So, if they are really that difficult to make, how do we even begin? Simple: by focusing on the three Ps, i.e. process, patience, and practice. Here are the tips to make French macarons at home....
TIPS ‘N’ TRICKS
Let’s talk baking. Who doesn’t want to make some amazing French macarons? Alas, if only it wasn’t so stressful! Of course, buying it off the shelf is one option, but do you know just how expensive these cute and dainty colourful cookies are with their colourful shells and assortment of fillings? So obviously you try them at home, except that it’s not turning out perfect – round and uniform in shape, smooth and free from cracks, with a shell that’s chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside and a filling that does not squish past the shell when you assemble it.
So, if they are really that difficult to make, how do we even begin? Simple: by focusing on the three Ps, i.e. process, patience, and practice. Here are the tips to make French macarons at home.
Baking, especially when it’s macarons, is science. You can’t afford to make an error, because results tend to vary when you don’t use the “exact” weights every time. Use a good kitchen food scale instead of relying on those measuring cups, especially because you’ll be working with eggs and egg whites and there is a great possibility of one turning out to be larger or smaller than the other one.
Besides weighing all ingredients ahead of time, see that your equipment is out and ready to go since macarons is essentially about precision and timing. A greasy whisk or mixing bowl can ruin your meringues. Wipe the utensils with a paper towel. Also, when you’ll be separating the eggs, ensure that there is no yolk in the egg white because, again, the fat in the yolks can stop the meringue from forming. Another important thing is to sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together before they are added to the meringue as any large piece in the dry mixture might cause the shells to not rise properly.
This means separating the egg whites in advance and letting them sit in a bowl covered with a plastic wrap. Place the bowl in fridge to dehydrate until ready to use. This is to reduce the moisture in the egg whites and increase its elasticity for whipping. You need to bring them out and let them get to room temperature before whisking them.
The trick to achieving a good macaron is a good meringue. This can be achieved by adding an acid that would stabilize the meringue. The more that gets incorporated in the meringue in this time, the fluffier it will be. Depending on the availability, cream of tartar or citric acid should be incorporated at this stage.
When the egg whites become foamy and opaque, start adding superfine or caster sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time, to provide stability. During the final minute of the whipped meringue, add gel or powder food colour instead of liquid food colouring. Remember a little amount of the gel colour would produce a strong shade of the macaron shells and would lighten once the almond flour mixture will be added to meringue.
The key to perfect macarons is consistency of the batter. At this stage, the sifted dry ingredients are added to the meringue. Slowly and steadily, fold the whipped meringue and almond flour mixture using a spatula – not mix or stir – until it gets to a thick cake batter consistency. The success of your macarons mainly depends on your ability to assess when to stop folding the batter. Under-mixing the batter will result in cracked and dry macarons while over-mixing will make the batter thinner and eventually make the cookie too soft. You can test this by picking up the batter and dropping it back into the bowl; it would not “plop”, and flow like lava. Try drawing the figure “8” with the batter; if it can do that without breaking, stop folding immediately.
Try using a macaron mat along with a template to create perfect rounds. Ditch ziplock bags for piping bags as the latter tend to be easy to control. Start piping from the center while applying even pressure to all sides until the batter reaches the size of the template, then swing the tip back towards the center and pull away. If the batter has been properly mixed, any “tails” or “nipples” should sink back into itself after 20 seconds or when you bang the tray a couple of times to release the air bubbles. If the points do not smooth even after tapping, it means the batter is too thick; next time you could try to fold the batter a bit more before piping.
After the batter is piped and the macaron shells are ready to go into the oven, let them rest. Resting is crucial to create smooth shells as well as to develop feet while baking. The level of weather determines how long this drying period would be, ranging from 30-60 minutes; the more humid the environment, the more time it would need to dry. Gently touch the top of a shell and if a skin has formed on the surface and it does not come off on your finger, it’s ready to go into the oven.
The secret recipe to making perfect macarons is that there is no fool-proof recipe; it’s all in the technique, which you then tweak according to your kitchen! Read the recipe you want to follow all the way through and follow each step carefully. Just keep practicing, especially when testing different flavours, and have fun while at it!
