becky
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the disclosure policy to learn more.
Thank you for supporting this blog!
Macarons, macarons!
Of all of the French recipes I looked forward to learning in pastry school, one of the things I most wanted to learn was the proper technique for making a classic macaron cookie.
What’s in a name?
Macarons should not be confused with macaroons, a traditional Jewish holiday cookie made with chewy coconut. It’s amazing how many people think the two terms are interchangeable. And, according to this article, macarons and macaroons actually share the same history, so there exists some reason for the confusion.
(For the record, macaroons and macarons have very little in common with Macron, a.k.a. the President of France!)
The classic macaron
Macarons are a meringue-based cookie made with egg whites, icing sugar, and ground almonds. They’re often tinted in pretty pastel colors. Macarons are easily recognizable by their ruffled “feet” and sandwich-style appearance. Traditionally, macaron centers feature jam, buttercream, or ganache. At school we filled our macs with a dark chocolate ganache. For this batch I made a classic vanilla buttercream.
We only made macarons once during Basic Pâtisserie. Let’s just say that they are not easy to master! The batch my teammate and I made during our kitchen practical turned out so poorly that I didn’t even photograph them! But, I left with a solid Le Cordon Bleu recipe. I also knew I wanted to practice as much as possible over the summer.
Since arriving back in NYC, I’ve probably made at least six practice batches of macarons. None perfect, but each one a little bit more successful than the last. There are a number of factors to consider: oven temperature, ingredients, piping technique, resting time, macaronage (over/under mixing the batter), etc. My macs are still far from perfect. I’ve actually booked some in-person classes over the summer to study further with a professional chef. But in the meantime they’ve improved so much since the first time we made them at school!
This patriotic batch (red, white, and blue with a vanilla buttercream filling) actually turned out well enough to post and photograph:
Happy Fourth of July!
If you’re inspired by this post, or ifyou make any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
