Such a long time since the last post and so many bakes in between...I don't know where to start.
Against my better judgement (and a growing hole in my wallet) I've been experimenting with macarons...there're just so many factors that can contribute to having either a failed batch or a successful one that it seems necessary to offer a prayer to the Macaron Gods before starting on them! What a fuss pot.
Italian macarons aren't the favourite of the purists but I don't care...it works for me and is a lot more practical for the home baker with limited resources. Leaving the French macaron batter lying around waiting for its turn in the oven isn't exactly advisable...
It was a crazy long journey from macaron Frisbees to decent looking ones worth taking pictures of, but there's still loads of room for improvement. Would be awesome to take some classes if only I had the time now!
Ganache fillings seem the best for macarons that need longer storage as cream based or worse still - custard ones - will completely soak through them and leave you with a soggy, sorry batch of macarons after a couple of hours of maturing in the fridge.
Three flavours have passed the cut after being in production for some time. Lemon seems to go awesomely well with a creamy white chocolate ganache with the sour, tartness of the lemon cutting through the cloyingly sweet white chocolate.
Pistachio's oily nature lends itself well to being combined with white chocolate after being made into a paste. It doesn't overwhelm the milkiness of the chocolate but complements it with its nutty aroma. There's a reason why the pistachio macaron is a staple in every bakery these days!
And lastly, the dark chocolate macaron. Sweetness, and bitterness all in the same bite! Nothing makes you feel less guilty about chomping down on a calorie laden macaron than a dark chocolate one. The bitterness from the chocolate immediately mutes the extreme sweetness of the macaron shell and leaves the palate free for another bite!
No comments:
Post a Comment