Macarons

I have just finished piping a batch of hazelnut macarons. While waiting for it to crust, I thought it would be best to keep myself busy and to type up some random thoughts just to keep my impatient mind off it. I am nervous. Will I be able to fill it tomorrow? Or will this batch end up in the bin tonight. Its my first time to try using another nut instead of the traditional almond meal used. I am unsure, but hopeful.

So what is a macaron? Is it a cookie? To some perhaps. Is it a confection? Yes, it satisfies a sweet tooth craving although it has unique characteristics of its own. Is it a meringue? Yes, it is made with beaten whites and sugar then almond powder folded in(traditionally), but it is not quite just a meringue. It is hard to describe a macaron with words alone. It is just like describing the color red to a blind person. The only way to actually get to know these little gems is to have a bite of a really good macaron. A really good macaron will have a smooth and thin egg-shell like crust that will give in to a moist and soft interior. It will have a foot, which is a lace or bubble like ribbon around the shell and it will have a generous amount of filling enough to give a burst of flavour in ones mouth.

The first time I was introduced to macarons was when I was a pastry student in school. It was a brief introduction about its popularity in France and its difficulty to make. Consistency was the worst part of it. It's such a wonder how beating a meringue and folding in almond meal can actually be so difficult. We had varied recipes from italian based to french based meringue. Different instructors would show different folding methods, yet consistency has always been a problem. I have also tried a few of these macarons in some of the pastry shops in Asia. However, most of the time, it was not quite how good it was described in books. So it was for me quite a bit over rated for a time. My obsession with macarons has never actually fully set in until I went to Paris and actually had a taste of what everybody has been raving about. I stood obligingly in the long que with my sister both at Laduree and Pierre Herme's. Excitement was just building up as we waited for our turn to choose what we would bring home. With our bags of goodies, we went back to our hotel and sampled these gems. It was indeed a taste like no other. From then on, I became determined to actually learn it and be able to make little mounds of yumminess. At home I tried more conservative flavours for the first few times. So far I have made Passionfruit and milk chocolate, morello cherry, green tea, and now getting my hands on hazelnut. Also thinking of experimenting on flavors that play with herbs and flowers. Orange and basil perhaps or lavender and chocolate? The options are just endless!

Just pulled out my hazelnut macarons from the oven. They smell divine. The first tray look good, except for 2 pieces, which are a bit wonky. The 2nd batch looked the same. Although the foot on a few of them spread out a bit more compared to how my macarons normally looks like. They have a thin crust as well but the interior crumb seems to be a little bit more chewy then the almond macarons I normally make. Perhaps lesser hazelnut to almond ratio next time? Hmmm... I will fill them with espresso french buttercream once they are cooled. :) I'm happy today. I'm actually off work today, should be resting and doing other activities away from the kitchen. I just can't help it.