FAIL

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I was so excited to find the time to get back in the kitchen on yesterday’s bank holiday that it seemed like the perfect time to try a recipe or two from my macaron book.  With high hopes to produce something like these perfect specimens I began…

The recipe suggests you carefully measure out your ingredients before beginning – FAIL

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Ok, so the rose ones are a gonner (FAIL) but there’s still hope for the chocolate ones right?

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Hmm, not perfect but worth making a ganache (or so I thought).

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Non-stick greaseproof paper?  FAIL

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Beautiful don’t you think? And that was the best one. By far.

Have you ever tried/succeeded/failed to bake macarons?

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22 Comments

  1. Karen White
    8 May / 4:16 pm

    Hi Wendy

    I attempted macarons for the first time about ten days ago – not totally successful but maybe a little better than yours :o)
    See my photos on FB or Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/finlap/7120977271/in/photostream and http://www.flickr.com/photos/finlap/7119566115/in/photostream/
    May I ask which recipe book you are using? Mine is by Pierre Herme and for the most part it is very good, but I don’t like his ganache recipe – mine ended up in the bin! Also I’ve had to carefully read ingredients / instructions to make sure there are no discrepancies! For example in one recipe it lists 100g water – but nowhere is the water included in the mix. Nor should it be, if I’d added it my batter would have been runny enough to make pancakes, :o)
    Anyway, did you ‘age’ your egg whites? I’m reliably informed that it does make a difference. Also, greaseproof paper won’t be any good, you must use baking parchment. Pierre Herme’s recipes all use the italian meringue method – ie making a sugar syrup and pouring it, when at the required temperature, onto the partially whisked egg whites. Then fold this into the mixture of ground almonds, icing sugar and the other half of the egg whites. Don’t over mix.
    The italian meringue method is supposedly more stable than the french meringue method, which doesn’t involve sugar syrup.
    Hope this helps.

    Karen

    • Wendy
      8 May / 4:27 pm

      ‘not totally successful’??? Wow karen yours look AMAZING – I hang my head in shame 😉

      I will def get some baking parchment for the next go. Do you grease it? (Can you tell I have no idea what I’m doing?)

      Perhaps mine is the French recipe, no sugar syrup was involved. I suspect I should be leaving this to the pros though. Maybe I’ll try out some fruit scones or something instead…

      • Karen White
        8 May / 4:40 pm

        Don’t grease your baking parchment. The more you fold the mixture the runnier it will get (so I’m told), so the trick is knowing exactly when to stop, throw it into the piping bag and pipe your little round of lovely lusciousness 😮

        • Wendy
          8 May / 4:57 pm

          I certainly don’t need to be making mine any runnier! thanks karen,x

  2. Karen White
    8 May / 4:19 pm

    Btw, do get in touch if I can help, have to say, they are definitely worth making. Delicious.

  3. Dana
    8 May / 4:28 pm

    impressed with you for trying!

    • Wendy
      8 May / 4:33 pm

      aw, thanks dana! it’s the taking part that counts right?!

  4. 8 May / 9:01 pm

    oh gosh, at least you attempted! and it still looks scrumptious!!
    xo TJ

    • Wendy
      8 May / 9:10 pm

      well, they did still taste good…!x

  5. 8 May / 9:30 pm

    Haha this post make me giggle 🙂 you’re so cute! I’m actually planning on making macarons with my mom this summer (earl grey)…hopefully they turn out well!

    161cm.com

    joanne♥choi

    • Wendy
      8 May / 9:35 pm

      I think mine can be a lesson we can all learn from! Best of luck with yours, please do let me know how you get on!x

    • Wendy
      9 May / 8:57 am

      sounds like a much better idea!x

  6. claire colville
    9 May / 10:12 am

    Reading your post this morning Wendy made me giggle, as it reminds me of a similar disaster I had a few years ago. My friends had asked me to bake something to serve as a dessert at their wedding (no pressure then!) So I thought chocolate macarons would be perfect….except mine turned out looking more like joke chocolate turds! Luckily I was saved by my Delia fairy godmother who had another dessert receipe on hand. I agree they are much better to eat & are a great excuse for a trip to Paris or Harrods!

    • Wendy
      9 May / 2:11 pm

      Claire, you’ve had us all laughing this morning at work when we read your comment!

  7. 9 May / 10:42 am

    Haha, yay someone else who can cook – who can’t macaroons! Also recommend the Delia recipe, or La Duree’s very own – v good and fool proof (after attempt 3) xx

    South Molton St Style

    • Wendy
      9 May / 2:12 pm

      oh dear, attempt 3? I may have another go but no sure my ego can last to 3!x

  8. 10 May / 2:51 am

    They look quite good for a first time! I couldn’t pull that of like you did I think!

    • Wendy
      10 May / 8:27 am

      Thanks but that truly was the only one which I even managed to sandwich together, the others got a smear of ganache and went straight from the scraper into mouth!x

  9. 10 May / 8:38 pm

    Sweety kudos for trying! I’ve always wanted to try as well but for some reason I was disheartened because of the level of difficulty! You’ve done a great job and next time I’m sure they’re gonna look exactly like the real thing! 🙂

    Kiss kiss

    • Wendy
      10 May / 9:34 pm

      I think I knew they would be hard but didn’t anticipate them turning out so bad! I will try again though…

  10. 16 Feb / 11:41 pm

    British Bake Off eat your heart out 😉 xxx

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