As promised earlier, I’m posting back-logged photos of what I have been cooking, baking or making in my long absence from blogging.
At one point this year, I was bitten by the bug of macaron making. Like I said in yesterday’s post, I haven’t tried a single macaron when I visited Paris in 2009. However, I did have a bite last year at Shangrila Hotel Kuala Lumpur and thought that it was just too sweet for my tastebud. I didn’t quite fancy the taste, but all the stories and experiences of other bloggers that I’ve read online really prompted me to take up the challenge to make my own. For me, I like challenges, the harder something is, the more I’m tempted to try!
They were for sure, not easy to tackle at all! French macarons are some tough cookies alright! Macs, as they are affectionately called, are typically characterized by the formation of “feet” (or pieds), which are seen as ruffled ridges on two cookie halves sandwiched together with fillings. The cookie shells are made from egg white, ground almond flour, and sugar as a base. I’m not going into the details of making them or provide a recipe as I believe there are thousands of recipes out there on the web or in cookbooks. I’m just going to show the photos of my successful ones.
My success rate is about 50% so far, out of maybe 8 times I’ve tried. By success, I mean the formation of feet, even though most of the macs that I’ve made were probably not that perfect in terms of texture and looks. I made all of them using the French meringue method, but now that I’ve got a KitchenAid stand mixer, I’m contemplating to try using the Italian meringue method, as I heard and read more success stories with this one.
Anyhow, I now leave you with the photos of my successful macs, and hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I would get to experiment with the Italian meringue method! Till then, feast with your eyes!
Chocolate macarons (with dark chocolate ganache filling), recipe from David Lebovitz
Dark chocolate macarons with passionfruit curd filling. This is a quirky combo, some loved it, some found it a little weird...
Bourbon vanilla macarons with lemon curd filling
- Bourbon vanilla macarons with lemon curd filling
Minty dark chocolate ganache macarons
Minty dark chocolate ganache macarons
Cooking Heals 
You may increase your success rate by aging your egg whites if you don’t do so already. it’s especially important in countries / region where weather is humid. The aging process helps to get rid of excess humidity.
Another important step is the macaronage. Check the video here where you may learn a little more about the folding method http://blog.savorique.com/2011/05/two-of-the-best-french-macaron-recipes/
Good luck!
Yes all egg whites that I used have been aged. The humidity is a major problem here especially when we can get up to 100% humidity at times! Its the macaronage that’s tricky to master…but thanks for your comments, will check out your blog!