Le Macaron Tower - C'est Magnifique !

Righto - first off you must excuse my dreadful high school French in the title...hahahaha.


I know I have kind of disappeared off the planet for a few weeks but life sometimes just steps in and has other plans for you doesn't it.  Ive been busy in the cake world making both the macaron tower and the Speedo Swimming Man.  I also have another cake in the midst of completion right now in the form of a 'Give Way' Sign...

OK well first things first. We lived through the trial and error of making macarons using the French Method NOT the Italian Meringue Method and have made peace with it and found a groove with it somewhat with many more successes than failures.

With the macarons all made, I researched how best to construct the tower and there were two options for securing the macarons to the cone - you could either mount them to the sides by sticking them on with ganache or you could mount them on toothpicks inserted into the foam inner of the cone.

I opted for the toothpick version as I wanted the birthday girl and her friends to be able to pluck the macarons easily from the tower without the delicate shells cracking or breaking where they were adhered with chocolate.

I filled all the macarons the day before delivery and fortunately as it turned out I had made just enough. I used a small knife to pierce the board covering the foam cone then inserted each toothpick on roughly a 45 degree angle and then skewered each macaron in place.  I carefully worked my way around the cone using the turntable definitely helped with manipulating it smoothly.

The base was a thick polystyrene slab covered for the job in a classic design.  Upon completion of the last layer I was wondering how best to tie in the birthday girl's name etc and my Husband had the brainwave of the beautiful place card in front.  Elegant and in keeping with the design and feel of the creation.

My only caveat with this job was that it was insanely difficult to move by car.  I made my husband drive at approx 40km/h all the way to the delivery destination (fortunately no motorways were required!)  Every little bump or jolt in the car had me holding my breath as I held tightly to the base and the top of the cone.  A couple of the bottom Macarons slipped off but were easily slid back on when we arrived.

I am thrilled with the result it was absolutely perfect.  The birthday girl adored it and they started eating with gusto.

Flavours from bottom to top were:
Lemon, Lavender, Raspberry, Coffee, Mint, Blueberry, Strawberry, Coffee, Mint, Raspberry, Mint.

Lxx

Random Macaron Ramblings and Things I've Learned

I've been thinking a lot about these little babies lately... They really are all the rage right now with everyone trying their hand at them - me included of course.

When I want to know about something I will read and read, search the internet, watch Youtube videos and practice practice practice.

The lists of the do's an dont's are as long as your arm with Macarons.  But these things I have found to be true this week as I have churned through 8 different batches of them in 2 days:  Remember I use the French Macaron Method - not the Italian Meringue Method.

1. Don't get too hung on up your measurements - Ive started using about a 50/50 mix of Almond Meal to Icing sugar but I guess the split between two batches.  What Ive found is that its more about the 'Macaronage' (the mixing) than it is about the proportions in your mix.
2. Ive discovered - thanks to my friend Karen - the BEST BEST way to sift that flamin almond meal is to firstly measure it out and combine it with the measured icing sugar then blitz in the food processor for about 2 minutes.  Ive discovered this works for 2 reasons.  Firstly it makes it all a lot finer and secondly, the dry Icing Sugar helps dry out the somewhat moist texture of the almond meal making it easier to sieve.
3. Get yourself THIS sieve!  I could sieve almond meal all day long with this.  The key is to add only a few spoonfuls of it in at a time.  If you put to much in it glugs up.  I used an icecream scoop and scooped 1-2 scoops of mix in at a time to sieve and hey presto finished in a few short minutes.
4. Macaronage : The artful part of creating that elusive texture just right for the macaron to be perfect.  Crisp on the exterior and beautiful on the interior.  Don't be too delicate here.  I must have watched about 15 videos on YouTube of people mixing macarons.  What was just the 'right' consistency.  The best tip I picked up was when you think you are runny enough but not too runny - get a teaspoon and take a spoonful of mix and drop it onto a small plate to make a macaron shape and see if it settles properly.  Any ridges should be assimilated by a quick tap or shake.  If not - then go back and work a few more turns thru your mix then test again.
5. Piping the perfect circles:  I found a wonderful template online which was free to download and you just slide it under your baking parchment and you cover the dots with your mix - hey presto uniform shapes.  Just google 'Macaron Template".  Also I have found greater control piping with a smaller Wilton Nozzle on my bag.
6. Righto - now we come that part where you want to get the little 'skin' on your macaron.  The skin is important in order to create the 'feet'.  However in my many experimentations I have also found it can also be the cause of cracked shells.  So, here's what you need to do.  Its a fine balancing act between leaving them long enough to sit to form the skin - anywhere up to an hour they say but Ive never had to wait that long.  But....here's the catch.  On pain of death do not wander away - start some other activity or get distracted.... because if you leave it too long and the skin starts to dry too much, you get a thick skin that will cause a cracked shell when it hits the oven. So keep an eye on them.  Pop back and give them a nudge every few minutes or so.
7. Here's another little nugget of gold info I learned.  Some recipes say to get rid of any lingering little holes or peaks on your shells by slightly wetting your finger and then pressing them back in.  Yep this works on the uncooked shells - but BEWARE - if you accidentally leave any water on the top of your macaron - you will get a 'bubble' on the top of your shell when you put it on the oven.  So just be careful if you use this method.

