When attempting new recipes, I usually do a ton of research by reading many variations of the recipe, and also by getting whatever tips and advice I can. Obviously when it comes to technique, it's hard to learn from just reading or talking about it. I'd tried making macarons before, but like I just said, the technique is hard to master. So I took a macarons class at ICE this past week, and I learned that you can't just follow a recipe to make this cookie. You have to know what to look for at each step, and even then, you just have to be really nice to the cookie and pray that it turns out.
My baking buddy and old college roommate Mel also took the class with me, and we teamed up to make these lemon macarons, which happened to be one Meilleur Ouvrier de France's (MOF) recipe. Here's a macaron fact: all MOF's can't agree on a particular method when making them because depending on a number of factors, different methods produce lovely macarons. The method our recipe used incorporated the sugar with the egg whites at the start of the whipping process, and also did away with any waiting period after piping the cookies, it went straight into the oven. Some methods have that waiting period to allow a skin to form on the macarons, but ours came out just fine.
Oh, and the fillings. We made a plain yellow cookie and originally paired it with lemon curd. We made another batch of vanilla macarons, but we baked them in the cursed oven (our instructor burned her demo macarons in this oven first), and our cookies also cracked and burned. That left us with extra white chocolate ganache to also fill our macarons with. We were a little stingy with our fillings; something else that takes practice. But for Mel and my first duo-baking project, not bad, huh? Together, we make Melida ;)
And thanks to Julie and Crystal for the ICE gift certificate as a bridal shower gift! As you can tell, I already made use of it and loved it.
14 comments:
hahaha. melida! they are so yummy, I can't stop eating them.
i want macarons!!!
so beautiful. i thoroughly enjoyed the ugly ones. my stomach does not discriminate.
i love how intelligent and complex the macaron making process is.
oooohhhh, i'm so macaron obsessed right now!! they look great! keep practicing =)
and thanks again for that first batch on my birthday, they were yummy, even if you were still learning at the time.
you could also be called talissa...
i'm eating one right now... :)
Talida!!!! we tried making chocolate chip cookies and it turned out horrendous!!! I know it's not as fanciful as the rest of your baking, but they're a classic. If you ever find a great recipe please let me and kasia know!
when shall we do this again?!
52 weeks: What was horrendous about it? I've made a matcha version of Martha Stewart's chocolate chip cookie recipe, which would be my suggestion for a plain chocolate chip cookie. Let me know how it turns out!
melissa: let's do it again soon!
They look just perfect, so lovely and yummi!
ahhh your baking skills are like no other! i've always wanted to try to make macarons after having them in europe.. you've inspired me!
and thanks for stopping by our fashion blog :) of course we remember you!!
they look divine :)
oh, it's scary, but i had 24 mini macarons from laduree and paul in the past 2 weeks in london...i can eat these things forever!
honey - i was so surprised to see 'macarons' in your categories list!
i was in paris this summer and ate these things til i thought i was going to die. can't find them here!!! :( the closest i can find is some shmancy boutique bakery in nyc that makes them fresh. or i could pay hundreds of dollars for someone to overnight them to me (the only way anyone is willing to deliver them). i can't believe you know how to make them. oh how i wish you lived closer!! :)
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