My First Almost Perfect Attempt at Macarons

I know the secret to perfect macarons: Italian, NOT French meringue.  Such a simple thing, yet so much less pulling out of hair.  Yes, my friends, sugar syrup will save your macaron-eating soul.  Recently, I had my second baby shower in preparation for Baby #2 to enter the world and since I had such a good time, I thought I'd treat my ladies to something their sweet tooth would not soon forget.  Sadly, my neck of the woods does not offer these little darlings in such a gorgeous variety that would be available in, say, San Francisco or Sydney.  What is a foodie to do?

My last attempt was actually pretty successful, although the batch produced (plain almond cookies with strawberry jam infused buttercream) was almost too sweet even for my taste.  I've solved this dilemma by subbing in a healthy dose of gorgeous mahogany cocoa powder for some of the confectioner's sugar and filling each little tender crisp cookie with a heavenly coffee flavored buttercream.  A shot of espresso in cookie form.  NIRVANA!

This recipe is based on a true tutorial by Another Blogger (http://www.myfoodgeek.com/2007/06/08/almost-foolproof-macarons/).  No offense, but I found a lot of errors in the recipe and thought I'd bring it to light for you lovely readers out there.  'Cause none of us likes to waste ingredients as precious as sugar and almonds and eggs, donchaknaw.


Ingredients:

For the macarons: 

120g egg whites, divided (about 5 large eggs)
35g sugar
150g sliced raw almonds
20 g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
150g powdered sugar

For the sugar syrup:
150g sugar and 50g water


For the Coffee Buttercream: 
3 tbsp milk/water, heated 30 seconds at a time until hot
4 tbsp instant coffee granules 
1 stick butter, at room temperature
3 c confectioner's sugar

The Tools You Might Use (not in order of appearance):

2 heavy gauge aluminum half sheet pans

1 or 2 silicon baking mats (such as Silpat).  Parchment paper is also a fine substitute, although I would not recommend wax paper 

Stand mixer with whisk attachment (not necessary, but is MUCH easier on your arms and back when you're whipping the heck out of some egg whites and sugar)

You can use a hand mixer or even a conventional wire whisk if you're crazy and into that kind of pain and frustration

Food processor (such as the Ninja blender system, which is *cough* what I used and LOVE for many such applications)

Digital postage scale, for weighing all the ingredients.  This really does make a difference as far as accuracy goes.

Fine mesh sieve 

A bunch of cheap, flimsy paper plates

Probe thermometer with digital screen (looks like this: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/5710116/?catalogId=51&bnrid=3120901&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Cooks_Tools&cm_pla=Timers_Thermometers&cm_ite=All-Clad_Oven-Probe_Thermometer&adtype=pla)


Rubber spatula


Gallon sized zip top baggie


**To be honest, this is my personal laundry list of success with macarons.  You can probably make substitutions according to what's available in your kitchen, but I can't speak for how well things will turn out.  Macarons are creatures of environment, sensitive to harsh temperatures and conditions.**

Directions - Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 320 F.  Place a smal bowl onto the plate of a postage scale and carefully separate egg yolks from whites by gently passing the white through your fingers.  Pour into work bowl of stand mixer and hand whip until frothy*.  Place bowl onto stand mixer and whip on medium speed until tripled in volume and stiff peaks form (about 10 minutes total).
2. Combine granulated sugar with water in a small heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat.  Reducing heat, bring to 180 F on probe thermometer.  Sugar and water will combine to form a viscose light amber syrup.  Remove from heat.  
3. Reduce speed of mixer to lowest speed, continuing to whip eggs while streaming in sugar syrup.  Small beads will form on sides of bowl and along spines of the whisk, but will not harm the meringue.  Continue to whip for another 2-5 minutes or through out the next step.  
4. Grind almonds, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt to a fine flour consistency in the bowl of a food processor.  Sift onto paper plate to ensure even grind; replace any unground meal and pulse until all is the same consistency.  
5. Remove meringue to a clean bowl, being careful to avoid the sugar crystals (I did this by way of a rubber spatula, dipping directly down into the center of the meringue away from the crystalized edge of the work bowl).  Gently fold almond/sugar/cocoa into meringue using a rubber spatula until completely combined; batter should be a very sticky pancake batter consistency.
6. Place silicone mat onto doubled up half sheets* Place zip top bag onto a vessel big enough to hold it open and scrape as much batter in as possible.  Gather bag opening, pushing batter into one corner and twist bag into a tear drop shape.  Snip 1/4 inch off corner and pipe 1 1/2 inch circles directly onto silicone mat.  
7. Rap cookie sheets with piped batter against counter once or twice by dropping from a height of about 1 inch or so.  This will settle batter firmly against silicone mat, allowing pied/feet to form in final baked product.
8. Allow batter circles to rest in a cool dry place for at least 20 minutes, or until you can touch the tops without any batter sticking to your fingers.  This may take up to 40 minutes and depends on humidity and drafts in the room you're using.  A fan set to low a couple feet away will expedite the drying process.   
9. Bake for 6 minutes, turn sheet around 180 degrees and cook for an additional 6 minutes.  Cookies will puff up more than out, with little bubbles/feet forming around the edges against the pan.  Let cookies cool on silicone mat on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before carefully peeling them off.  Inside should be moist while outside is crisp and dry to the touch.  

Buttercream:

1. Dissolve coffee granules into hot milk/water and set aside to cool slightly.  Whip butter on medium speed until creamy and lightened in color.  Beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping sides continually.  Drizzle in dissolved coffee and continue to whip until well combined and slightly aerated.  
2. Spoon into a 1 gallon zip top baggie, squeezing into one corner.  Twist corner of bag until all frosting is gathered into it and snip about 1/4 inch off.   

Finally, time to fill the macarons:

Flip all cookies so that moist side is up.  Match according to size, 2 per cookie.  Pipe buttercream concentrically onto one side, all the way to the edge and gently sandwich adjoining cookie on, twisting to assure adhesion.  Eat immediately with a cup of ice cold milk or hot cappuccino or store for up to 3 days in an air tight container.  Mine NEVER last more than 2 days, since they all end up in my belly too quickly.  

Look what you get to eat, now!!!! 

Macarons and chocolate/vanilla pinwheel cookies: a special gift received by each person at my recent baby shower. 

This recipe produces a gorgeous little cookie, tender-crisp on the outside, moist and brownie-like inside.  Cocoa powder and a touch of salt do wonders in balancing out the uber-sweet of the confectioner's sugar, while the coffee buttercream finish the flavors off in a rich note.  Try this one out, ya'll; I think you'll find the results to be a rather fine pay-off for any long cooking day.  Enjoy!