So today, to celebrate my first day of not going to studio during weekend,
(well, friday night doesn't count as weekend.)
I decided to award my bravery and reward my self to some goods!
Macaroonnnnnnnn mmmmm
Who said macaroon was the hardest cookies to make?
Looking at sky rocketing price of macaroon which is ridiculous,
I even think that it's all consumerism.
If markets propagate epicness of making macaroons, people will give up, and hopefully buy their $ 4.00 macaroons. EACH.
But, if you think as in baker's point, macaroon is only a cookie.
I'm sure at Parisian market, macaroons are treated as rice cracker in Asian market.
Plus, meringue is known to be a high-level challenge.
If some naïve first time baker without any knowledge to handling of meringue attempted to make this petite evils, no doubt they'll fail.
After all, it took me three tries at first and twice this time.
Don't worry folks. Now due to the fast widespread interent, you now have
a legit, proven recipe without measuring all the gram affairs.
Sorry David Lebovitz. I admire your creations but sometimes, your recipe
gets little overboard to a frontier girl who lives in a dorm.
I wish there was a fresh farmer's market next door carrying all kinds of exotic fruits and local cheese, but not until next year. Not happening in Kansas.
It was hard enough journey to purchase almond meal in Dillons. (On sale!)
So
Here's my recipe.
All you need is a measuring cup. (For measuring)
Ingredients : 3/4C powdered sugar
3/4C almond flour
2 egg whites
5 Tbsp sugar
DRY : Prepare 3/4 C of powdered sugar and almond flour.
Mix them together well with fork and set aside.
(If you have a fancy shifting device, go ahead and do so.)
*Important part here is the amount of dry ingredients will vary
depending on how much egg whites you end up with from large to extra large eggs.
WET : 2 egg whites and 5 Tbsp of sugar
Scoop in 1Tbsp of sugar out of time.
Beat them up with all of your stress.
Do put all of your sugar until the peak gets too stiff.
About 2~3 minutes.
Unless your neighbor happens to be Hercules, over beaten egg whites are better than under.
Feel free to play around with your hand mixer.
When egg whites stick to a upside down bowl, you're ready to roll.
Here's when I get jittery.
Fold dry into wet.
Purpose is to kill the air bubbles and fluffiness of meringue but who knows.
Fold them together until the batter on a spatula barely drips to a bowl.
In this part, under beaten is better than over.
If you over beat the batter, you'll end up with obese macaroon with wide parameter.
Then you're done!
Oh wait. I don't have a no. 4 tip whatever to make them round.
But I do have a large zip bag!
Cut one side of the tip and fill it with the batter.
Now, if you have a glass nearby, place the bag in it and do,
or your neighbor Hercules can help you.
Sadly, I've got none. Mess is guaranteed.
Make tiny little circles on a baking tray with parchment paper on top.
Now dry them for 30~4 hours depending on wherever you live.
I tried making macaroons in Korea during summer
where the temperature never faltered lower than 110F
and despite the help of AC, my macaroons never got dry.
But here is cold Kansas below 40F, 30 minutes is enough.
Preheat 350 F (or 325 to 375. Make your pick!)
Bake 10~12 minutes until frills are formed.
Just make sure you put macaroons further from the bottom of oven
because it might burn. It did.
But frills still formed.
Here's another useful tip when macarons and parchment paper are trying to
marry each other.
Sprinkle some warm water on the other side of parchment paper.
If inside and outside still separate, that means it's undercooked.
But wth. it's already baked.
Then just scoop the inside and place it inside the shell.
Fillings will cover up.
And no one cares if it tastes like it and there's frill on the outside.
Variations? Want something fancy?
Coffee- add however amount of instant coffee into a dry ingredients.
Usually 4~5 Tbsp.
Coconut - Sprinkle some coconut on top of shells before drying process.
Don't add any food coloring.
Chocolate - Substitue 5~8 Tbsp of coco powder with almond meal.
Colorful without poisoning food coloring - Add some kool-aid mix. Oh wait, it has coloring anyway. I guess you can't get by.
Fillings
Buttercream - 1 Stick of butter, 2~3C powdered sugar, 2~3 Tbsp milk
Cream them well. Of course everything in room temperature.
Chocolate ganache - 2: 1 Ratio between chocolate and cream. Milk can do the same job.
Easy way out - Jam
Bon Apetite!
