The French Italian Heartbreaker

The first date - Strawberry shells with a chocolate ganache and coconut shells with an almond and coconut filling

Those pretty little treats, the colourful array of shells, the curious fillings, the variations... Macarons - not to be confused with coconut macaroons – are the French, bite-size confectionary that has captured many a heart, tantalised many a tongue, tortured many a soul and has evoked a love-hate relationship for me. 

I love macarons. Well, I used to? I was initially drawn to its' bright, crisp, complex and somewhat elusive exterior with the soft heart that never ceased to surprise me. Our first few dates were successful - no cracks appeared on the surface and our feet were light and airy. I was left feeling inspired and smiled knowing that I was party to all this sweetness that surrounds. 

But, this was the honeymoon period. And we all know that it never lasts. Before long, the sweet memories faded, the temperature changed and the feeling in the air was different. The cracks were beginning to show. Feet were no longer on air and, as quickly as I fell in love, I then started to question the very reason of their appearance in my life. I was at a macaron crossroads: do I try again or pack up my piping bags and say au revoir? 

I decided to try again, take things slow, day-by-day and somehow things came back together. The foundations formed and the connection was reborn. Shell and filling were as one. I, however, am still unsure of how I feel about this union. Every success creates a desire to experiment with new flavours but with every re-attempt, the thought of another flawed batch and countless hours invested was causing much grief and heartache. For now though, I have not yet given up!

Strawberry shells

I first made macarons when I was in France. I was so fascinated by them and wanted to sample all the flavours that were presented to me in the patisseries (and sample I did!). I went around Paris with list-in-hand of patisseries which were reknown for their delicious macarons. There was such a difference in the shells everywhere I went - some were bland and just tasted sugary, whereas others had distinct flavours and fillings - not just colourings to make them aesthetically appealing. To me, a good macaron has a thin crunch to the shell but with a soft, chewy inside from the meringue. They also have "feet". I was so excited on my first solo attempt at making these and seeing the "feet" appear through the oven door.

There are two methods of making these - the French meringue and the Italian. I was told in class that the Italian meringue was more difficult but the more stable recipe and produced a glossier shell. We weren't told it was only stable though once you were able to master it! It involved a sugar thermometer and a cooking sugar syrup to precisely 121'C and pouring this in a steady stream into the whipped egg whites. The French meringue method did not involve any cooking of a sugar syrup. My first few attempts when I returned from France turned out perfectly (in my mind). Perhaps it was that the instructions were still fresh in my mind and the steps were crystal clear. Perhaps it was also that I had a better oven with a more accurate temperature. I later moved to a new flat and that’s when they started to fail - the feet weren't forming, the shells were too thin and would crack, which meant I could not fill them without the filling soaking through and rendering a soggy biscuit. There were lots of variables - I believe the oven was just one of them. I also believe I had just forgotten some of the finer details involved in making macarons. 

So, I invested in an oven thermometer and I googled. I read up on macarons and did things by the book. I aged the egg whites* (which I had never done before) and I timed...and then voila, it worked! Though my most recent attempt was not my best batch, they were still a sweet treat for a baby shower I was attending. That was enough for me.

French Macarons, the Italian Way (Macarons au sucre cuit)

Ingredients (makes about 30 filled macarons)

1. 250g almond powder

2. 250g icing sugar

3. 90g egg whites

4. 115g egg whites (in a mixing bowl to be whisked)

5. 250g sugar

6. 85g water

Method (from scribbled notes from class!)

1. Sift almond powder and icing sugar together in food processor

2. Measure 250g sugar into saucepan and measure water on top of this

3. Start melting sugar on low heat (turn up the heat when it starts to boil, use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides of the saucepan as the sugar boils)

4. Mix the 90g egg whites with the sifted almond powder and icing sugar with a spatula

5. Start whisking the 115g of egg whites (a Kitchenaid would come in handy here!) until stiff peaks begin to form

6. Cook the sugar until it reaches 121'C

7. Pour the cooked sugar into the whisked egg whites carefully (this equates to the Italian meringue) and continue mixing until the mixture is cooled and glossy (approximately 10 minutes)

8. Mix half the Italian meringue into the almond mixture (which has just been mixed with a spatula)

9. When mixed, add the remainder and mix with a spatula until semi runny

10. Pipe the mixture into rounds and drop the tray a couple of times to release any air bubbles
11. Let the piped shells sit for at least 30 minutes to dry out and form a crust before baking

Bake for 10 minutes at 130'C then check if they are cooked. Add extra 5 minutes at a time, with a maximum of 20 minutes.

You can fill them with any ganache, buttercream, jam of your choice.

*Ageing the egg whites - This involves separating the egg whites from the yolks and covering the whites and letting them sit at room temperature for 48-72 hours. I opted to keep them covered in the fridge for 72 hours then bring them back to room temperature well before I needed to use them. I am not sure if this step is entirely necessary for store bought eggs, but my last attempt did work out, when my other attempts had not of late.

Step 8

The piping bag mixture

Chocolate shells

Chocolate shells with fresh raspberry and cream filling

Vanilla bean shell with raspberry and white chocolate ganache

Packaging them up for baby shower favours

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