Counter Culture – A Macaron Experiment

Macarons are a finicky bunch, but they are beautiful, sweet treats baked and loved by many for centuries. In fact, these things have a very impassioned, almost cult-like, following.

They get their name from an Italian word “maccarone” or “maccherone,” derived from ammaccare, meaning to crush or beat (which you do A LOT of when making the flour). These high-maintenance desserts are well worth the labor though. Beyond being incredibly cute, they are delicious…satisfying without being too heavy. This is in part thanks to the meringue-base that makes up the domed outer pieces.

Though a predominantly French confection, their history is widely debated. However macarons arrived, today they are primarily characterized as two almond meringue discs filled with a layer of buttercream, jam, or ganache filling and the flavor combinations are endless.

My partner in crime for the “Macaron Experiment” was Caroline Vega, from Runs with Cupcakes. We followed the recipe (below) and steps from “I Love Macarons,” an awesome and somewhat easy-to-follow book. They’re tough to make, but fun…we had some epic failures, but some victories. Check out the video to see the making of the macarons. Enjoy!

Basic Macaron Batter
Courtesy I Love Macarons

2/3 cup ground almonds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 T granulated sugar (we used Caster Sugar)
1 t vanilla extract (we used Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Powder)

For the procedure, I strongly recommend getting the book or finding images online. Simply ingredients…complicated procedures.