Roses are red,
but violets are actually purple.
Making French macarons,
has really been a hurdle.
They’re not perfect yet,
but soon they will be,
and then I’ll invite you
for afternoon tea (daaaaaaaahling).
I am thrilled to tell you guys that on attempt number 7, Heavenly Housewife made her first batch of successful French macarons … sort of. They look great but they all seemed to have a big hollow centre on the inside of the shells. If anyone has any advice to prevent this, please share it with me.
But you know what? I am kinda over the moon if truth be told. This is the first time that not only did my macarons not become discoloured by the heat of the oven, but they also came off the paper quite nicely. After 18 wasted eggs, 1200 grams of sugar, and 660 grams of ground almonds, I have finally made something that I would not be ashamed to enter as my submission to Mactweets. You just wait and see. Before you know it, Laduree are going to want to recruit me. Of course though, I am going to have to turn them down, as I loathe work. Moi retired around 25, and I have no intention of returning to such odious pursuits *shudder*!
So, what was the key to cracking the code? Well, I read on someone’s blog, that after many attempts they realised that all ovens were different. The key is in knowing your oven, and adjusting the temperatures and the location of the macarons within the oven accordingly. So, in my case, instead of baking the macarons at 135C for 15 minutes, I changed it to 120 degrees for about 20 minutes. I also placed my macaron tray on the lowest oven shelf and covered them with some aluminium foil for the majority of the baking time to prevent discolouration. And it worked!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!
As for the buttercream recipe which was part of the Mactweets challenge, well, that was… problematic. To make a long story short though, I had to use an alternative recipe, one which did not involve the whipping of egg whites over a double boiler. Doesn’t that just sound like trouble? Here was the recipe I used. I was pretty happy with the results. Texture wise it held itself really nicely when sandwiched between the macarons, and it was also very easy to pipe.
White Chocolate Buttercream with Vanilla Seeds
Ingredients:
1 stick (113g) unsalted butter at room temperature
6 ounces of white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean
Directions:
Beat the butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Add in the melted white chocolate. Once incorporated, add the sugar and the contents of the vanilla pod. Remember to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl for an even mixture. Continue until you are left with a light and fluffy buttercream.
P.S. Mr P says many thanks to all of you for the lovely birthday wishes! He loves a bit of attention 
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