For the month of October we got to take on one of many bakers’ deepest,darkest kitchen nightmares : macarons. Our talented bakers Korena from Korena in the Kitchen and Rachael from Pizzarossa made the intimidating task of mastering these French beauties a breeze.

“No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing”….Julia Child.

Were they perfect ? No

Did I get them right in my first time ? No

Did i feel like pulling out my hair and banging my baking sheet against the kitchen wall ? Yes

Did i dream of feet and shells and skin at least once in the last month ? Yes

But… I made Macarons!

So, heres the thing. Unless you count a rare sunken cake or a super crumbly cookie , I generally have good luck where baking is concerned.

Until I met the Macaron. My arch nemesis in the baking world. My baking Everest. The cookie that made me doubt myself as a baker.

Melodramatic over exaggeration aside, baking macarons is a challenge. You ‘d think a cookie ..(a COOKIE!) wouldn’t be so intimidating . But this is no normal cookie. This is the cookie that has to be pronounced right . It even has body parts like the skin and feet. Making it involves an in-depth study of precise mathematical measurement and physics . Reading a macaron recipe and the various dos and donts can give you the chills. Ok, sorry ..more of the exaggeration.

To be honest ,making macarons for me is more to tame the beast than because I actually want to eat them. They are a little too sweet for my taste. The sweetness apparently can be well balanced by different flavor variations and fillings. Maybe I ll try that someday. When I do a better job at the basic macaron recipe.

I have tried making Macarons once before, for a baking group and didn’t get them right. Months later , I joined the Daring Bakers group and the first challenge was ..but of course, Macarons ! I wasn’t planning to give up this time.. and thanks to Korena and Rachel, I at least have macarons that I am proud of. Until I make a better batch !

PS.. this post is a little premature given my limited success with macarons , I did contemplate not writing this. But I was really happy with the results here and wanted to share it with you. This is just a beginner’s tryst with macarons !

You’ll need:

• 112 gm ground almonds or almond flour
• 204 gm powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
• 102 gm egg whites (from approx. 3 eggs)
• 51 gm granulated (white) sugar

Makes : around 20 sandwiched macarons
Time : 20 mins prep + upto 1 hr resting + 15 mins baking

Lets get started:

Also:

• Unfilled macarons can be stored in between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature. Filled can be stored in an straight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and frozen for longer.
• This recipe is best made with the exact tried and tested measurements using a kitchen scale.
• Remember to make sure egg whites are at room temperature as they whip to the highest volume then. Many recommend using aged egg whites or egg whites that have been separated for 2 -3 days and stored in the refrigerator for macarons.
• You know your egg whites are whipped when 1)they hold firm peaks and don’t droop 2) they are still shiny 3)if you turn the bowl over, they do not move.
• Don’t leave the prepared batter lying around and work quickly once the batter is ready for best results.

1.