INTRODUCTION Macaron Cookies Modern macaron—ma-ka-rohn—cookies, not to be confused with coconut macaroons, are basically two discs of nutty meringue that sandwich a filling. I distinguish between the single macaron discs—macarons or macs—and the completely assembled macaron cookies because the macaron discs are unfilled and not quite ready to eat, while the macaron cookies are a treat that require a few more steps. Coconut macaroons, on the other hand, are singular mounds of cookies made of liquid egg whites, sugar, and coconut. Meringue A meringue is mostly egg whites whipped with granulated sugar. Stabilizers such as cream of tartar, meringue powder, egg white powder, and starch may also be added; some recipes include salt. Meringue is used to lighten and add volume to many sweet goodies, including cakes, icings, soufflés, mouse, and cookies. Meringue may be served as a topping such as in meringue pies or baked Alaska’s. Meringue may also be prepared as containers for fruits and cooked fillings. There are three methods of making the meringue that are used for macaron discs. Swiss meringue entails heating egg whites with sugar then whipping the mixture. Italian meringue requires that you add hot sugar syrup to the egg whites that are still being whipped. French meringue, also called basic meringue, is the least time-consuming, though most delicate style of making meringue; it blends sugar into room temperature egg whites. The basic meringue method of preparing macarons is the focus of this book. Meringue is the “wet” component of the macaron batter. Macaronage A mixture of ground nuts and powdered sugar is combined with the meringue—a process referred to as macaronage—to produce a firm, yet flowing macaron batter. This technique enables the tip of the piped batter to disappear into the surrounding batter. Additionally, macaronage deflates some of the air bubbles so that the discs don’t expand too much. Oven Heat The heat in the oven sets the structure of the meringue and gives the macarons their characteristic feet. The amount of heat and the rate of heat application are vital for perfect macarons, and these can potentially be the most unstable aspect of making macarons. Without a convection oven, you must create an extremely stable meringue and quickly apply as much constant heat to your cookies as you can without burning them. The heat creates the feet and holds the meringue in place so the macarons don’t become hollow. Moving Forward The intent of this book is to make the process of creating beautiful and hollow-free macaron cookies as painless, as efficient, and as gratifying as possible—using math and science. The book begins with a sprinkling of academics before venturing into the key aspect of making macarons—the heat from a gas, an electric, and a convection oven. Next, I’ll explain the changes you can make to your technique and the tools needed if you are not using a convection oven. Thereafter, I’ll go into the science of the ingredients used in making macarons. I’ll walk you through my macaron experiments where you will see the painstaking efforts it took to get to the “perfect” macaron recipe. Finally, I’ll share my recipes for the discs and the fillings. Most major headings in this book have a “Results and Recommendations” section. Here, I share my thoughts based on the results I had from the many trials of making macarons with basic meringue. Additionally, all temperatures in the book are in Fahrenheit unless otherwise noted. The best pastry chefs understand the structure and function of each ingredient, its interaction with other ingredients, and its reaction to the surroundings, including the temperature in the oven. This enables the chef to make adjustments to the given variables, regardless of a specific recipe…
|