I can’t believe that I came across this post on Mowielicious about making French macaroons by hand… I was just at home visiting my parents and my mom has been craving macaroons ever since she got back from Paris and had her first taste at Laduree. {And what a place to have your first macaroon!} They live in Northern Virginia and it’s surprisingly difficult to find them in their area. We did end up finding some at an unexpected spot {and they were imported from France, but not as light and airy as we would have liked}, so I started thinking that maybe we should try and make our own! Have any of you taken the leap and tried to make them at home? I consider myself a pretty good baker, and was thinking about making them over the holidays, but after reading this post must admit I’m a tad scared!
I tried to make these for the first time on Monday. Usually I have a golden touch when it comes to baking but I was completely unsuccessful with these. It was heartbreaking. I’m not going to give up — I’m trying again today, this time with almond flour I bought from the store, rather than using almonds I put in the food processor instead (they just didn’t get floury enough and I actually hurt my tooth biting down into a cookie with a too big almond piece in it).
I was thinking of trying as well! I ordered macarons from a french bakery near by, but was a little disappointed with the presentation… the colour was very spotty and they weren’t formed very well… I would love to be able to make them look as well as above! Maybe i’ll try… thanks for sharing!
Oh Brandi- that’s exactly what I was afraid of!! Please let me know how your second batch goes!
And take a photo if they look beautiful!
I have never tasted a macaroon but have always wanted to try one. What do they taste like? Are they sweet?
Macaroons are my favorite and you are right, Ladureé is the best place to have them. In San Francisco there are several places to find these little treats. I used to think La Boulange and Miette had the best, until one store opened up. Paulette Macaroons in Hayes Valley! Nothing in the city compares now.
http://www.paulettemacarons.com/
Yep, there are a lot of great places to get them in SF…and I think we’ve served them at about 90% of the events we’ve produced in the past 6 years- haha!
Oh, and Chaucee- they are lightly crunchy on the outside, airy and slightly chewy on the inside…and some in so many different flavors- yum! Hard to describe- hope that helped!
I’ve been wanting to get this book about making macaroons: http://tinyurl.com/ycg9l8f. The cover is so cute!!! I just saw the Starbucks macaroons this morning, and I’ll admit, they looked like a very yummy breakfast…
This could be a fun experiment – you never know until you try! Hope your parents had a great time in Paris
ah, those colors are lovely. the macaroons i had in Paris were so much larger than the ones i’ve been able to find here.
They look almost too beautiful to eat! Love your blog:)
I’ve been making them for a couple of years, from a recipie in the “Deep Dark Chocolate” cookbook by Perry and Zwinger. They are so easy. I use Almond Meal from Trader Joes, it has just the right amount of texture for Bouchon or Laduree like macaroons. You can draw circles on parchment paper to get the perfect size and before placing in the oven let them sit for at least half and hour to form a skin – makes for better baking and easier removal.