Right - thats all I have to say on the matter for the moment.  I am by no means an expert but in the past few weeks I have made so many batches that I felt I wanted to share what I have learnt along the way.  Remember trial and error is all part of the learning process and to be honest thats why I love baking.  Its like an experiment.  Everything from the number of strokes you use to mix, to the warm and cold spots in your oven, to the relative humidity in your day or kitchen plays a part in how any given baked good will work on any given day.  Thats the challenge!!!

Happy Baking.  Above are the macarons I have created which will form the Macaron Tower I am in the process of completing.  Pics will follow next week of the completed tower - with NO MORE macaron ramblings I promise.

Lxx

French Macaron ? Oui

I know I have posted before on the macaron but this post goes a little further towards de-mystifying this elusive creature and also experiments with some sensational all natural colouring and flavourings.

Firstly - only the French could invent something so delicious with the most simple recipe, that if you follow it to the absolute letter - doesn't work!!

Many of you out there, like myself, probably made these once fluked a good first batch and thought pfft whats all the fuss about ?  Its simple.  Yeah right.  Try another batch and see how that works out for you....  Thats where I was.  Fluked an awesome first batch - wrote em up and chalked them down to experience thinking I was pretty good and everyone else must be really really stupid.

Well that all goes out the window very quickly when you try to re-create that magic again and again and again and you get, cracked shells, soft insides, no feet, spread mess over whole baking tray, you name it I had it.  What was I doing ??? I was following the recipe to the letter why wasn't it working ???  After much gnashing of teeth, reading the internet, getting bogged down in technique, exact measurements I was about to give up.  Then I stopped, had a coffee and a deep breath and thought about the macaron.  And it is a 'RON'  not a "ROON"  save the roon for the coconut biscuit - these are strictly the gutteral, unmistakably French sounding ron.

It is French, no ? It looks simple, but isn't, no ?  It doesn't like to be copied exactly.  Once again...its French!  So employ a little French attitude, get a good old shrug happening and the curl of your lip and then tackle them again...

Measure your ingredients up front for the almond meal and the icing sugar (recipe to follow but I use 160g almond meal and 160g Icing/confectioner sugar) then commence the tedious job of forcing this unwilling mix thru a sieve.  This has to be the WORST of making the macaron.  The sieving is important as thats why the shells are smooth.  You will notice mine could definitely be smoother.  This is achieved by sieving your dry mix about 3 times.  Honestly life is too short for this task to be completed three times and if you have the patience for it  - more power to you and your aching hands and forearm!

This entire process is dramatically hastened if you can employ one of those fancy looking plastic scraper thingys you see all the masterchef people using as a spoon will take about 40-45 minutes but the scraper will bring it down to about 30 minutes.

Once you have your dry mix set it aside and we'll talk recipe and flavouring.

I was fortunate enough to be stumbled over in the blogging world by a wonderful NZ Company called Nutrafresh (http://www.nutrafresh.co.nz/)  who produce a wonderful array of almost Willy Wonka inspired great tasting sparkling fruit and vegetable powders.

We've all watched them on Masterchef make the puree, dehydrate or freeze dry it then blend to powder to create intense colours and flavours - well now we can have it at home all done for us.  No chemicals, no additives just 100% fruit puree or vegetable juices dried  and powdered to give intensity in flavour and colour.  As soon as I saw these powders I thought of the humble macaron and thought - Oui!  Thats gonna work brilliantly and you know what- it did!  Thank you Nutrafresh!

Here's What I did.  Using the French Macaron Method - notoriously more fickle than the italian meringue version but a lot simpler.

French Macarons  - Using Nutrafresh Fruit & Vegetable Powders

160g Almond Meal
160g Icing / Confectioner Sugar (pure icing sugar not Icing Mixture which can have thickeners added)
65g Caster Sugar  (approx)
About 4 Eggwhites...
1 level tsp Nutrafresh Fruit or Vegetable Powder of choice to colour or a little gel colour.

