After what seems like an eternity of oohing and ahhing over so many beautiful macaron related blog posts, I finally decided to be brave and make my own. I have never had the pleasure of tasting the french Ladurée or Pierre Hermé versions, only some from Paul and Maison Blanc so I am not an expert of what constitutes the perfect macaron. While some prefer their macarons with just enough filling to hold them together, I prefer a generous dollop of buttercream or ganache. My favourite flavour is pistachio but I decided my first batch should be simple so I went with plain almond.
I had actually considered taking a class to learn the basics but having bookmarked so many recipes and how-to pages this year, I thought I should at least be able to make a fair attempt on my own. I honestly thought I would be posting about my first failed undertaking of macarons, with the knowledge that it would be a useful exercise- I could at least learn from my mistakes and improve my technique. However I am as shocked and amazed as anyone that they have turned out as well as they have, not perfect and here is a few reasons why:
- they are a bit too big so next time I will need to use a smaller pastry tip.
- the first tray browned a little too quickly so I ended up under-baking them; I put the second tray lower down in the oven and that helped a lot. Next time I will also rotate the pan for more even baking.
- they could have a slightly better dome so I will need to pay attention to the consistency and maybe use older egg whites.
Basic Almond Macarons
adapted from Serious Eats
225 grams icing sugar (sifted)
125 grams almonds
110 grams egg whites (some suggest 24-48 hours old egg whites but I didn’t bother)
30 grams caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Blitz almonds in a food processor until finely textured and then sift. Mix the almonds and icing sugar in a bowl and set aside.In a large clean, dry bowl whisk the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually fold in icing sugar/ almond mixture into egg whites until completely incorporated. The mixture should be shiny and 'flow like magma.' When small peaks dissolve to a flat surface, stop mixing.
Fit a piping bag with a 1cm round tip (my tip was too big which resulted in larger than usual macarons). Pipe the batter onto parchment lined baking sheets and tap the underside of the baking sheet to remove air bubbles. Let the piped macarons dry at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes to allow skins to form.
Bake at 160°C oven for 10 to 11 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar, and rotate the baking sheet after 5 minutes for even baking. Once out of the oven poor a few drops of water under the the parchment- the steam will help release the macarons from the paper.
While I realise that the overall success of my macarons is probably down to luck, I do feel quite proud of myself. I can't wait to make another batch... and neither can E.
Fit a piping bag with a 1cm round tip (my tip was too big which resulted in larger than usual macarons). Pipe the batter onto parchment lined baking sheets and tap the underside of the baking sheet to remove air bubbles. Let the piped macarons dry at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes to allow skins to form.
Bake at 160°C oven for 10 to 11 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar, and rotate the baking sheet after 5 minutes for even baking. Once out of the oven poor a few drops of water under the the parchment- the steam will help release the macarons from the paper.
Vanilla Buttercream Filling
adapted from Kitchen Musings
3 egg yolks
115 grams plus 2 tbs sugar
225g butter, at room temperature
1tsp vanilla extract
adapted from Kitchen Musings
3 egg yolks
115 grams plus 2 tbs sugar
225g butter, at room temperature
1tsp vanilla extract
In a clean glass or metal bowl, combine the yolks and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and whisk for 30 seconds. Simultaneously, in a small saucepan with the remaining ½ cup of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook over high heat until the mixture reaches 120 °C. Stir vanilla extract into the boiling syrup. Drizzle the vanilla syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg yolks, whisking them briskly to blend. Continue whisking the egg yolk mixture until the yolks have tripled in volume and have cooled. Add the butter and whisk until the buttercream is fluffy and creamy with stiff, shiny, pointy peaks. Pipe one macaron with as much filling as you like and sandwich together.
While I realise that the overall success of my macarons is probably down to luck, I do feel quite proud of myself. I can't wait to make another batch... and neither can E.
0 comments:
Post a Comment