First she debunked the myths, and now Stella Parks of BraveTart is back with her ten commandments for macaron perfection. Some things, says our favorite guru of the macaron, really do matter.
By far the biggest surprise for me was Stella's advice to let the baked and sandwiched macarons chill out in the fridge for about 24 hours before eating them. She says this ripening period helps improve their texture and flavor. I had no idea!
Another commandment I will be taking to heart is rapping the pan firmly before baking. This encourages any bubbles in the batter to find their home elsewhere; if left behind, these bubbles will create unseemly cracks in the surface of your macarons. I've done this step before, but after reading Stella's description, I think I haven't been rapping that tray nearly hard enough.
Whether you're a veteran macaron-er or plotting your first attempt, this post is a must read:
• The Ten Commandments...Of Macarons from BraveTart
Related: Make Faux-Macarons Without All the Hassle
(Image with permission from Victor Sizemore via BraveTart)
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Comments (15)
I read the 10 commandments, life's too short to make macarons
I've taken a five month break from attempting macarons. Only two of thirteen attempts went well, but I did go through a period of tinkering with sugar in the recipes. Looks like that is likely my downfall.
Macarons need to go the way of the dodo. They definitely have jumped the shark but, unlike cupcakes, most people can't even make them!
Made them a handful of times and sorry guys, they're just not that good or that cool.
Nice to read more tips about making macarons. I'm working towards trying these myself...not quite there yet but soon.
Macarons are quite the feisty little divas, I think macarons are my Baked Good counterpart.
Some things just seem like they are better left to the pros or the Highly Motivated (I am neither). I for one am excited to see if I can order a box for my mom next holiday season from the newly opened Laduree store in NYC!
I beg to differ with jmorri. While me may agree that they're not easy to make, I can NOT accept that "they're just not that good," or "they have definitely jumped the shark." I treat myself to a big chocolatey or pistachio macaron every Saturday at the farmer's market and it is ridiculously delicious. They're also one of the hottest items at that stand, so how can one say they're not popular? Blasphemy.
Far from it sunandtea,
I agree they're wildly popular! I just got done making 3 dozen for a friend's baby shower. But most people eat them and just go "huh...so its like...a cookie?" I think they're good. I've had Pierre Herme's in Paris and loved them- but it was the filling and flavors, NOT the macaron itself. That's the tough part people slave over and its really just a vehicle for a filling you could enjoy otherwise), but I just think they're overhyped.
For the effort, I think there's dozens of tastier, fancier or more interesting desserts out there. That's all.
@jmorri26: I know what you mean. I'm pretty much in the "huh, that's a cookie all right" camp. I'll grab one at the farmer's market if I'm in the mood, but honestly, I usually prefer the less-lauded coconut macaroon. People who adore them and love baking should absolutely learn to make them. But they aren't the alpha and omega of cookies. :)
I'm not keen on the fancy, Ladurée kind - too twee and sugary. For me, macarons are best simple (no colours or flavourings), rustic (a bit bigger, and cracked is OK!), with a lovely taste of almonds.
Like these, although I wouldn't know how to make them: http://www.macarons-adam.com/macarons/
They're the new cupcakes!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE macarons, but ... I have to agree with the first comment that life is too short to make them yourself. My first taste of this treat was from Ladurée and, while I appreciate the DIY spirit, eating a sub-par homemade one is just going to make me miss Paris even more. Better to get the real deal!
I recently made them for the first time (following the other article about macaron myths) and it wasn't that bad. The hardest part was getting the cookies off the parchment paper. They stuck and ended up breaking or smushing. I made mint with chocolate filling and really didn't think they were amazing or anything. The cookie shell itself was very tasty though.
At Sucré, we love making macaroons too (a little too much ;) Watch us make them here: http://www.shopsucre.com/sweettalk/sucre-tv or follow our recipe: http://www.shopsucre.com/sweettalk/1-top-secret-recipe