Lady Macaron

DARING BAKER'S OCTOBER CHALLENGE (Re-posted)

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.


I was elated when the host of this month's challenge decided to continue with the French theme. Still on a high from the pastry dough assignment, this singleton happily embarked on her journey from the vols au vent to the macaron. Seeing as I spent many happy hours devouring entire websites and articles on the art of making the perfect macaron I think it is only fitting that I should share some of my new-found wisdom with you:


• Firstly, a macaroon is different from a macaron. I know! Who would have thought? While many of you have developed a kinship with it's American namesake(aka the coconut macaroon), I assure you that the traditional French macaron does not contain flecks of coconut or a semblance of any ingredient from the coconut family instead the star player is ground almonds or almond meal. However, there's nothing stopping you from adding coconut to your recipe for a tropical twist.
• While the ingredients are fairly simplistic, the making of the macaron was far from elementary; which is why this next thing I'm about to tell you is perhaps the most important step towards avoiding a macaron meltdown - RATIOS! Yes its all about the ratio of the egg whites to almond meal to powdered sugar to granulated sugar. Measuring your ingredients and their ratios to each other correctly will save you many a regretful moment wondering what went wrong.
• Feet are a big thing when macaron making! If your macarons develop feet while basking in the oven, you are at the top 80th percentile towards achieving macaron perfection. So if you find yourself joyfully jumping on top of your couch, shouting victories to strangers on the street from your corner patio, or calling your sister or significant other at work whilst in the middle of their important meeting to declare that you have achieved the impossible "feat of feet", realize that you are not alone and yes it is truly a defining moment.
• Call me crazy but there is something bewitching about watching the transformation of pale translucent egg whites into resplendent and glorious meringue. For those ten minutes when my eyes were peeled to the inside of the Kitchen Aid bowl I too was transformed from a cynical twenty something to a hopeful doe-eyed two year old, utterly enchanted. Who says you can't create magic in the kitchen...sigh!
• Lastly, it is not an impossible task and although it will take you several tries it is possible to replicate this French cookie to an absolute delight.


So this past Sunday night, as much studying as I had to do for an upcoming test I couldn't wait any longer. The notes for my Fraud Examination test were replaced with meticulous notes for chocolate macarons. In light of the fact that I had engaged in extensive reading and reflection for the task at hand, I was feeling pretty confident, humming away in my kitchen as I prepared to set the stage for the actors : the pale peasant boy - Egg White, the young elusive bachelor - Mr. Almond Meal, radiant confection of sugar - Lady Casablanca, plain old faithful Mrs. Granulated Sugar, and a special guest from the U.K in all his powdered glory - Earl of Cocoa.

Baking is a science and macaron making is kitchen alchemy coming alive. As long as the actors are prepped and each knows their part, logically there should only be one ending to tonight's performance. And yet, as I piped the mixture onto the baking sheets and closed the oven door there was an air of unpredictability. The next 8 minutes were the longest as I puttered around my kitchen cleaning up and waiting for the closing act - I finally opened the oven door and there they were: Lady Macaron and her many feet!