Macarons

I made 4 attempts over 2 years to bake macarons before I decided to call it a day and swore that I need to learn the techniques from the expert. Even before these attempts, I did a lot of research, I spent hours reading the tips and the dos and don'ts of macaron making...but still, I ended up with a bunch (a lot) of failed macaron shells in the bin. When I was reading the tips from well known bloggers, it seems so easy and I thought I fully understand them but when I was in the kitchen doing the exact same process and procedures...everything went WRONG!! So after the fourth unsuccessful attempt, I quit and told myself that I need to watch and learn from the guru.

In my first class in Taylor's last month, Chef Karam taught us how to make macarons but not just any macarons...they are Laduree's macarons. Yes, I heard about Laduree but not as much as I heard about Pierre Herme. From what I gather from the www, Pierre Herme is claimed to be THE best macaron but since I haven't tasted it, I'm at no position to judge it. But I'm sure they taste great.

Being trained at Laduree during his younger days, of course my chef claimed that his Laduree's version is the best. What a good macaron looks like? The top of the shell is shiny, it has ruffled straight feet and when you break it into 2 with your fingers...the shells didn't break into pieces. When you bite it, it is chewy and not crunchy like you are eating a biscuit. All in all, a good macaron is a perfect shell with nice ruffled feet and chewy texture.

The moment I bite into the chef's Laduree macaron, it was like falling in love for the first time...I was on cloud nine...the nutty taste of the shell which I love so much is very prominent and it wasn't as sweet as all the macarons that I have tasted previously. Now that I have learned to make them and understand the macaron as a whole, I am beginning to appreciate what macarons are all about. Macarons are about challenging yourself, perseverance, humble but confident and strive for perfection. YES! It is challenging and I'm still perfecting my macarons.

Ingredients: (digital scale is a must, don't convert into cups!)

125g ground almond

125g confectioners' sugar
45g egg whites
125g caster sugar
45g egg whites
Coloring gel

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together ground almond and confectioners' sugar with the first egg whites and coloring. Using a wooden or silicone spatula, stir until it becomes a paste.
2. In a small deep saucepan, put the sugar and add a little bit of water until it just wet. Cover the pan with an aluminum foil. Prick a fee holes on the foil using your sugar thermometer. Suspend the thermometer in the pan and boil the sugar until it reaches 118C. 
3. In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, on medium speed whisk the second egg whites until foamy. Once the sugar reaches 118C, remove from the heat and straight away pour it into the foamy egg whites in a slow steady stream from the sides of the bowl. Whisk until firm peaks form and the meringue looks smooth and shiny.
4. Fold the meringue into the ground almond mixture and pipe onto a sheet on the baking tray. Rap the tray a few times and leave them to dry for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Bake at 150C for about 8-10 minutes depending on your oven.
6. Cool completely before applying your choice of filling.