During this time it will triple in volume and take on a marshmallow-like texture.

7. As the meringue continues whipping in the stand mixer, turn your attention back the sugar almond base and begin mixing the food colouring in. Incorporate the colour thoroughly and evenly.

8. Once the meringue has cooled to 50°C, add one third of it to the almond base and vigorously mix to lighten the batter. Then add the remaining meringue fold from the center to the wall of the bowl, smearing the batter as you do so. Continue this process until the paste takes on a glossy appearance, and falls from the spatula in a folding wave.

9. Using a # 8 plain tube, pipe onto parchment at 3.5 cm with 2 cm spacing. Sprinkle lightly with reserved graham cracker crumbs. Let rest at room temp 15-30 minutes.

10. Bake at 300°F for 4 min. Rotate and bake another 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to room temperature pans to cool.

11. To make the ganache, start the chocolate melting on a double boiler. In a separate pot, combine 300 gm of lime juice with condensed milk and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, add zest.

12. Slowly add the lime mixture into the melted chocolate in small batches, stirring well after each addition (approximately five batches).  When done, use a stick blender to add remaining juice.

13. Transfer the ganache to piping bag and pipe onto the centre of a macaron shell, leaving room at the edge. Top with another shell, gently squish and repeat.