my history with macarons & the basic macaron

An article on yumsugar.com called 10 MUST-DOS FOR EVERY INTERMEDIATE BAKER had "perfect the French macaron" as one of its listings. FLASHBACK FRIDAY EVERYONE.

JUNE 21, 2010

I attempted macarons for the first time around the end of my sophomore year for the graduates of 2010. They had cracked tops and lacked the signature "feet", but they still tasted pretty good. You can't go wrong with chocolate ganache :)

I was determined to make them look as good as true macarons do, but I failed miserably.


And here are the photographs documenting my failures!

JULY 7, 2010

AUGUST 5, 2010

Something was majorly wrong. I used room temperature egg whites; I folded the batter, didn't mix it; I piped them with a tip and piping bag; but what was I doing wrong? I read and reread David Lebovitz's chocolate macaron recipe only to find I left out a CRUCIAL step in macaron-making (I found the missing step in his writing, not the actual recipe, which was frustrating haha no hard feelings David!): LET THE BATTER SET. 

I tried once more, now knowing to let the batter dry before baking. I think I left my macarons set for about 1-2 hours as David did with his, and TA-DAH: 

SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

My macarons had a smooth shell AND the signature "feet" :D and from there on out I made macarons almost nonstop! 

Around the beginning of my senior year I started selling macarons to raise money for drum corps auditions and for the tour fee, and I'm proud to say the sales were really successful and they gave me numerous chances to test new flavors like lavender, rose, pistachio, green tea, etc. Though I still have failed batches here and there, I've come a long way with the French macaron and in a way, I have finally mastered it.

The Basic Macaron Recipe:

yields 20 shells (10 macarons)

Ingredients: 

1 large egg white (room temperature)
1 tbs granulated sugar (I tend to use a little less than a full tablespoon)
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds (almond flour is pricey)

Directions: 

- Preheat the oven 300° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Have one large egg white at room temperature ready in medium/large bowl.
- Pulse the slivered blanched almonds in a food processor or blender until it becomes fine almond meal. Sift the almond meal with the confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and mix until incorporated.
- Using an electric handheld whisk, whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Add the granulated sugar and continue whisking until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. 
Tip: if you hold the bowl upside-down over your head and the egg white should stay in place
- Use a rubber spatula and gently fold in the almond mixture in tablespoons until incorporated. Be sure not to mix it as it will deflate the egg whites.
- Fill a piping bag with the mixture and use a 1-cm wide tip to pipe circles onto the parchment sheet or silicone mat. Leave enough room between each circle so the edges do not spread and touch.
- Let the batter set about 30 minutes up to 1 or 2 hours. (The macarons should not look shiny when you place it under the light and when you touch it the shell feels somewhat hardened. Once you get the hang of it you'll know when the macarons are ready to bake.)
- Bake 9-10 minutes. You usually see the macaron "feet" start to form about 5-6 minutes into baking.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool, match up the cookies to form sandwiches, then fill with your favorite filling (chocolate ganache, peanut butter, jam, caramel, etc.) and serve and enjoy!

TIP: macarons that look like this should be ready to bake :) the tops are hardened and not glossy or sticky to the touch

This basic macaron recipe can be altered by adding cocoa powder, espresso powder, matcha powder, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. to create a bunch of other flavors. I will be blogging the recipes for the other macaron flavors I have made and their fillings to go along with it! :)

If you haven't tried making macarons you should go do that right now. They're fun (and frustrating, sometimes) to make but it's worth its delicate texture and chic taste. Plus they're all the rage right now :D

Happy baking! :)