Even though I LOVE icy cold winter weather, the winter weather this year especially frustrates me. My recent macaron batches haven't been up to par. I've been having to wait over 24 hours for the macaron shells to harden, only to bake them and see cracked frills you can hardly call "feet" beneath the grainy, bumpy surfaces.
Weather plays a HUGE role in the success or failure of macarons, but after researching, weather doesn't seem to be the problem. The air is dry and cold and far from humid, so maybe my batter is to blame, or rather, I am, for not whipping the batter well enough :( After having mastered the basic macaron recipe, after those countless days of batch after batch of successful macarons, it's disheartening to fall back to square one. How could a such a short hiatus free from baking these French confections conjure such drastic changes in product? I'm afraid I'm losing my macaron touch.
"Once you know it, you can't not know it." The saying possesses veracity. Once you've learned to play the violin, you can't undo your knowledge of how to hold the bow or vibrato the strings. Sure, maybe your tone quality worsened without consistent practice, but you never forget the basics. The same applies to baking. I know the ingredients to a basic macaron recipe. I understand the tug and shove of the meringue whipping in the bowl down to my bones. I'm familiar with the smooth appearance of the meringue, with its stiff, glossy peaks, when it is the right viscosity to finally stop whisking. I know to fold the meringue gently, to not overwork it; and I maintain the technique to pipe the batter perfectly and evenly spaced, remembering to slam out the air pockets and bubbles. But despite all the intimacy and experience that comes with baking macarons, I still failed to whip out a commendable batch today. With consistent practice from now on, hopefully I can burst out of this square one bubble and get my touch back.
In the meanwhile, here is a recipe for banana chocolate macarons! I made these over the summer for my friends and teachers at drum corps. After long hours of morning rehearsal, these macarons make a perfect sugar kick--exactly the break we needed from being immobilized in the Riverside heat. The crispy banana chips give away to the softened shell and you bite further into the dissolved velvety core of the macaron. A fresh banana slice enhances the creamy melting sensation and unites with the smooth ganache center. I suggest refrigerating these macarons before serving them, since they tend to melt and fall apart more easily than normal macarons do. Keeping them cold also makes for a refreshing, almost frozen, treat on a hot summer day; too bad it's winter, but these make for a yummy dessert anyway :)
Banana Chocolate Macarons
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
yellow food coloring (I use food coloring paste because using a tiny bit of it goes a long way, I used liquid food coloring before but sometimes too many drops don't yield the desired color and it made my meringue too soggy to work with)
1/4 cup banana chips, crushed
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 finely ground. 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. Once the egg whites begin to hold soft peaks, add in a tiny bit of the yellow food coloring (if you're using the paste, if you're using the liquid food color, use about 3-5 drops depending on how deep you want the color) and continue whisking until they 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. Sprinkle the banana chips over the surface of the macaron batter and slightly press down to ensure they stick on.
- 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 the chocolate ganache and a thin slice of banana. Refrigerate to let set, then enjoy!
Chocolate Ganache
yields 1/4 cup
Ingredients:
4 oz dark chocolate chips/dark chocolate shavings
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp instant ground coffee
Directions:
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips or shavings with the heavy cream and instant ground coffee, stirring occasionally.
- Once the ganache is smooth and combined, refrigerate it for an hour or more to let it solidify and set before piping into the macaron shells. If you're using this with cake, cupcakes, etc., let cool on the counter before using.
To Assemble: Pipe a little bit of ganache onto both of the shells, then place a thinly sliced banana on one one of the shells and then press the cookies together to form a sandwich. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.
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