My First French Macarons - Success!

I was inspired to bake the famous French Macaron when my friend told me how hard it was to make them. This was my first challenge of the year so I read about some tips on how to make them from different sites. I also watched two Youtube videos demonstrating the steps and I combined what I learned plus I found out my own tips to share with you guys. But, first of all, I wanted to share the recipe I found from howtocookthat.net. To tell you, I only choose recipes with 5-star rating and this one is definitely worth-keeping! Click here to view the complete recipe.

I honestly had a hard time looking for the ingredients because I thought I'd easily find them in store. When I searched for the words "caster" and "pure icing" only did I realize I already have them at home. LOL. You only need four major ingredients to make a macaron:

1) Caster Sugar - I also read they use the term "castor". I was surprised to learn that this is the sugar I have at home - granulated cane sugar. Only this should be extra fine, almost powdery. I do not have the time to buy so I just used our blender to grate/blend/chop it. Though I saw some stores actually offer "Extra Fine Granulate Cane Sugar". Anyway, I just pressed whatever button just to cut it in smaller/finer pieces.

2) Icing Sugar - So this one is also known as powdered or confectioner's sugar! Funny I even asked the store employee if they have such and she said she doesn't have any idea.
3) Almond Meal or Flour - Almost hard to find! They don't have one at Target, Walmart and Safeway. Good thing I went to Weis and found only one brand (Bob's Red Mill Finely Ground Almond Meal/Flour) and it's gluten-free. It's the most expensive flour I've seen! I think I bought a pound for $17.99 and that's excluding tax. Now I know why macarons are expensive as they say. Friends say it costs $3 in the US and Php 60 in the Philippines.
4) Eggs - Needed at room temperature, the older the better.
5) Salt
* Gel Food Coloring - You can use any color you like! Isn't that wonderful? But you better be careful because if you need deeper shades, it might affect the batter's consistency.

Use non-stick flat parchment paper.

 

Let it sit for at least an hour.

The first batch I baked was good for a first-timer.

I still have to work on a few breaks in my foot.

The browning is normal because if not, it's going to stick in the paper. Watch them carefully even before it's done because every minute is crucial to these sensitive cookies!

The next batch, I almost burnt them, isn't that weird? It's because I used the same pans I put in the oven the first time. It didn't have time to totally cool off. So do not do that.

For more tips, head over to joyofbaking.com and howtocookthat.net

French macarons they say are the hardest cookies to bake. For me, they're just sensitive and it's lengthly especially if you don't have a good stand-alone mixer. Imagine I only used a hand-mixer, I already finished an episode of Charmed and I am still not done mixing! These times I wish I had a Kitchen-Aid mixer or at least borrowed one.

Anyway, until my next try of these cookies! I'd like to make red and black. :)

DISCLAIMER

I was not compensated in any way to do a review of the product/s or service/s mentioned above. Everything was based on my 100% honest opinion.

Where To Get Free Recipes This Baking Season

I have been baking for awhile and I can't get recipes I can keep until I tried Domino Sugar's website. I just thought of checking the websites of the brands I use and I was stuck in there. They have a lot of recipes to share. You can even subscribe to they're newsletter called the Baker's Circle where you can choose to receive recipes, promotions and just about anything related to their brand and of course, baking!

 

So, having all the ingredients at hand, except for the 4th piece of very ripe banana, I was able to finally bake some Banana Nut Bread with the help of my 2-yr old! The recipe, which I linked but would not put here because it's not really mine, is easy to make and follow. It's just that it was meant for a banana loaf, not muffins so I kind of over-cooked it for a few minutes, maybe 5-7minutes. It could have turned more moist but still, they were acceptable. I already liked how it tasted even with one banana missing. It's not that sweet and definitely not dry. I am going to use them again to bring in our Christmas party. Then, I will make sure to

1) Bake it at a lesser time
2) Use the right number of bananas
3) And last but not the least, add more walnuts!

 

 

Just last week, I got an email from Domino Sugar's Baker's Circle showcasing some holiday treats! I am so excited to try them!

DISCLOSURE

I was given a coupon for a free pack of Domino Sugar product. I was not required to do anything in return, this post was made in my own discretion. Everything was based on my 100% honest opinion.

Baking Tip 1

I started baking just a few months ago because I wanted to learn how to make fondant-covered cakes. It's not that hard to do it from scratch as long as you follow the directions in the recipe carefully. And it's not as boring as I thought it is.

I do have the recipe for this blueberry cake but it's not mine and I didn't get the permission to post it yet. I will sure do in my next posts. And hopefully in time, I can make my own recipe. Oh, this excites me the more. I am not an expert (yet) but every time I bake, I learn something to improve on the next time.

The first tip I am going to share is:
USE ONLY THE BEST INGREDIENTS.

Yes, the  ingredients matter, a lottt. I only use the brands I trust starting with sugar. Domino for me offers the quality I need to bake better. I need not sift it, I need not check whether there are tiny black things in it, it's so white it looked like it was bleached. But of course, it wasn't. ;)

Blueberry Cake Prep

I followed the directions carefully, measuring each ingredient perfectly and I sure did not overdo mixing. My very first blueberry cake was great! It was moist with just the right sweetness. I hope I can share a slice just so you can see for yourself. ;)

Yes, I started baking and you know what the worst thing is? I forgot to take a picture of the cake itself. LOL! I already covered it with fondant and you can check it our in my next post. ;)

DISCLAIMER I was not compensated in anyway to do a review of the products or services mentioned this post.  Everything was based on my 100% honest opinion.