I managed to weather the great cupcake fad of 2008/9 without ever having to try or learn to bake any.  However, thanks to G, I’ve regrettably succumbed to the macaron craze that’s spread worldwide with the virulence of the Macarena.  My culinary interests are normally related to savory solids and sweet liquids, but since I had an opportunity to take a class at ToTT on macarons and prove a point (G doesn’t believe that I can follow recipes), I decided to learn all I could about these mercurial meringues.

Approaches for making the perfect macaron are as varied and confusing as the debate over whether it’s ok to refer to these confectioneries as macaroons (my spell checker refuses to acknowledge macarons).  A quick search online turned up dozens of recipes and tips from which meringue type to use to proper oven baking and cooling techniques.  In this ToTT class, Chef Mimi Wahadi of the 1-Rochester group taught us how to make macarons using a Swiss meringue* and very straightforward baking approach.

In theory, macarons are pretty simple- create two meringue buns to sandwich a sweet cream filling.  In practice however, getting the perfect consistency for your meringue can be a frustrating and disheartening experience, as evidenced by our first batch of failed green tea tops.  Our second batch (the chocolate macarons pictured above), came out much better.  The difference was that the meringue was lighter (and not overcooked) thanks to more vigorous stirring, and the piping of the circular dabs was more consistent.  Baking proved to be the easiest part (once the oven temperature was properly set).  Chef Mimi’s approach of baking for 8 min and then 8 more at the same temperature allowed us to spot check our macarons halfway through.

Some takeaways from the class were:

• If you do go Swiss, be sure to hand whisk your egg white and sugar like your life depended on it.
• Water and oil are bad for meringues.  Hence why you should always make them in dry metal mixing bowls.
• Copper or acid are good for meringues.  Either using a copper bowl or a bit of lemon juice can help the meringue keep its shape.
• Stiff peaks are good, but not too stiff.  Ideally, the meringue tip will sag just a little bit when you test it
• Size matters.  Whatever size of macarons you decide to make, make them all consistent, otherwise they won’t bake evenly
• Know your oven.  A ±10° fluctuation in the listed oven temp will have a big impact.

The temperamental aspect of macaron making is certainly appealing given that my other sisyphean hobby is golf.  According to G’s wishes, I have roughly four months to perfect my macaron making for a special event.  Will keep you all posted.

*Note: there are three types of meringue – French (uncooked), Swiss (sugar added and then heated), and Italian (heated by sugar syrup).  Each meringue has applications for different kinds of desserts.  I definitely recommend watching the Good Eats episode on meringue if you’re interested in this topic.