Baking French Macaron

Preparing the Merengue mix
1. Using the mixer, mix the egg white and caster sugar for 10 minutes slowly adding parts of the sugar every few minutes (I divide it by 4 batches with 2 mins interval per batch)
2. Mix the Vanilla syrup, the food color for the remaining minutes until stiff enough to turn the bowl upside down

After my son's birthday, I get the sense that I impress some of my friends with my newly found baking skills. And this is despite me not giving much attention to the taste because my focus is really the looks. I guess you can say that I'm lucky to have found good recipes online because most of my friends were requesting me to do more and affirming I'm gifted with this (must also be because I'm just giving it away). 

I received a special request to bake French Macarons. Although I haven't even tasted one. After I saw how cute and  adorable they are online, I told myself it shouldn't be that difficult, after all, I am now an experience baker. It was on my 4th attempt that I retreated and told myself I shouldn't have said yes in the first place.

What makes it difficult to make French Macarons?
1. Meticulous process
2. Despite following the meticulous process, a  lot of things could still go wrong on the appearance

How to do it?
A Prepare the Merengue mix
B. Prepare the Powder mix
C. Combine the powder to the merengue mix
D. Pipe the mix on your trays with baking sheet
E. Bang the tray on the floor until you get the perfect shape
F. Bake for 15 minutes

Sounds easy? We'll let's get into the real details

4 egg whites, 1/3 cup caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla syrup and food color

Can be turned upside down with out the mixture spilling over

Preparing and mixing the Powder mix 
1. Sift almond meal 2x and icing sugar 1x
2. Add pinch of salt
3. Combine the powder to the merengue. Using a spatula, mix up to 40-50 folds until the mixture is soft but not runny (slowly ooze back down when spatula is raised up)

1 cup and 3 tsp almond meal, 1 and 1/2 cup icing sugar, pinch of salt

Combine the powder to the merengue

slowly ooze back down when spatula is raised up

Finishing
1. Put the mixture into a piping bag and whip into a clean baking sheet. Gently pipe making a small circle then pull the tip into a circular motion while pulling away 
2. Bang the tray hard on the floor on all directions until the mix flattens into a nice circle shape
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 150 degrees. 
4. Check every now and then as cooking time could vary specially if you put food color
5. Good indication would be when the macarons is coming off the baking sheet without force
Reference:https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/easy-macaron-macaroon-recipe/

Before banging the tray on the floor

After banging the tray on the floor

6. Spread you desired filling. Mine was white chocolate ganache which you can easily make by combing melted white chocolate and heavy cream. Reference: http://www.chow.com/recipes/28649-basic-chocolate-ganache

Should be crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside

Troubleshooting
LUMPY - Mixture is undermix
FLAT - Over-mix or too runny
CRACKED - Tray was not bang hard enough
 BASE STICKS - Undercook, remove from the oven too early