Fillings for French macarons: Ganache, Lemon curd, Buttercream

These fillings are from Cooks of Crocus Hill.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE (apply after cookies are cooled)

• 1/2 cup PLUS 2 Tbls bittersweet chips or semisweet chips
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Put chips into small or medium bowl and set aside.

2. Using a small double boiler, or a make-shift one, gently warm the cream until bubbles form.

3. Pour cream over chips and cover with plastic wrap.

4. After about 30-60 secs, before condensation forms on plastic, stir or whisk chips and cream together until smooth.

5. Dip or drizzle onto coconut macaroons, fill macarons, etc.  NOTE:  If drizzling the ganache, put parchment under cooling rack to catch drips.

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LEMON CURD (can be made a couple days ahead of time)

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tbl cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground ginger 
• 2-oz piece of fresh ginger, peeled, and thinly sliced
• 5 egg yolks 
• 1 lemon, washed, zested, and juiced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1. Line a small serving dish with plastic wrap (not sure why--easier to clean the dish later...?)

2. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and ground ginger.

3. Add lemon juice, sliced ginger, egg yolks, zest, and butter.

4. Cook on medium and whisk constantly until mixture boils.

5. Remove from heat, strain mixture (any strainer is okay) into the serving dish to remove ginger pieces, cooked egg, etc., and cool completely (fridge is okay) before using.

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VANILLA or CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM (okay to freeze but then thaw overnight in the fridge or leave out the day it is needed)

• 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup shortening
• (optional) 1 vanilla bean, split horizontally and seeds scraped into small bowl); also can substitute 1 tsp of vanilla paste
• 4-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 egg whites, pasteurized
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• (optional) food coloring
• To make chocolate buttercream:  1-2 oz of chocolate (NOTE: Cocoa powder can be substituted but amount is unknown.)

1. In standing mixer bowl, and using paddle attachment on standing mixer, cream the butter, shortening, vanilla seeds, and powdered sugar on low.

2. Add egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extracts, with mixer on medium until light and fluffy.

3. For vanilla buttercream, add food color if using.  For chocolate buttercream, melt chocolate and slowly add to mixture until combined.