I wasn’t sure where to go from the first recipe, but I wanted to make something green for St. Pat’s.  Since I already hit you with my Shamrock Shake obsession last week, I held back on the ShamShake macs (in my mental filing cabinet for next year) and decided on mint chocolate.  Would you believe a recipe already existed?  I love when that happens.

I used Not So Humble Pie‘s recipe again, but this time I used the French method, which I think was easier- no cooking sugar/egg on the stove this time.  I am much happier with the results visually this time!  They actually look like macarons.  They’re more uniform and they rose up nicely with nice feet.  Don’t go thinking I perfected it, though.  Take a look inside:

 See the big air pocket and thin outer crust?  I think I over-mixed or under-baked.  Still not completely sure.  Another shot of the easily broken shells:

Though I still don’t feel entirely confident with macarons, I think I’ll be retiring from them for a little while.  It was more of a challenge than anything to me.  They are too sweet and too tempting to have around all the time while experimenting.  If someone requests them of me in the future, I’ll gladly give them another try, but for now, I’m satisfied with how this batch came out (visually, at least) and I can move on to other (healthier!) things.

The recipes have a lot of detail, and Ms. Humble deserves ALL the credit for them, so if you’d like the recipes, please visit her posts about French Macarons, Macaron Troubleshooting and the Mint Chocolate Ganache.

Did any of you try making macs this month?  How did it go for you?

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In the interest of full disclosure, I’m about to show you my first attempt at macarons.

I want you to see the whole learning process.  Good, bad and ugly.

Let’s start with the ugly.

So macarons are known as one of the most difficult cookies to make.  The ingredients must be precise, your mixing technique must be perfect, your sheet pans level, your oven at the right temperature.  There are a lot of things to think about.  For my first try, I decided to go with a simple vanilla bean macaron.  The resource I found most helpful was Not So Humble Pie– she has great macaron tutorials and troubleshooting guides.

I aged my egg whites.

I weighed my ingredients.

I had a well-mixed meringue.

I let them rest before baking.

I popped any air bubbles.

I over/under mixed the batter (still not sure).

I piped them too large.

I baked half of them on an older, possibly crooked baking sheet.

I overbaked a little.

Exhibit A: uneven, blob-like shapes.  I think this is due to the possibly crooked baking sheet and the incorrect mixing technique.

Exhibit B: Side view of my cookies.  This give me hope! They have feet (the bottom part of the cookie), which is a good sign.

Exhibit C: The inside of the cookie.  This is hopeful too, since there aren’t a lot of air pockets.. but that could always be because they are too flat.

I am planning another attempt soon.  Hopefully it will go a little better.  I’m going to pipe them a little smaller,  make sure I mix correctly,  and try not to screw it up!

Has anyone made macarons before?  How did it go for you?  Any tips?

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Morning!

You’ve got some sweetness coming to you today.. buckle up.

During my macaron month research, I found this adorable New Orleans shop called Sucre´.  Do you believe they’ll send you macarons in the mail?  Amazing.  They sent me some of their holiday (you know.. Valentine’s Day.. Mardi Gras?) treats to share with you.

 First of all, can I just say how adorable their packaging is?  Who wouldn’t love seeing this show up in the mail?  Love.  Now let’s get to the goods.

These did show up with a few broken cookies, but they were all glittery and gorgeous that I couldn’t resist giving them a try!  The flavors are strong, so if you’re a fan of raspberry and white chocolate, these are for you.  They would definitely be a hit for the holiday.

So would the Sucre´ For Love of Chocolate Collection.  Chocolate and raspberry filled hearts?

Yes, please.  Subtle raspberry flavor, very creamy.

 And if you’re looking for a taste of Carnival from an authentic New Orleans company, definitely try these Mardi Gras Macarons.  I can’t explain their flavor, but I can confirm that they are sugary sweet and addicting.  Maybe this is what King Cake would taste like as a macaron..

Isn’t everything gorgeous?  You still have time to order before Valentine’s Day, so get on it!  I’d prefer these treats over flowers.. maybe your lady (or gent!) would, too.  And ladies- there’s no shame in leaving hints.

Homemade mac recipes coming for you soon, promise.

Old egg whites are on my counter, at the ready.

Thanks, Sucre´, for sharing your sweets with me.

*PS. I was not paid for this review, but the kind folks at Sucre´ did supply these products.

  Before I get started with our month of macarons, I want to clear something up.

There is a difference between macarOn and macarOOn.  And it’s not just the extra O.

MACARON:

a sweet, little confection made with egg whites, ground almond and sugar.  they look like little round (heavenly) sandwiches and can be filled with jam, buttercream or ganache. easily melts in the mouth.

(photo via chocolateandginger.com)

MACAROON:

little, round cookies made primarily of egg whites and coconut. they are dense, moist and sweet. sometimes dipped in chocolate, sometimes include nuts.  always delicious.

(photo via freecoconutrecipes.com)

I’m not here to tell you which one is better than another- they’re both tasty.

I’m just here to tell you I’ll be making macarOns this month so you know what to expect.

Can’t wait!

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