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Macarons – Using the French Method

Last week we made Macarons using the French Method.  I’ve been making macs for about 3 years now, and I’ve been grateful that they have always turned out well.  A girl can only get so far on a wing and a prayer though, so I headed over to Sur la Table late in June for a real, live, macaron class.

To say the class was life-changing would be an exaggeration, but man, it was definitely nice to be able to actually see and feel the consistencies of the merengue and batter live and in person.  I love baking and decorating classes and this one was no exception!

I also went LIVE on Facebook last week to demonstrate, and it was an early Saturday/Sunday morning kind of thing – that means I was rushing to go live for my small band of dedicated followers and therefore am resplendent in all of my no-makeup glory.  The macarons are what matter though, right?   RIGHT?!

Regardless of your perceived skill, regardless of whether you have make-up on, you should definitely give Macarons a try.  They are such glorious little rounds of deliciousness!

Before I get to the videos, if you want to try some of the Amoretti Blood Orange, just click the link to head over to their site and pick some up!  I don’t get paid by Amoretti, I just love this stuff 😉

Here’s a video how the batter should look

Yeah, that video is HUGE in size – hah!  Well, at least you can see exactly what I’m talking about!

Making the Macaron Shells

Filling the Macarons

Print Recipe
 Macarons - French Method
Delicious Macarons
Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 14 Minutes
Passive Time 1.5 Hours
Servings
Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
  • 7 Oz Powdered Sugar
  • 4 Oz Almond Flour Ground Fine
  • 4 Oz Egg Whites Aged (by weight)
  • 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 3.5 Oz Granulated Sugar
Blood Orange Ganache
  • 4 oz Dark Chocolate Good Quality, Finely Chopped
  • 4 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Blood Orange Paste Amoreti Brand
Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 14 Minutes
Passive Time 1.5 Hours
Servings
Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
  • 7 Oz Powdered Sugar
  • 4 Oz Almond Flour Ground Fine
  • 4 Oz Egg Whites Aged (by weight)
  • 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 3.5 Oz Granulated Sugar
Blood Orange Ganache
  • 4 oz Dark Chocolate Good Quality, Finely Chopped
  • 4 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Blood Orange Paste Amoreti Brand
Delicious Macarons
Instructions
  1. Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor to remove any lumps. Set aside.
  2. Put egg whites and cream of tartar in stand mixer and whip on #4 until frothy.
  3. Rain the sugar in a slow steady stream while continuing to whip, change speed to 6 after all sugar is added.
  4. Sift flour and almond mixture 3 times to ensure that all lumps are removed.
  5. When merengue is at the stiff peak stage, turn off mixer and remove bowl. Clean off whisk to get all of the merengue into the bowl.
  6. Add one half of the dry ingredients to the merengue and fold until combined.
  7. Add remaining dry ingredients to the mixture and fold gently until the mixture reaches a lava-like consistency. What you're looking for is a mixture where the batter will fall back in on itself when drizzled from a spatula.
  8. Pipe the macarons onto a cookie sheet covered with a silicon mat or parchment. I use a #12 tip for this.
  9. Tap the cookie sheets on the counter several times until the tops of the macarons are smooth and there are no air bubbles.
  10. Rest the macarons until the tops get a thin skin on them and they are no longer shiny (this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your humidity)
  11. Place the Macarons (only 1 sheet at at time!) in a pre-heated 300 degree oven on the middle rack.
  12. Back for about 14 minutes, turning the macs halfway through. Note, this time can vary depending on your oven temp, humidity and all kinds of factors - you may need to experiment!
  13. Cool on the cookie sheets - if the Macarons are baked properly, they should pop right off the sheets when they are cool.
  14. Fill each pair of shells with your choice of filling.
Blood Orange Ganache
  1. Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl.
  2. Heat the cream to just before boiling (it should be steaming) and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for about 2 minutes.
  3. Whisk the chocolate and cream until melted and smooth.
  4. Add the butter and whisk to combine.
  5. Add blood orange paste and whisk to combine.
  6. Let the ganache set until it has reached a piping consistency. Similar to buttercream.
Recipe Notes
  1. This is simply one method of making Macarons.  There are 3 more methods that we'll be trying in coming weeks - Swiss, Italian, and Broma.
  2. Getting your batter to the correct consistency takes practice!  I've been making these on and off for about 3 years, and I finally believe I've gotten it right -
  3. Macarons are finicky.  If they're not right the very first time you make them, don't despair!  Chances are they'll still taste good, so eat them!  Once you're totally buzzed on the sugar, try again 🙂
  4. If you want colored macarons, add the coloring (gel or powder only) to the egg whites when they're at soft peak stage.
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Tangy Lemon Curd – So Easy to Fall in Love!

Lemon Curd!  So intimidating for some, but so very easy to make at home!  I know – you’ve all heard the stories about people trying to make homemade lemon curd and ending up with scrambled eggs.  It’s so tempting to just pick up a jar from the shelf at the market and call it done, but what’s the fun in that?!  Making lemon curd at home is so easy!  It’s also pretty quick!

Imagine your life with this recipe under your belt…  Imagine the oohs and ahhs of those who taste it when they ask where you bought it and you reply (modestly, of course and with a little exaggeration) “Oh, I made it myself!  It wasn’t easy, but you’re worth the extra trouble!”  We can’t give away all of our secrets, friends!

