Macarons (Again)

I know that I have already blogged about macarons back when I made them for my friend's birthday at the end of April, but I feel like I should post an update. The truth of the matter is that since that time in April I tried to make macarons again for a baby shower and they turned out to be a total flop. However last week my mom and I attended a macaron making class at a local French cafe and I learned some new techniques.

I have to admit that I attend a lot of these "how-to" cooking classes but rarely do I actually learn new things, usually because I have already experimented so much on my own. I can happily say that this time was different and I definitely learned a lot...starting with how not to be afraid of my Kitchen Aid. Although I love my wonderful Kitchen Aid stand mixer dearly I am still hesitant to use it when it comes to whipping items such as egg whites for meringue or cream for whipped cream. After a few unsuccessful attempts I basically gave up and use my hand mixer instead, relying on the Kitchen Aid for less delicate things like cake batters, cookies, and doughs.

Despite my fear of the Kitchen Aid I saw how easily the teacher used it in our class to whip the egg whites and I wanted that confidence for myself. I intensely grilled her about everything related to the mixer, such as how long to go on each speed, and carefully observed the changes in consistency as she increased speeds. I asked so many questions in such great detail that at some point another person in the class asked if I owned a bakery. My mom laughed when she heard this and was quick to point out that although we did not technically own a bakery she sometimes felt as though we did given my frequency of baking for various occasions.

The macarons we made in class were of course picture perfect...exactly what you would expect from a bakery. As can be seen in the picture, they all had beautiful smooth tops and perfect little feet. We made two varieties, pink and purple, and two different butter cream fillings; raspberry-vanilla for the pink macarons and lemon-lavender for the purple ones. My mom was not thrilled with the lavender filling because she said it reminded her of body wash and made her feel like she was eating soap.

Obviously I wanted to test all of the new things that I learned at home and luckily for me I was invited to a birthday party the following week. I specifically went to a special kitchen store to buy the food coloring that we used in our class, a gel-based color that would not interfere with the moisture content of the macaron shells. Even after coming off my third eight hour clinical shift in a row (PS 5 AM wake-ups are no fun) I was too excited to try making the macarons.

My macarons did not turn out as picture perfect as the ones we made in class but they were definitely an improvement on my previous attempts. Initially I had some problems with getting the oven temperature just right for the first batch of red shells; this resulted in a tray of cracked shells. With the yellow ones I had the right temperature but I had not mixed the batter enough and therefore the shells came out a little bumpy on top instead of smooth. Nonetheless, I was extremely proud of the shells I baked and, more importantly, for getting over my fear of my Kitchen Aid.

Macarons
Note: This recipe makes about 40 shells, 1" in diameter. I highly suggest drawing out a template and placing it underneath the parchment paper in order to be able to pipe all the shells into equal sizes.

• 120 grams egg whites, room temperature
• 40 grams granulated sugar
• 140 grams ground almonds
• 240 grams icing sugar
• Optional: Gel-based food coloring

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg white on medium speed until frothy. Add the granulated sugar and then whisk on full speed for 6-8 minutes. Note: this may seem like a long time but it really is necessary for the egg whites to be shiny and stiff therefore 6 minutes is a minimum. If desired, add food coloring about 3-4 minutes in, scraping the bowl as necessary.
2. Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar and ground almonds together in a bowl then add to the stiffened egg white mixture with a rubber spatula. 
3. Mix the batter by folding from the bottom up and around the sides (called macronnage) but try not to overmix. The mixture should fall back on itself and form ribbons at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Pipe out 1" sized circles onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving about ½" between the macarons as the batter will spread. Once the tray is full, tap the tray a couple of times on the counter to release air bubbles and then let the tray sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes before baking.
5. Once ready, bake at 325 degrees Farenheit for 10-11 minutes. I recommend trying a small test batch to check your oven for the right time and temperature. If your oven has a hot spot you might want to turn the tray 180 degrees halfway through to ensure even baking. 
6. Allow the macarons to cool completely (I really do mean completely) before removing them from the parchment paper otherwise they will stick. 
7. The macarons can be filled and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. To defrost place them on the counter with the lid to the container removed to prevent condensation.

Butter Cream Filling
Note: For my macarons I used a raspberry vanilla butter cream for the red shells and a lemon butter cream for the yellow shells. I used ⅔ cup sugar and ½ cup butter for each filling and still had leftovers.

There are a variety of flavors that macarons can be filled with. To make a simple butter cream filling use the ratio of ¾ cup butter to 1 cup of icing sugar and then add whatever flavor you desire. Just make sure the butter is at room temperature.

Possible suggestions:

• Vanilla (2 tsp vanilla extract)
• Raspberry Vanilla (1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp raspberry jam)
• Lemon (2 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice)
• Chocolate (35 grams chocolate, melted and cooled)

Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color. Add whichever flavor you are using and continue to beat until incorporated. Leftover butter cream can be stored in an airtight plastic bag (like a Ziploc freezer bag) for 2-3 months.