Comments on: La Macaronicité 2: basic technique and simple macaron recipe http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/ Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:41:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Duncan http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-9122 Duncan Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:44:59 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-9122 @James: you'll need to grind it further yourself (or perhaps pay a lot of money to an expensive wholesale supplier, though in most cases their almond meal is at least as coarse as what you can get in the supermarket). @James: you'll need to grind it further yourself (or perhaps pay a lot of money to an expensive wholesale supplier, though in most cases their almond meal is at least as coarse as what you can get in the supermarket).

]]> By: James http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-9120 James Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:05:34 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-9120 Hi Duncan, Any idea where I can get a fine almond meal in sydney or any online shop here in australia? The one I get from the local supermarket are a bit coarse. Thanks. Hi Duncan,
Any idea where I can get a fine almond meal in sydney or any online shop here in australia?
The one I get from the local supermarket are a bit coarse.
Thanks.

]]> By: Anita http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8958 Anita Thu, 25 Aug 2011 06:39:01 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8958 Hi Ha Castor or Caster sugar has a texture finer than regular sugar that you would use in a cup of tea or coffee but coarser than icing sugar (powdered sugar/dusting sugar). It's used in a lot of lighter cakes such as sponge. You should be able to find it at any supermarket in their baking goods aisle. Some countries call it superfine sugar. As for the powdered food colouring, you should be able to get it at any good cake decorating supply shop or cake decorating suppliers online. Where do you live? If you happen to live in London, there is a French cooking school that sells all kinds of things including powdered colours specifically for this type of thing. I did a class on macaron-making with them. you can find them at www.atelierdeschefs.co.uk Can't help you with the techincal problem of hollow shells, sorry. Happy baking. Anita Hi Ha

Castor or Caster sugar has a texture finer than regular sugar that you would use in a cup of tea or coffee but coarser than icing sugar (powdered sugar/dusting sugar). It's used in a lot of lighter cakes such as sponge. You should be able to find it at any supermarket in their baking goods aisle. Some countries call it superfine sugar. As for the powdered food colouring, you should be able to get it at any good cake decorating supply shop or cake decorating suppliers online. Where do you live? If you happen to live in London, there is a French cooking school that sells all kinds of things including powdered colours specifically for this type of thing. I did a class on macaron-making with them. you can find them at http://www.atelierdeschefs.co.uk

Can't help you with the techincal problem of hollow shells, sorry.

Happy baking.

Anita

]]> By: Ha http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8955 Ha Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:12:54 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8955 I've tried 4 times and each time it's looking better and better, however, i'm still getting hollow macarons. why? Also, I have no idea where to get castor sugar or powdered food coloring. Any ideas? I've tried 4 times and each time it's looking better and better, however, i'm still getting hollow macarons. why? Also, I have no idea where to get castor sugar or powdered food coloring. Any ideas?

]]> By: Emma http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8952 Emma Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:19:33 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8952 Thank you so much! How excited can one perfect batch of pretty pink macarons make one household- very, very, very! Your recipe worked first time for us after two previous failed attempts-Yay! Thank you so much! How excited can one perfect batch of pretty pink macarons make one household- very, very, very!
Your recipe worked first time for us after two previous failed attempts-Yay!

]]> By: linda http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8805 linda Sat, 04 Jun 2011 07:16:39 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8805 Hi Duncan,, I love your website.. I've been making macarons using french method,,and it ended up with air pocket. I whipped egg white to firm peak and bake at 160C for 20mins using convection oven. Do we have to whip egg white till firm or stiff peak? Could you pls advise what makes the air pocket? Thanking you Hi Duncan,,

I love your website.. I've been making macarons using french method,,and it ended up with air pocket.

I whipped egg white to firm peak and bake at 160C for 20mins using convection oven.

Do we have to whip egg white till firm or stiff peak?

Could you pls advise what makes the air pocket?
Thanking you

]]> By: Bulut http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8802 Bulut Tue, 31 May 2011 11:10:41 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8802 Hi First off thanks for the great tutorials. I recently followed this recipe and the turned better than my first attempt, but far from perfect. My macarons started cracking about the same time they started developing the foot. They were also rather undercooked on the inside and half the shells remained on the baking paper when i tried to remove them. The only step i missed was using double baking sheets. That may be why they cracked but why were they undercooked? Thanks Hi
First off thanks for the great tutorials. I recently followed this recipe and the turned better than my first attempt, but far from perfect. My macarons started cracking about the same time they started developing the foot. They were also rather undercooked on the inside and half the shells remained on the baking paper when i tried to remove them. The only step i missed was using double baking sheets. That may be why they cracked but why were they undercooked?

Thanks

]]> By: Sarahb1313 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8646 Sarahb1313 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:44:18 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8646 Duncan, Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial! I had complete success from my first attempt through my most recent, and this has been appreciated by all. I find the simple recipe so easy and quick and so far has been fool proof, although the italian one has worked equally as well. The only recipe that has given me consistent problem has been a chocolate macaron. You do not list a recipe here for that but a referring site did, and it has come out either overcooked (as the top was still moving on the base and I left them in the oven too long, or they were cracked on top. In this recipe, the almond flour is partially replaced with cocoa powder. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions for proportions for that type of Macaron?? So appreciate if you get to see this post and reply. Again, thanks for the delectable formula- it's perfect! Sarah Duncan,
Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial!
I had complete success from my first attempt through my most recent, and this has been appreciated by all. I find the simple recipe so easy and quick and so far has been fool proof, although the italian one has worked equally as well.

