return of the mac.

I’m not gonna lie – for a long time, I have feared the macaron. Not eating it – I love the things with all my sugary little heart – the light airy meringue-based “cookie” outside, and luscious rich creamy filling…and the colors! How can you not love a dessert that’s pastel! But making it…making macarons was something I’d never thought I’d be able to do. Especially without anyone ever teaching me directly.

But I’ve been getting braver in my old age, and having a classical pastry class in which we make meringue pretty much every single week, I started thinking, hmmm…maybe these lovely french gems are not so out of reach. So, I decided to embark on a marcaron-making journey. So, I bought a book.

mad macs: beyond thunderdome.

I highly recommend this book for its macaron facts, flavor suggestion combinations, and photos. However, I did not use the recipe. I decided to use the recipe in my text book from school instead (which had no macaron photos, but a very straightforward and easy-to-follow formula). Plus I’ve baked a ton of things from this book, so I knew it was reliable.

just the facts, ma'am.

My kitchen was a complete mess. My mixer was dirty. My food processor was dirty. At least 4 bowls were dirty. My shirt was dirty. But, sometimes you have to get down and dirty to win the fight.

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival.

I had done it. I had successfully created macarons. Now, since this was my first time, they of course can only get better. I piped them too big for starters – and I think I’d cut the sugar a bit next time around. But, overall, this was a baking victory. The underdog had defeated her #1 rival. Bring on the Russian.

just call me Rocky.