For some, the Macaron is the Mount Everest of baking challenges. They look great, bursting with colour, and taste great. You don’t need a degree in food science to make these little wonders. But you’ll need tons of patience to get them just right. They can also be expensive as well – nearly £2 for one! So, why not make your own? Don’t laugh… Why not try and make your own Macarons? This article aims to provide you with some of the basics behind making the perfect Macaron.
Removing Moisture
Before you begin, you should attempt to remove as much moisture from the eggs as possible – macarons do not react well to moisture. To do this, you need to separate your egg whites and yolks. Then you must put them in a container and cover. Place them in the fridge and leave them overnight – by doing this, the moisture can evaporate from the egg whites. When you remove them the next day, let them reach room temperature. This is the big secret to making the perfect Macaron.
Use a food processor
Another method that is totally necessary is mixing all of your ingredients in a food processor. Measure your sugar, almond, flour, salt, etc… Then blend everything to make it finer – this makes everything easy to sieve. By doing this, this makes everything smooth and removes any lumps If you carry out these steps, you’ll find that you’ll end up with really smooth tops for your macarons – thus, avoiding those pesky lumps which could ruin everything.
Gel or Liquid
One other top tip to remember when preparing your macarons is to decide if you are going to use liquid food colouring or gel food colouring. Well, the answer is simple… Go with the gel. It’s more vivid and gels do not interfere with the texture of the batter. You only need a little – so don’t overdo it. The trouble with liquid colours is that they add moisture to the batter and influence your batter – so, go with the gel.
Keep Your Parchment Paper Stuck Down
When you have checked that your batter is ready to go. Place a dot of batter in each corner of your baking tray. Then place the paper on the tray. This will hold the parchment paper in place while you do your piping. This means that the sheet will not move whilst you attempt to make perfect circles on the tray. On occasion, the paper can rise and move the batter while on the tray. This will just make a mess of your macarons – and remember to be patient.
While you wait for the macarons to bake, maybe you could try something to fill in the time. How about a good book? Or listening to some great music from your playlist? Or even online games? Online slot games based on confectionery and sweets might be a good choice. Lucky VIP is one of those casino sites that offer many baking-themed games.
