If CP was to read this particular posting, he would have the last laugh. More than a year ago, way before I was expecting Faith, CP asked if I would like to go with him to attend a baking class on macarons. I clearly remembered telling him very confidently and somewhat haughtily that I wouldn't even think of it. I would rather just buy them and eat 'em, thank you very much. Part of the reason stemmed from the fact that I've heard that it was difficult and tedious to make macarons.
If you think about it, cooking itself can be tedious at times, what with the preparation work beforehand, chopping, dicing, seasoning, stewing, braising yaddah yaddah yaddah... and preparing all the mise-en-place just to cook something that is eaten within less than 15 minutes.
I couldn't imagine going through all the steps needed, although at that time I didn't know the exact process of macaron-making beyond what I've heard, just to produce macarons that were so small and delicate that you would finish them in 2 bites. To me, the act of eating macarons is an event and an enjoyment in itself that I wouldn't want to mar with the thought of hours spent making and baking them prior to eating these delectable morsels.
However, many many moons later, I've this urged to try to make macarons myself. Why? Mostly, I was curious to try and ascertain for myself just how tedious macarons making can be. Thanks to CC, who passed me the macaron recipe from a class that she attended together with CP (maybe this is what you call poetic justice? :)), I've got myself a very very detailed recipe to try my hand with.
The outcome of it? Well... as I was sieving the ground almonds and later, while mixing together the whipped egg whites and the ground almond mixture and much later on, the pipping of the macaron cookies, I kept mumbling to myself, cursing all the while, "I'm never gonna make these macarons myself again. I'd rather pay the price to eat macarons!".
Perhaps I didn't have the right tools to help aid me in making them. I was using a really miniscue sieve (the size one normally use to sieve tea leaves) to sieve the ground almonds. I was also using some cheap plastic bag to pipe the cookies out, without any piping tips.
The long and short of it was that through this process, I've come to appreciate why the per unit cost of one macaron can be so exorbitant, depending on where you bought it. Other than the whipping of the egg whites, which I've thankfully got my KitchenAid to deal with, the rest of the stuff, you've got to do it by hand. Piping even and round macaron cookies of similar size was yet another challenge which I wasn't able to successfully master on this first attempt. Hence, I had many varied and uneven ovals instead of round macaron cookies at the end.
By the time I was done with it, I realised belated that the macarons would taste better after sitting overnight in the fridge. Since I did them yesterday, it would be best if I eat them only today. In a somewhat eureka moment, I ingeniously told Louis that I especially made them for him as a gift for Valentine's Day. This is so that he would be guilt into helping me finish most of the batch of macarons, no matter how they tasted. Hee hee... Till now, my hubby still haven't have the faintest idea of his wife's little trickery ;)
Suffice it to say that one batch of my macarons turned out nicely with the frilly edges at the bottom (known as "feet"), that is supposed to be the hallmark of a good macaron. Unfortunately, they didn't quite acquire the nice dome, yet another hallmark of macarons. Nonetheless, they were still very edible and very sinful, on account that I've made chocolate macarons.
At this juncture, I doubt I would make many more batches of macarons, although I am determined to give macarons making another one or two more attempts so that I wouldn't repeat some of the same mistakes that I did this round. The other more important reason, being that I would like to be able to proudly say that I've baked a good and credible batch of macarons myself.
However, I think I would still continue to patronise and buy macarons in future for my own personal enjoyment. The reason for this is simple. When you bake a batch of macarons, you tend to only make one flavour. For me, the real thrill and fun of eating macarons is to select and try as many varied flavours and offerings that is available, without buying seconds (not to mention thirds of fourths) of any flavours. That's something that I simply cannot produce as a home-baker!
And since its Valentine's Day today, here's wishing that all of you had a good one.
Happy Valentine's Day, Darling!
If you think about it, cooking itself can be tedious at times, what with the preparation work beforehand, chopping, dicing, seasoning, stewing, braising yaddah yaddah yaddah... and preparing all the mise-en-place just to cook something that is eaten within less than 15 minutes.
I couldn't imagine going through all the steps needed, although at that time I didn't know the exact process of macaron-making beyond what I've heard, just to produce macarons that were so small and delicate that you would finish them in 2 bites. To me, the act of eating macarons is an event and an enjoyment in itself that I wouldn't want to mar with the thought of hours spent making and baking them prior to eating these delectable morsels.
However, many many moons later, I've this urged to try to make macarons myself. Why? Mostly, I was curious to try and ascertain for myself just how tedious macarons making can be. Thanks to CC, who passed me the macaron recipe from a class that she attended together with CP (maybe this is what you call poetic justice? :)), I've got myself a very very detailed recipe to try my hand with.
The outcome of it? Well... as I was sieving the ground almonds and later, while mixing together the whipped egg whites and the ground almond mixture and much later on, the pipping of the macaron cookies, I kept mumbling to myself, cursing all the while, "I'm never gonna make these macarons myself again. I'd rather pay the price to eat macarons!".
Perhaps I didn't have the right tools to help aid me in making them. I was using a really miniscue sieve (the size one normally use to sieve tea leaves) to sieve the ground almonds. I was also using some cheap plastic bag to pipe the cookies out, without any piping tips.
The long and short of it was that through this process, I've come to appreciate why the per unit cost of one macaron can be so exorbitant, depending on where you bought it. Other than the whipping of the egg whites, which I've thankfully got my KitchenAid to deal with, the rest of the stuff, you've got to do it by hand. Piping even and round macaron cookies of similar size was yet another challenge which I wasn't able to successfully master on this first attempt. Hence, I had many varied and uneven ovals instead of round macaron cookies at the end.
By the time I was done with it, I realised belated that the macarons would taste better after sitting overnight in the fridge. Since I did them yesterday, it would be best if I eat them only today. In a somewhat eureka moment, I ingeniously told Louis that I especially made them for him as a gift for Valentine's Day. This is so that he would be guilt into helping me finish most of the batch of macarons, no matter how they tasted. Hee hee... Till now, my hubby still haven't have the faintest idea of his wife's little trickery ;)
Suffice it to say that one batch of my macarons turned out nicely with the frilly edges at the bottom (known as "feet"), that is supposed to be the hallmark of a good macaron. Unfortunately, they didn't quite acquire the nice dome, yet another hallmark of macarons. Nonetheless, they were still very edible and very sinful, on account that I've made chocolate macarons.
At this juncture, I doubt I would make many more batches of macarons, although I am determined to give macarons making another one or two more attempts so that I wouldn't repeat some of the same mistakes that I did this round. The other more important reason, being that I would like to be able to proudly say that I've baked a good and credible batch of macarons myself.
However, I think I would still continue to patronise and buy macarons in future for my own personal enjoyment. The reason for this is simple. When you bake a batch of macarons, you tend to only make one flavour. For me, the real thrill and fun of eating macarons is to select and try as many varied flavours and offerings that is available, without buying seconds (not to mention thirds of fourths) of any flavours. That's something that I simply cannot produce as a home-baker!
And since its Valentine's Day today, here's wishing that all of you had a good one.
Happy Valentine's Day, Darling!
2 comments:
Yo,
Lucky i am not a Macaron Lovers..hee : )
Yeah, heard of the "feet" thingy, so cute.
cheers,
astee
Haha... yeah. One less addiction to deal with :)
Yeah, the "feet" is cute.
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