Method
These measurements make approx 2 batches of approx 10 Macarons (20 shells) each batch

1. Measure your dry ingredients in a bowl and if you have a food processor blitz them for about 3-4 minutes with the blade attachment to try to make it as fine as possible.
2. Using a plastic food scraper (not a spatula) or large spoon, press the mix thru a fine sieve.  This is laborious but there is no way around it.  If you have the time and/or patience 3 goes thru the sieve is optimal for really super smooth shells.
3. Set your dry mix aside and here's where you need to go a little on trust.  Make a meringue - thats all Im gonna say.  Think about it.  Break about 2 eggwhites from large eggs - not the super XL ones - approx 60g but don't get hung up on that.  Whisk until they form the soft peaks.  Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of caster sugar in and keep beating until it starts to go a bit glossy.  Add about another spoonful of sugar keep beating and see if your peaks are getting good and stiff.  Taste your mix, is it sweet enough - if you want it sweeter add a bit more sugar.  If you are colouring your shells you add it here.  I used approx 1 level tsp of Nutrafresh Beetroot Powder for pink shells.  When I made the other batches I used 1 tsp of passionfruit for Yellow plus a little gel colour to deepen the hue.  Check its stiff enough that you can hold the bowl upside down briefly.
4. OK here is where you have to trust your instincts and your feel for the mix you are about to create.  This is 'Macaronage' Magic time...
5. Take approx 1/3 of your dry mix and add it to your coloured eggwhite mix, and using a spatula start incorporating it by pulling your spatula thru the centre of the mix to the edge of the bowl then scooping and turning it over on the the bottom.  Repeat about 25 times.  Look at the ooziness of your mix.  You are not looking for runny cake mix, you're not looking for too dry or solid.  It should be smooth with a little movement as it settles after each drag and turn.  Adjust and add a little more dry mix if its too runny.  DON"T overmix it - you shouldn't need more than 40 drag and drops - if you do - then you may be wondering why you have issues with the macarons later on.
6. The next step is the piping of the circles.  If your piping skills need some practice then draw your circles onto the baking paper then turn it over so you can see them thru the other side.  The shouldn't really spread too much.  I usually get about 5 in each short line.  Fill your piping bag with the mix.  You'll know straight away if its too runny as it will be hard to fill.  I bend over the nozzle end of my piping bag and seal with a small rubber band then stand it in a super tall glass - easy.  At this point turn your oven to about 120C - its a slow oven you want.
7. Pipe your circles.  If you have little tails on the top of the shells - when u have finished wet your finger slightly and push them down.  Now you need to let the macaron develop its skin.  No skin means no feet - remember that.  You need skin then feet will follow.  Sit the tray aside for anything up to half an hour.  Depending on the weather on the day skins may form quickly, but after half an hour they are still sticky - it's just not gonna happen - so bake them anyway they'll still taste good.
8. Pop your tray in the oven.  Some people say never use your fan..bah blah bah - I always use the fan and its fine.  Just know your oven and know that you want a slow oven so they won't cook too quick on the outside but not so cool they won't rise.
9. You'll know in the first 8 minutes if you have success, watch for the feet.  If you got a skin the feet will begin to form as the tops rise pulling up the skin creating the feet.  Then you just need to keep a watch - they will take about another 5-8 minutes cooking after the feet to ensure they''re cooked thru.
10. When you remove them pull the baking paper off your tray onto a wire cooling rack.  I never wait too long before loosening them as I fear they will stick. Mine never stick.  Get a knife or a metal spatula and gently run it under each and just lift slightly.  Always pull a little to the side not straight up or you might just leave its insides behind.
11. When they are cooled they are ready to fill.
12. Repeat with the other half of the mixture.

Macaron Ganache Fillings

Blueberry + White Chocolate (enough to fill 10-12 macarons)

200g White Cooking Chocolate

100 ml Pure Cream

1 Level tsp of Blueberry Nutrafresh Powder for colour and flavour 

50g Fresh blueberries cut in half

1. In your microwave - place your white chocolate squares and the cream and heat on 60% power for approx 2 minutes - remove and stir with a fork ensuring chocolate is fully melted.
2. Stir through your Nutrafresh Blueberry Powder until fully incorporated.
3. Mix in your halved blueberries - these will just add some extra texture and interest
4. Allow the mix to cool and it will start to thicken slightly.  When thickened but not hard, use it to sandwich your shells together.

Passionfruit + White Chocolate Ganache  or  Beetroot & White Chocolate Ganache

Follow steps as above but omit the blueberries.  Unless you are serving your Passionfruit macarons immediately - do not be tempted to add fresh passionfruit to the mix as it will make the shells too soggy.