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{Introduction}
The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.
Did you know this month I’ve virtually baked nothing but macarons? In fact this whole month of October, I’ve been so intensely macaron-focused that I literally had numerous dreams about these French beauties. And as usual after much wishing that I had the cahonas to tackle these, it was the Daring Bakers who kicked my royal ass into action.
The funny thing is that I actually don’t really eat macarons that much. I’d rather reach for a chunky chocolate chip cookie over a macaron frankly. Sadly, my obsession this month lies purely with making them rather than eating them.
Macarons are almost like an amateur baker’s holy grail. The recipe seems simple enough and heck, it’s only four ingredients! But les macaron is one fickle woman with many things that has to go right and if one inch of the process is ‘off’ then it spells macaron disaster. But it’s a challenge for all to relish and one that we want to conquer.
For those that don’t know, macarons are egg whites mixed with almond meal and icing sugar and baked into a sort of crispy but chewy meringue that is then sandwiched with a variety of creamy fillings – buttercream, ganache or creme patissiere. It’s a much loved French specialty but a devil to get right.
{It’s all about the feet}
Yep that’s right, for the month of October, us Daring Bakers suffered from a bout of foot fetishism!
I’m sure some of you are thinking surely it can’t be that hard? Essentially no but there’s a lot to consider when it comes to prepping the ingredients and the technique. The ratio of egg whites to dry ingredients have to be spot on and they have to be whipped perfectly. Nor can you overfold or underfold the macaron batter. Then you have to contend with different oven personalites and determine how long to bake it. And lets not forget to age the egg whites, dry out the almond meal and process it with the sugar. Then of course, you’ll have to make sure the stars are aligned correctly to Neptune.
You see, it’s all about the feet.
A tell-tale sign of a good macaron is the little raised frill or ‘foot’ at the bottom of each shell. Top marks as well if your shells are perfectly raised, rounded and smooth. If the macaron isn’t the most ridiculous form of validation of your baking prowess then I don’t know what is!
The prized feet
Though I had grand plans for this month’s challenge – wacky flavours, psychedelic colours – time got away from me as usual so it’s all sweet and simple this month with a Chocolate and Hazelnut Macaron made with a hazelnut meal instead of almond and a Tea-flavoured Macaron with Ceylon and Assam. Both were filled with a chocolate ganache.
The challenge recipe was a failure to be brutally honest. The instructions were too vague and the recipe was simply too wet (didn’t help also that the weight of egg whites wasn’t specified). I had to add more almond meal and icing sugar to make it work. Also the 190°C written in the recipe was way too hot, which made my macarons brown way faster than it cooked! ! If you’re a macaron first timer, this is definitely not the recipe for you so I’m not going to include it here (it’ll be on the Daring Kitchen website).
The art of stacking macarons!
My tip is to use this recipe formula from Syrup and Tang for the French method of macaron, which gives you the formula to determine the weight of the dry ingredients based on the weight of the egg whites. It’s also an essential guide to everything macaron and I suggest you give it a good read before you try it for the first time. For the baking, I highly recommend this oven method.
Bigger macarons tend to yield smaller feet than small macarons
Other essential reads:
- Tartelette (French method)
- Mélanger: To Mix (for the Italian method)
Bottom line is yes, they are tricky bastards to bake so prepare for a few failed batches, blue-sailor cursing and tears but do perservere because once you do become comfortable with making them, then the flavour possibilities are endless. Personally it’s just plain old satisfying to go from cowering in the corner from a macaron recipe to dancing in the kitchen after a successful batch! And I’ve also learnt the grand art of macaron stacking for the purpose of photography. Yee ha!
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
It looks like your hard work and diligence were certainly worth it. Your macarons are just lovely. I haven't yet had the guts to try baking French macarons, for all of the many reasons you detailed. One of these days, though, I'm going to bust out and just do it! Great post. (I love your blog . . . it's really beautiful!)
Jane
i agree, the recipe from the challenge didn't work for me either. It's too wet, and double bake in the oven doesn't seem right either. Feel sorry for Simon who used the same recipe for 7 batches failure! He told me he was still doing it last night! One dedicated baker he is.
I also find syrup n tang's recipe too fiddly… the maths give me headache!
but I guess trial and error is the fun of making macarons. I m sure everyone has their own macarons making stories to tell.
your macarons look awesome. I only got time to make 2 batches. The second was a slight improvement on the first but still not the perfect macarons that you got.
Ils sont superbement réussis et sont vraiment magnifiques :)
Yours look gorgeous! I love the photography and would be very interested in some hints to stand and stack them :P . I had no luck with this recipe, even when I had previously had luck :(
Both of your flavours turned out so good! I totally wish I could try the tea flavoured one. I'm with you on the macaron obsession, but I can't stop eating them. Very bad for the waistline.
