Macaroons or Macarons - delicious either way!

I have seen and heard about macarons  (I am not going discuss the etymology or the meaning of the word, as the British seem to use either Macarons and macaroons to describe the same thing) long before I tasted them - maybe I was unfashionably late to start enjoying these little delicacies ! My first encounter was on a trip to Dublin three years ago. We were lucky to be staying at the Shelbourne Hotel by the Stephen's Green. In the afternoon tea, they were serving wonderful pastries, including  macarons.

High Tea at the Shelbourne Dublin

I didn't think of it much at first, I thought it just looked pretty, but it was unexpectedly delicious as well. The slightly crisp outside, melt in the mouth inside and the creamy filling- overall quite impressive...Then again, another surprising encounter in the famous Brown Thomas which had a Laudree concession - despite the hefty price tag, I got a small box. With Laudree, I think it is more than the macarons you are buying into - the feeling of having a piece of a luxurious, indulgent Parisienne patisserie. Another famous French institution synonymous with macarons is Pierre Herme, who owns boutiques in Selfridge's and Lowdnes Street in London.





Pierre Herme at Selfridge's London

 

If you don't want to pay as much, good supermarkets like M&S (£10 for 24 mini macarons), Waitrose (Maison Blanc Macarons, £ 6.79 for 12) are also selling macarons . They have become so popular now that even they may be coming to a McDonald's near you !!!

Mc Macaron - Whatever next ?!!!

However, the best must be making it yourself !! I always thought it a daunting task to turn out those beautiful round discs - after my first trial, I realised even if they are not perfect looking, they can still be yummy ! My customers were always making macarons and using WhyNut Pastes for flavouring their cream fillings. So I thought, I better learn how to make them myself. I wanted to it to be an experience as well and attended a course at OnCafe. Loretta Liu, the owner, was great and they make the most delicate, light and impressively decorated macarons in their premises in London.

OnCafe's Easter Macarons

 

 

Making macarons, was especially a straightforward task when all the ingredients were measured and laid out and someone else was doing the clearing and washing! I won't go into the details, as macaron lovers would already have their own recipes (if not, this one,can be a good start) . The key is mixing ingredients in the right time and then piping them in the right way.


Cigdem with her macarons

One thing that seems to be important - from my experience at Oncafe- is the fineness of the ground almonds. In other words, if the almonds are not very finely ground, the macarons turn out to be rustic looking. Loretta mentioned that they have used another supplier for the delivery of the almonds and obviously they were coarser than their usual supply.

Now that I have mastered the art of making macarons, I will soon be following in the footsteps of WhyNut customers and making my own pistachio and hazelnut macarons.

WhyNut try yourself as well, you might be happily surprised and feel a  sense of baking achievement !