Making Macarons (Round 1)


Sometimes I just get the craving to try something new. Here's my cannonball dive into the world of making macarons. 


First, I looked up recipes online. Always more than one--I don't know if it's more confusing or good to do lots of research, but I feel like I can never trust just one recipe online.


http://www.elledecor.com/culture/daniels-dish/french-macaron-recipe
http://www.yumsugar.com/Basic-French-Macaron-Recipe-21651110

I ground up a lot of raw almonds (yay Costco bag) using the magic bullet. It didn't seem to be the right consistency so I pushed it through a metal strainer. 


Then I started to beat the 3 egg whites with the egg beater. I actually messed up the first time, so this time I cleaned out the bowl, rinsed it, and dried it off with a paper towel. I cleaned the beaters. I was determined to get it right this time. 



 After a few minutes...

Ahh...success! I carefully folded in the powdered suger bit by bit, carefully beating it until I thought it looked beautiful. 

Then I decided it was as fluffy as I could get it. I started folding in the almond grounds, and on a spur of the moment decision (and lack of food coloring at home), I dumped a half bag of powdered sweet green tea in the attempt to make it green. 


Okay so it didn't turn green...

I am a makeshift baker. I was desperately trying to figure out how to pipe the meringue cookie batter (that's what the recipes called the egg white/almond stuff) into the correct cookie shape. None of the recipes said how TALL or how HIGH each circle should be, just that it should be about 1 in. in diameter. So...anticipating that the cookies would fluff up and expand, I squished them. 


It did not fluff up...Safe to safe, pipe it up exactly the thickness you think the cookie should be, and it would turn out that way. 

But that's later...so the recipes say to leave it out to develop the distinctive "feet" and that it should take about an hour. The recipes said that you would know it is ready because the cookie would develop a "shell" that was no longer sticky. 

After an hour I poked at it. Still sticky. 

After an hour and fifteen I poked at it. Still sticky. 

It took a lot longer than they said it would. And I got too impatient and simply popped it in the oven. 280F, for about 10 min...still looked raw. After another 4 minutes...still raw. And another 4--oh no! They turned brown! :( Well..sort of...

In the meantime, I used the egg yolk to make a custard...which I was not entirely sure if it was really working out...but taste testing made it really yummy. 


I added some cocoa powder after building up the custard a little. 

Finally it was time to build! The did turn out a little flat, but yummy all around! And now I know that I should pipe the meringue batter to be taller and thicker. 



Round 2 is tonight! I bought some food coloring, I've cleaned the cookie sheets. I'm ready I'm ready! 

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