On a sailing trip in the Arabian Sea on Holi,my friend decided to share a special treat with us. Fresh from Zurich,a batch of mini chocolate macarons or Luxemburgerli made by Confiserie Sprungli. Barring the beautiful bubble packaging they looked no different than all the other pretty looking macaroons you see all around us in a riot of colors and flavours. I knew the moment that the bite sized macaron popped in my mouth that it was different. It was a medley of textures,hitting the right note and making sweet music while melting in my mouth making me lust for more,much like the Lays Ad " No one can eat just one"! I hadn't expected such magic in my taste buds as the macarons I have eaten in the past in India have looked divine but have either been too crunchy ,chewy or sugary. This one was the perfect balance .It was firm when you picked it up ,had a crunch but yet was moist so it melted in your mouth. The closest I have seen a decent macaron in India might be at The Oberoi New Delhi,Le Opera in Delhi or Le 15 in Mumbai. If you are in Paris then do stop by Laduree which has been known for its macarons for over 150 years. Some of the flavours that I have found available in the market are Chocolate,Pistachio,Mocha,Sea Salt ,Hazelnut ,Passion-fruit,Rose,Lemon,Raspberry,Strawberry. So,What is a macaron and what makes it perfect? A macaron is a meringue based confectionery and is commonly filled with ganache,buttercream or jam sandwiched between two cookies. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth. Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the macaroon (which is a type of light,baked confection,described as either small cakes or meringue like cookies depending on their consistency),many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language. After cajoling a chef friend of mine she decided to share her secret and her recipe that I am sharing exclusively for the readers of indianexpress.com. Tips on making the perfect macaron: Making a good meringue since that forms the base. Getting the right mix of the dry ingredients into the meringue. If it isnt folded properly the macarons will collapse in the oven and will not rise properly. Baking them at the right temperature so that the inside remains soft and chewy and the outside remains crisp To make it in a cool and low humidity place,since moisture won't let the egg white rise. Keep all ingredients ready,so that no time is wasted once the egg whites are whipped RECIPE-: 1 cup confectioners sugar 3/4 cup almond flour 2 large egg whites,room temperature Pinch of cream of tartar 1/4 cup icing sugar 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam or any other filling of your choice Confectioners sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar,and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low,then add icing sugar. Increase speed to high,and whisk until stiff peaks form ( take care not to over-whip). If youre going to add color,add it towards the end of whipping the whites. Sift flour mixture over whites,and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny. The amount of folding is crucial. Fold too little,and your macaron shells will have peaks instead of nice rounded caps. Fold too much,and your meringue will drip into a mess of wafer-thin blobs. You can test a daub on a plate,and if a small beak remains,turn the batter a couple times more. If the batter forms a round cap but doesnt run,it is just right. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. (You can pipe 1-inch to 2-inch rounds,but you will need to add cooking time). Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes While theyre resting,preheat oven to 375 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time,rotating halfway through,until macarons are crisp and firm,about 10 minutes. After each batch,increase oven temperature to 375 degrees,heat for 5 minutes,then reduce to 325 degrees. Every oven is different,so you may need to play with your oven temperature. The tops of the macaron shells should not brown. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes,then transfer to a wire rack. Sandwich 2 same-size with 1 teaspoon jam or the filling of your choice. Serve immediately,or wrap in plastic,and freeze for up to 3 months. It takes only 30 minutes out of the freezer for macarons to be ready to serve. This recipe takes a little bit of practice but once you get used to it and to the folding mechanism the results are wonderful. Macarons is fast becoming a regular fare for high tea events in India though it will take a while before it upstages the humble rusks and cookies from our routine. Try one,I am sure you will like it.
