Temperamental macarons

When I say macaron I don't mean the coconut macaroons the you find in the grocery store bakery. I mean macaron - the classic French version that is made with just 4 ingredients and is very temperamental. How can a cookie be temperamental? Let me show you.


Batch 1 came out pretty darn good for a first timer. No cracks and cute baby feet. (If you're sitting there asking yourself what feet have to do with a cookie, well, in this case it has to with a ruffle that forms around the base of the cookie. My cookies don't have the full ruffle but they do have a cute little one so I'm calling that baby feet.)

Batch 2 - Blah. I piped it as I would frosting on a cupcake and it shows...including the peak! #2 did not rise very well, if they did at all. I think I may have beaten the egg whites too stiff which is why you see lines of the piping.

Batch 3 - Cracked. No feet. Not even a baby toe.

Batch 4 - Okay, to be completely honest here, what I've labeled at Batch 4 is actually batch 6 but that's only because the real #4 & 5 were given away as small Valentine's gifts to co-workers. Regardless, #4 -6 came out along the same lines as #1 so I am content with that...for now.

Here are their close-ups - don't let the rise on the pink one fool you. That only went halfway around the cookie!



If you want to attempt your own macaron (read this first), here are some tips that I learned through trial and error:

• Patience. Seriously. Just because it came out good once doesn't mean it will happen again. This isn't a chocolate chip cookie. This baby is about technique. Not that mine is perfect. I have a long ways to go!
  
• Almond meal is expensive. Buy some slivered almonds and toss those in the food processor to make your own. If you want, you can sift the meal/sugar mixture before adding it to your eggs to make sure there are no lumps.
  
• Regardless of the recipes that say to use aged egg whites, if you are worried about bacteria (like I am) you can use room temperature whites. I asked my company's pastry chef (who is VERY patient with me,) and he does not recommend it either and does not follow that step when he makes macarons.
• When adding color, regardless of whether you are using gel or powdered colors, don't be afraid to go heavy! Batch 1 was a pretty pink before it went into the oven and #4 was a nice bright blue. When they came out of the over, #1 had become beige and #4 looked green. The insides, however, were the right colors. #2 pre-baking was almost a day-glo pink and ended up being the exact shade of pink I wanted when it was all said and done. Go figure!

Good luck!