Spotlight: Macaron Class Tips

After taking the macaron class at Mille Feuille and reflecting on the initial experience, I wanted to share some of the tips imparted on the participants to avoid mishaps like the shell shown below. I know I will be using these to guide my first at-home attempt to make these French delights!

The Batter

• When making the initial sugar syrup for the Italian meringue, it is important to heat to 245 degrees. Too hot, and the meringue will be too elastic. Too cold, and the meringue will be too loose or soft.
• Use day-old egg whites for the meringue to achieve the right consistency. Separate and refrigerate a day in advance, as they slowly start to break down.
• Avoid over-mixing at all costs. You cannot continue with the macarons if you over-mix, because the batter will be too runny.
• When testing the consistency of the batter, if the ribbon from the pastry scraper breaks, it indicates it is under-mixed.

Baking

• If you do not allow the shells to properly dry after initial piping, they can crack in the oven.
• If you do not bang the air bubbles out and flatten the batter properly, the shells can crack.

The Filling

• If you plan to use a fruit filling like a jam, bake a little longer (roughly 30 seconds), as it will cause the shells to be soggier after assembly.
• If you want to use a fruit filling, only use preserves. Jelly should not be considered an appropriate substitute, as it lacks the concentration of fruit and flavor, as well as consistency required to be a good macaron filling.
• To cool your ganache quickly, spread onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop into fridge.

Assembly

• When piping the ganache, complete one sandwich first. This will allow you to see how the consistency moves with the weight of the second shell – you may need more or less the next time, and you won’t have completed a whole row with too much or too little filling.
• Do not push on the center to sandwich them, as you could cause them to crack.

Serving

• If you use buttercream to fill the shells, you will need to pull the macarons out of the fridge roughly 20 minutes ahead of when you would like to serve them. They should not be left out for too long, or the butter will start to melt.

Hopefully the tips and tricks above help you avoid any classic macaron mistakes!

Until next time,
SugarSource

 

Dear SugarSource: My Cake is Stuck!

Dear SugarSource,
I thought I properly greased my cake pans, but it turns out I must have missed several spots. I can’t get my cake out! Are they ruined, or is there something I can do?

Sincerely,
Stuck Baker

Dear Stuck Baker,
The good news is that there are a few steps you can take to try to mitigate the damage! After the cake has cooled for about an hour, pop it into the freezer. It is less likely to crumble or fall apart as you work it out of the pan when it’s cold.

After about six hours (or overnight), use a butter knife to loosen the cake around the edges. Hovering over a cutting board, flip the pan over and tap on the bottom. If it does not slip out, use forks to dislodge the cake’s edges, moving toward the center. Once it has been fully removed, let the cake defrost for a few hours before proceeding to frosting or decorating.

To avoid in the future, use a pastry brush to effectively coat all of the nooks and crannies of your pans with (very soft) butter. Good luck!

Until next time,
SugarSource