Join me in my journey of learning how to make macarons. Macaron Mishaps Speckled and Suntanned is part one and it gets funnier as time moves on. Eventually, I cracked the code on how to make macarons, but it took a while. In the meantime, enjoy my mishaps so you can perhaps avoid them altogether.
After being told I needed to start moving my arm more in order to get better, I looked for something to do. All those baking shows I’d been watching inspired me. And I decided to start with the french macaron. Yes, the most difficult cookie.
I never heard of almond flour prior to this. I called my mom as I tend to do when making something new. “Just grind up some almonds in a coffee grinder. I have some.”
“I do not own a grinder.” I could hear the sigh before it was formed. She would have to come to my rescue again. She came up with this odd machine, ground up some almonds and handed them to me. Make your cookies.
So I got online, and began researching and researching. So many people said “You have to use exact measurements, don’t differentiate.” But they were almost different! I picked the first one that came up in a search engine. First mistake: use blanched almonds. Well, I had speckled flour. I decided to go with it.
I wasn’t thinking of a blog at the time and took very few pictures. Ironically, despite the speckles and the fading of the food coloring, they macarons were perfect in my eyes. No hollows, little ruffly feet and pretty. And then I tried one. They were overcooked, like way overcooked. The temperature asked for 375F. They were hard and crunchy. One thing I did find out, the next day they were actually edible and tasted great. The filling soaked in and softened the cookie.
I decided to try again with blanched almond flour I found at the store. Things went downhill for the next three months. But I had loads of fun on my journey to the perfect macaron.
So that is the story on how I got macaron mishaps: speckled and suntanned. Read on to part two of the macaron mishaps adventure for more laughs.
0 Comments