Well done! I found the DB recipe to be a little fickle as well, though made some slight adjustments to get it up to speed :) Looks like you won't be making macs for a little while yet… unless the fever has taken hold in ways unimaginable?
Great post about macarons! Yours look perfect!! Didn't we all go nuts about macarons this month? I didn't bake much other than macarons :) Beautiful pictures as always!!
Foot fetish! Good one! Yours look absolutely stunning. I don't care much for the taste of them, but they sure are beautiful! Great job!
Great looking macarons. I too found the DB method a bit too tricky and switched to another recipe.
I'm still summoning up the courage to conquer my macaron fear…
Macarons look lovely! Good work! Congrats.
Ah yes, the feet were elusive to me, but yours look wonderful, and the flavour combinations sound yummy.
And you're right that's exactly what I have become – a foot fetishist!
wow yours look amazing Karen – well done :)
i had plans to make macarons on saturday afternoon but i ended up wwatching four movies ponyo state of play that tom hanks movie angels & demons and the hangover & eating pizza & drinking wine (all on the same day of having my lower wisdom tooth extraction but thanks to mydentist i got a valium prescription & double anesthetic dosage haha)
I agree 100% with your assessment of the challenge recipe – a dud. I tried it then went with my tried-and-true recipe instead. But I love the tea-flavored version – it sounds fantastic! Lovely feet :)
Wow Karen, yours look perfect, and you can't go wrong with hazelnut and chocolate.
Macaron stacking is, indeed, an art you've perfected! Gorgeous photos — love the depth of field.
I'd rather have a big ol' cookie too, but these things were addictive! :)
Hi Jane – Oh I hope you try it! Rest assured that it is indeed doable give or take a failed batch or two but def doable! Thanks xx
Hi billy@ATFT – Omg poor Simon! I hope he didn't do the full recipe because that would've been 35 egg whites! Yep I'm amazed at his dedication. He deserves to taken out for Zumbo macarons for sure!
I like Syrup and Tang's prob because I feel safe around formulas and numbers LOL. But one day I'll try Tartelette's.
Hi Kat – oh mine was far from perfect :) But at least there waerefeet which was the goal this month. But thanks for your sweet comments.
Hi Isabelle – oh I wish I spoke French! But I can understand 2 words so merci beaucoup xx
Hi Anita – LOL no hints just balance and trial and error! Was a bit hard when the tops aren't smooth and has little peaks. So sorry to hear abt your macaron troubles! Did you only try the challenge recipe?
Hi Stephcookie – I'm over eating macarons for now too! Give a choc chip cookie stat!
Hi shez yep me too. Had to shower in more dry ingredients. LOL I'm def taking a break though my mind can't stop thinking abt future flavours!
Hi Ellie – we were obsessed! I had macaron dreams!
Thanks lovely :)
Hi Rose – thanks so much!
Hi shaz – unfortunately that seems to be the general consensus of the DB :( Recipe fail.
Hi mademoiselle délicieuse – oh do it do it! The proof is in the photos. It's quite doable even if you are a total macaron noob like I was :D
Hi Ramya Kiran – thank you!
Hi Lauren – hehe like I said, it's all about the feet!
Thanks so much!
Hi Betty – LOL well in that case, you are excused! I suppose making and eating macarons is counterproductive seeing as you got your teeth pulled out! Ouch!
Hi Engineer Baker – thanks so much! I think about 99% of Daring Bakers would agree with us :)
Hi Lisa – thank you so much. So glad it's over after all the macarons tears we had this month!
Hi Julie @ Willow Bird Baking – thank you so much! I can't imagine what my neighbours would've been thinking if they saw me intensely stacking macarons outside!
Truly, truly a great job with both flavours and I love the pictures as well.
Hi! Your macarons, especially the tea ones look gorgeous! I am so happy I read your post. It was my first time making macarons and it was an epic failure! I actually theorized that there wasn't enough “solids” in the recipe to hold it together!
All that practise was worth it, you have made beautiful macarons and the photography is fabulous. I wouldn't mind eating the macarons you don't ;O)
Lovely photos and macarons! I, too, dreamt about making macarons haha.
Lovely work you have done very well and the vanilla bean macaron looks so good. Foot fetish LOL LOL LOL Great photos as well. Now you can make them now good on you. Cheers from Audax in Australia
wow what amazing pictures you have of this little delicious looking feed.
I was baking macaroons like mad but not one looks even a little like yours.