Imagine, if you will, a delicious cake, with the thinest coating of fragrant and tangy lemon curd between the layers!  Or, perhaps filled inside a cupcake (which is what we’re doing in the video below).  If you like lemons, and I know you do, you won’t want to miss out on this one!

I’ll show you a super easy technique to make fresh, homemade, lemon curd in first video below.  Then, we’ll use that curd to fill some Pink Lemonade cupcakes and frost them with a tri-color rosette to finished them off in a lovely way.  I love the way that these turned out!  Be warned, this curd is tangy, so if you are looking for a softer taste, you may prefer a different filling – perhaps the white chocolate lemon ganache that we’re making next week!

Tools

Making the Lemon Curd

 

Filling and Frosting the Cupcakes


Print Recipe
 Tangy Lemon Curd - So Easy!
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe and Tutorial - Bake with Rho
Servings
Ingredients
  • 3/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 3 ea. Egg Yolks
  • 3 tbsp Cold Butter
  • 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Servings
Ingredients
  • 3/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 3 ea. Egg Yolks
  • 3 tbsp Cold Butter
  • 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe and Tutorial - Bake with Rho
Instructions
  1. Get Water Simmering for the double boiler while you collect your ingredients.
  2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the lemon juice, sugar and egg yolks.
  3. Whisk to thoroughly combine and place over the double boiler.
  4. Whisk constantly while heating to a simmer. The curd should start to thicken.
  5. Once the curd has started to simmer and has thickened, remove from the heat.
  6. Whisk in each of the tablespoons of butter until completely incorporated.
  7. Whisk in the salt and vanilla.
  8. Strain into a container and place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd so that a skin doesn't form.
  9. Cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator until cold.
Recipe Notes
  1. This is very tangy and works absolutely best as a thin coating in between cake layers.
  2. If using for cupcake filling, I recommend a sweeter recipe to offset the tartness of the curd.
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Easy and Fresh Strawberry Filling

Fresh strawberry filling is super easy to make and it really adds an amazing flavor to cakes of all kinds – my particular favorite is vanilla cake, and while I’ve been sitting here typing, I had a brainstorm – I’m positive I’m not the first person to ever think of this but hello…  Banana?   Strawberry Banana cake?!  Now my heart is racing…  I need a minute.

Ok, we’ll get back to that strawberry banana idea a bit later, but right now it’s time for part two in our tribute to Matt and Gladys!  Actually, today is their 1 year anniversary, so happy anniversary, dear friends!

I’ll admit, I’m a total snot about cake fillings.  Most of them, especially this strawberry filling, are so easy to make that I just cannot understand why a professional would use anything less.  That’s my own personal preference, and I’m sure I’ll get a ton of feedback explaining the whys and wherefores of using ready-made cake fillings.  The smell alone is enough to make me delirious, I can’t imagine giving up all of the smells the completely invade my house when I’m baking – and that includes the fillings – But enough of me and my bias toward pre-made filling (Dear Lord, don’t even get me started on using jams and preserves for filling, just don’t).

Let’s talk about the video – This, our second video was a little more complicated than the first – We had to film in parts instead of straight through like the first one, so a few more editing skills were required.  I’m starting to get the hang of this iMovie thing though, so each subsequent effort will be better.  I’m still not super comfortable on camera but it does get better and I’m really looking forward to my LIVE sessions on Facebook to help me get even more relaxed.

Don’t forget!  On the 15th I’ll be sending our e-mail subscribers the Shopping List for May and on the 20th, someone will win a $20 Amazon card!  You must be a subscriber to our newsletter and you must also like our Facebook page to be eligible.  Good luck to this month’s entrants and as always the results will be delivered via Facebook LIVE 🙂

As always, the recipe appears below the video – Enjoy!  Don’t forget to share your creations on our Facebook page, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions or ideas for future videos!

 

Print Recipe
 Fresh Strawberry Filling
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Fresh Strawberries diced (weigh before dicing)
  • 1.5 cup Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Warm Water
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Fresh Strawberries diced (weigh before dicing)
  • 1.5 cup Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Warm Water
Instructions
  1. Clean, hull, and dice fresh strawberries - transfer immediately to a saucepan.
  2. Add sugar and mix well
  3. Using a potato masher or similar tool, mash the strawberries and sugar together until the sugar is clear.
  4. Mix the cornstarch and water together and then add it to the pan, stirring it in well.
  5. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling. The mixture should noticeably thicken.
  6. Remove from heat, add to a container, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour.
  7. Cover tightly and place in refrigerator overnight to set.
Recipe Notes

Notes

  • Overnight in fridge is best.  If you can't let this rest overnight, make sure it is COLD when you use it.
  • You can replace fresh with frozen strawberries in equal parts.
  • If making more than one batch or if you aren't happy with the thickness of the filling, you can add more cornstarch mixture after the filling reaches a boil.  Always mix equal parts cornstarch and water and start SMALL - 1/2 teaspoon at a time.  What I would do is make another 2 tablespoons and then use a 1/2 teaspoon to add a little at a time until I reached my desired consistency.