The only recipe that has given me consistent problem has been a chocolate macaron. You do not list a recipe here for that but a referring site did, and it has come out either overcooked (as the top was still moving on the base and I left them in the oven too long, or they were cracked on top. In this recipe, the almond flour is partially replaced with cocoa powder.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions for proportions for that type of Macaron??

So appreciate if you get to see this post and reply.

Again, thanks for the delectable formula- it's perfect!

Sarah

]]> By: Anita http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8611 Anita Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:25:55 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8611 Hi Duncan, Thanks for this article, it's so good, and I'm eager to read on to the 3rd instalment. My sisters and I had a Sisters Night In on Saturday and I decided to make macarons for the first time (this was prior to finding your website and articles today). For a first attempt I had very good luck and I'd say more or less success at turning out what must have been around 60 filled delicious gems (I stopped counting at 60 half shells on two baking trays and I ended up with enough batter to fill 4 baking trays... or was it 5?). I was fortunate enough to get two for the price of one 2 hour cooking classes at the London branch of a French cooking school in September last year and although I'm not convinced the Asian Chef was trained anywhere near France, he was nontheless an experienced pastry chef and managed to get a motley bunch of amateurs to produce an array of tasty filled macarons of the right shape and consistency. However, there has been a lot of time passed since that class and I was using failing memory and educated guess work when it came to getting the correct piping consistency. I have a feeling I stopped mixing a few turns of the spatula too soon but by the time I'd filled that piping bag for the third time, I think I finally got it right. Of course, Saturday’s attempt was not without other problems. I had problems when adding the powder colour at the folding stage, and my lovely green macarons were less than lovely with what looked like black threads in them from unmixed colour. So, when do you add the colour to ensure it mixes evenly without mixing that bit too far and ruining the batter? Also, I used two baking trays: one was a dark (almost black) non-stick insulated tray and the other was a much lighter grey non-stick. I can’t remember which one produced which result but one batch of the cooked biscuits came out the same colour as they went in (a pale ochre yellow) and the other turned a pale version of the desired green. Have you any idea why this would happen? Now onto the real reason for writing… for the life of me, I can’t understand the formula in the formula and method section above. Could you please explain it in words for dumbies like me? Although my recipe served me well, I might not want to use 7 egg whites next time and it would help to understand the ratios. Oh, and does a lovely shine on the macaron come from the perfect consistency or is it due to another part of the process? Right, on to part 3… Hi Duncan,

Thanks for this article, it's so good, and I'm eager to read on to the 3rd instalment. My sisters and I had a Sisters Night In on Saturday and I decided to make macarons for the first time (this was prior to finding your website and articles today). For a first attempt I had very good luck and I'd say more or less success at turning out what must have been around 60 filled delicious gems (I stopped counting at 60 half shells on two baking trays and I ended up with enough batter to fill 4 baking trays… or was it 5?).

I was fortunate enough to get two for the price of one 2 hour cooking classes at the London branch of a French cooking school in September last year and although I'm not convinced the Asian Chef was trained anywhere near France, he was nontheless an experienced pastry chef and managed to get a motley bunch of amateurs to produce an array of tasty filled macarons of the right shape and consistency.

However, there has been a lot of time passed since that class and I was using failing memory and educated guess work when it came to getting the correct piping consistency. I have a feeling I stopped mixing a few turns of the spatula too soon but by the time I'd filled that piping bag for the third time, I think I finally got it right. Of course, Saturday’s attempt was not without other problems. I had problems when adding the powder colour at the folding stage, and my lovely green macarons were less than lovely with what looked like black threads in them from unmixed colour. So, when do you add the colour to ensure it mixes evenly without mixing that bit too far and ruining the batter? Also, I used two baking trays: one was a dark (almost black) non-stick insulated tray and the other was a much lighter grey non-stick. I can’t remember which one produced which result but one batch of the cooked biscuits came out the same colour as they went in (a pale ochre yellow) and the other turned a pale version of the desired green. Have you any idea why this would happen?

Now onto the real reason for writing… for the life of me, I can’t understand the formula in the formula and method section above. Could you please explain it in words for dumbies like me? Although my recipe served me well, I might not want to use 7 egg whites next time and it would help to understand the ratios. Oh, and does a lovely shine on the macaron come from the perfect consistency or is it due to another part of the process?

Right, on to part 3…

]]> By: Duncan http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/comment-page-1/#comment-8500 Duncan Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:23:03 +0000 http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-2-basic-technique-and-simple-macaron-recipe/#comment-8500 @Tammy: As they're delicate, you would certainly need to separate the layers of macarons with thick paper or something more rigid. And the containers have to be airtight. @Tammy: As they're delicate, you would certainly need to separate the layers of macarons with thick paper or something more rigid. And the containers have to be airtight.

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