Well done Karen! They look great! I've been there and dreamt about them, they're damn near an obsession! lol
Your post is so spot on about making macarons – great writing! And your macarons look just perfect! The challenge recipe didn't work for us either, so we used our old trusted recipe instead (very similar to Tartelette's). I love the idea of making tea flavored macarons – I'll try that for my next batch. Unlike you, I love love love eating them as well :)
Beautiful macarons you got there, Karen! All your efforts are worth it :-)
Regards
Kris
your macarons look awesome…love the photography!
Your macarons are amazing
great job
I'm in love in your chocolate macarons :-)
What beautiful feet you have ;) yummm
your macarons are soooo cute and delish!
So beautiful and clean,
and I love the flavors' combination!
Great job
Inbal
(also a DB)
So pretty! I love the idea of flavouring with tea. Beautiful pics too, and just the motivation I need to get away from the computer and into the kitchen to prepare some dessert :)
Making them once was enough for me ;)
Great photos, especially the egg shaped dish!
your macarons are super cool and your pictures are so beautiful.
very VERY well done!
I was also macaron obsessed this month, lol, and stupidly did it all in the space of a few days while also preparing a Sunday lunch with friends. Never again! These babies need time! :)
I made a few changes to the challenge recipe given and it worked out fine. I added more granulated sugar, went with the egg white weight of 30g & didn't double bake, instead dried and then baked for longer at a lower heat.
Lovely photos as always!
You, amazing baker person, get a October Shout-Out for having the most enticing photos! Bravo!
“Validation of your cooking prowess” haha I like it! Great job…guess I need to hunker down and get some quality practice time in. The challenge recipe did not work for me…but it must have for Ami right?
Wonderful post!! I love the flavours you used, and the photos are stunning, as always =D.
I don't love macarons either, but it was a fun challenge!
Lovely pics!!
so pretty, and the tea and chocolate combo sounds delicious!! i am bummed that i didn't try my hand at macaron stacking–next time!
I did a number of tea ones too, but none as lovely as yours. good job. (I did have my fair share of failures as well.)
These are some seriously, seriously good looking macarons! Nice work with the post :)
Looks like a lot of people have troubles with the DB Challenge recipe, myself included. My only working batch was one using a different recipe.
damn! I can't believe it's your first time.. you're such a pro. LOL I've had nothing but bad luck with macarons.
I think a lot of people had issues with the challenge recipe–I know I did. Loved the chocolate hazelnut macarons–GREAT JOB! :)
I think your macarons look absolutely beautiful! :) Well done on getting the longed for “feet”.
I love your photos by the way, they show off the macarons very well.
You truly captured the sentiment of this challenge! :) Well done on your final results – your photos are AMAZING.
You're right, it's all about the feet, and I didn't get any with my first batch :( but, I did for my second! Yeah. Your macarons look deliciously awesome. I must agree with you, I think a chocolate chip cookie is more reachable for me than a macaron, although I will eat them :)
Your macarons look perfect and the different flavors are great. Holy grail seems to say it all…and yours meet the 'feet' challenge, too!
I love the sound of your chocolate and hazelnut macarons! I agree, I enjoyed the macarons but I also enjoy a well baked choc chip cookie as much. The pleasure in these is the choice of flavours and fillings which you have got sooo right!
They are perfect! I hope I can do them like this one day :-(
I'll take into account all those tips and tricks.
You did an incredible job, your macarons look fantastic! I admire your perseverance! And I enjoyed your very informative post. Personally, I've been obsessed with macarons for two years – I think I could spend a lifetime baking nothing else! I agree that the challenge recipe wasn't ideal, but it had the benefit of helping me figure a few things out.
Perfect! These are beautiful. I did not care for the challnege recipe either…very well done!
Positively perfect macarons. Thanks for all the ideas. One of these days I may actually try this.
Just gorgeous macarons! It'll be a while before I'm capable of making these but I would happily eat all of them.
Masterpieces! All of them! Gimme gimme gimme!! Great job on the challenge!
Wow, those are really nice pieces of art… congrats
Wonderful looking and sounding macarons. I'm drooling all over the keyboard. Great pictures too!!
Very beautiful macarons. You did an amazing job. You found the Holy Grail of baking!
The recipe from the challenge was too lumpy and bumpy for me..so I used Helen's with great results. Your macs, no matter which method you used, even the challenge method, look amazing! You're so talented, even the challenge recipe looks pretty close to perfect! Also, both your flavors are YUM (especially the tea)..and..great phtos as always!
Love the chocolate hazelnut macs..well done!
Oh, stunning macs, I especially love both the look and flavor of the tea ones! Nicely done. :)
Perfect! These are beautiful.
Thank you! :D
Why do you post photos of these . I cant wait .Thanks for sharing .
Beautiful stuff .
Interesting article . amazing photos . I cant wait .