Baking (4)

Apologies for the brief hiatus, I’ve been spending most of my free time in the kitchen lately. Fortunately, all that work paid off because I now have 3 more macaron recipes to share with you!

For those interested, below are the recipes I followed:
Cinnamon roll macarons
Chocolate peanut butter macarons
Mint chocolate macarons (cookie only)**
Pumpkin spice filling

**I actually used this recipe to make the pumpkin spice macarons because the 1:1:1:1 ratio of 100g dry ingredients works well for me. To modify for pumpkin spice, just swap out the green food coloring for orange and add 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients.

But because I live >5,000 ft, I had to make some additional modifications to all the recipes. The most important changes are:
-whip to soft/firm peaks, not stiff
-shorten resting time (or remove completely if using Swiss method)
-lower the oven temperature to 280F
-bake for ~24-26 min (rotate halfway but check every 1-2 min after 22 min)

Each recipe provided a slightly different challenge in regards to decoration, so it was fun to put that hat on and hone those skills along with the forever elusive macronage technique.

Though the pumpkin spice macarons were listed last, these were the first of the set I attempted. Because I wanted to bring them to a friend’s Halloween party, I practiced a number (~4) of batches until I was happy. The first batch came out okay, but were definitely under-mixed as they were slightly smaller (yet tall) and maintained their peaks, aka the jack o’lantern “nose.”

The second batch was so inedible (likely over-baked) that I didn’t bother filling them. Those pumpkins got tossed before they were even carved, also before any visual evidence could be collected. 😛

The third batch was a very close backup batch for the party, as they were delicious and somewhat ghoulish-looking. The feet had clearly spread out from under the shell, so they weren’t the prettiest. However, something about them worked after painting the faces on.

Still, it was very difficult to paint the faces without breaking through the cookie, because these were baked at too high a temperature and the shells had gone hollow. Ultimately, I decided to try again because I knew I was close to figuring out the formula. Though I’ll admit, part of me just felt like a woman possessed at this point.

Thankfully, it all clicked by the fourth batch a day before the party. All the modifications I made finally zeroed in on the right combination. My only gripe about this batch was the dull-orange color, but I will take that critique for macarons ANY DAY!

These bad boys were such a hit at the party!!

The cinnamon roll macarons were next and by this time, I was much more confident in my ability to macronage that I decided to up the ante and re-attempt a two-toned shell. I originally tried this with the mint chocolate macarons, but the two green shades didn’t pop as much as I’d hoped (I really have to work on my coloring skills). With renewed confidence, I set off to redeem myself.

The result?

These were the most delicious macarons I have ever made! I assumed it was because of the flavor profile, but my boyfriend thinks it’s attributed to my improvement as a baker over the many batches and recipes I’ve made. I guess we can say it’s a combination of both. 😊

That said, I can confirm that piping colors in a 2:1 ratio (cream:brown) is still very difficult. After struggle-busing it with rubber bands tied to each piping bag, I discovered these handy things that I have since used for frosting. They’re much easier to slip on and move alongside the piping bag, which helps minimize batter loss.

and no, I will not get paid for that, though I wish! 🤑

Cinnamon roll macaron with spiced cream cheese frosting

Finally, last night I tried a recipe for chocolate peanut butter macarons to satisfy a friend’s request. But really, I can’t believe it took me this long to get to that heavenly flavor combo.

I was feeling a little creative at this point, so I added extra peanut butter and a little espresso powder to the filling for increased depth. Though they were tempting to break into last night, I dutifully stored them in the fridge to mature and am counting down the minutes until it’s socially acceptable to label them “brunch” macarons and indulge!