Macarons, made from a precise and involved process, are a challenging dessert to perfect. As an amateur baker, I wanted to attempt them and determine if they were as difficult as advertised, or if I would try and fail hilariously.
Macarons are believed to have originated in Italy, but the French version, which I attempted, is more well known in modern times.
“The macaron that you see in the United States, when you think of them, are the ones that you find in Paris,” Jennifer Rodeck, French teacher, said.
Ladurée is one the stores that made macarons famous in Paris.
“Pierre Hermé and Ladurée are the two upper echelon macaron makers,” Rodeck said. “Ladurée is expanding so much that they have stores in New York City, and multiple in Egypt.”
Knowing that my macarons would have a lot to live up to, I began with the first step: making a French meringue. Egg whites and sugar are beaten together to eventually form stiff peaks, meaning the meringue looks sharp and does not droop down when the whisk attachment is lifted. Kristine Co Guerrero, culinary teacher, recommends using weight measurements and having one part egg whites and two parts sugar, or using a stabilizer such as cream of tartar, lemon juice, or vinegar.
After the meringue, the next important process is called macaronage, where the meringue has to be folded into almond flour and confectioner’s sugar.
“You have to be precise about the amount of air that is incorporated into the batter. Too much or too little can ruin the shells,” Addison Garling, junior, said.
The recipe I used, from sallysbakingaddiction.com, explained that splitting the meringue into three parts and slowly folding them in is the best method, but after a few attempts at macarons, I have found that folding everything together at once yields better results.
The last essential step of baking macarons is piping the batter onto a tray and letting it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before baking. The ruffles on a macaron, known as the feet, only form when the batter has dried for long enough and a film forms on the top. During baking, heat will escape from the bottom of the macaron instead of the top and give macarons their signature feet.
My first batch of macarons had feet and tasted pleasantly sweet, but I was dissatisfied with their cracked appearance and wanted to try again with fewer mistakes. Before starting a first attempt, it would be wise to take advice.
“Start with a basic recipe and read it several times. Follow it exactly, measure/weigh everything accurately, and don’t rush,” Co Guerrero said. “Turn the oven light on to avoid opening the oven to check for doneness. It will only let the hot air out and may ruin the baked product.”
After more attempts and troubleshooting using the recipe, my macarons are significantly better and only a few cracks away from perfection.
“I’ve made macrons before, and they are very hard to make, but maybe not as hard as people say,” junior Arin Belousek said.
Macarons can be intimidating, but with practice and troubleshooting mistakes, they are very rewarding.
