Everyone is now wondering if a single cookie really warrants a three-post discussion, right?
Well if you've ever had trouble baking these cookies you'll understand why this is getting long. There are forums with huge bloated threads devoted to discussing macarons (B%&*&ing too, naturally). Don't worry though, this will be the last full post I devote to rambling on about Italian Meringue.
Besides my kitchen is an utter disaster today and I need to spend time restoring order, not adding to the disorder by baking.
So, I'm just going to write today. That's right, I'm going to blog on my blog (heaven forbid!). For the macaron non-fanatics, feel free to disregard this post. I'll get back to the normal routine on Monday.
To start I'm going to take a moment to ask a question that hounded me when I first started baking macarons:
Why can't I find photos of the interiors of macarons online?!
You can fine page after page of gorgeous macarons online, yet rarely do you see photos of the cookies interior. At best you get a single half-nom'd shell.
Of course now that I've been baking these cookies for a while I'm beginning to understand why this is.
Posting photos of the inside of your macarons
is a little like removing your perfect black dress.
You might end up revealing your Spanx.
is a little like removing your perfect black dress.
You might end up revealing your Spanx.
You can make macarons that look perfect in every way, with the exception of the interior. They can have lovely feet, rounded domes that disguise the horror on the inside.
I really feel this is the hardest thing to master when executing the Italian meringue macarons. All else considered they are pretty forgiving. You can do everything else with precision only to have your results blighted by your oven. As another blogger put it: "My oven is where macarons come to die."
Attaining the correct texture and interior requires getting a really good feel for your oven. Every oven is a little different, they all have their quirks and idiosyncrasies. That is why it can be very tough to advise others on how to properly bake a macaron, since you don't share the same oven.
Now you're probably thinking to yourself, 'Ms. Humble, you don't post the insides of your cookies either!" This is correct, I don't often post the shells cut in half or bit into, simply because it isn't all that attractive to photograph (look there is a smear of Ms. Humble's drool! Lovely!). However, I've realized that I am now part of the problem. Don't worry, I'm not going to try to hide behind spanx for this post.
So I threw a couple of my cassis-fail mac's into the freezer last night, so I could cut them without squishing them. You see, biting into the mac, or cutting it while it is soft will hide most minor air pockets. Also, maturing the macarons also improves the interior and can make the pockets less obvious.
However I, for the sake of full macaron disclosure, am going to freeze and then splay them open. No crushing, no maturation (butter cream needs ~72 hours) nothing that might help obscure any flaws.
There you have it.
Yes, there are some small pockets of air in them. I even placed the biggest offender smack dab in the center of the shot. BAM!
I've never seen another macaron shot like this online and I would love to.
The stark, unforgiving nakedness of this cut lets you know a lot about the cookie. In the quest for the perfect Italian meringue macaron, I want to know what works and what doesn't. However it is pretty hard to determine if a recipe works if the baker is bashful about the interiors of their cookies.
And no, those bitten into cookies don't tell me much either.
This mac had a good sized bubble, but you can't tell after it has been bitten into crushing the air pocket.
I'd love, love, love to see some of the macaron pros out there take their cookies and LET ME SEE INSIDE! Please! I've never been disciplined enough to actually buy macarons from a good bakery, bring them home, freeze them and then cut into them.
Actually...
Know what, when I am in London in a few weeks, I'm going to buy some of Pierre Hermé's Macarons at Selfridges and take them home and dissect them. It is my scientific baker duty.
To folks who produce Italian meringue macarons with the height of mine and no air bubbles: Please tell me, what are you doing?
I can make air pocket-devoid macs if I lean towards over mixing the batter and cook them at a relatively high temperature. However it is basically a cheat, as I'm using the density of the over mixed batter. I want tight feet, high profiles and moist fluffy insides.
To those who have achieved good results but have not quite gotten the right interior this is my amateur advice to you:
Learn your oven.
You can do this with as little as one batch of good macaron batter.
This is where Italian Meringue is great for beginners. The batter once inside the piping bag is fairly stable. You can pipe a small set of shells. Bake them, test them and repeat. Increasing or decreasing your oven temperature and baking times as needed until you find that sweet spot. I've done this for two hours without my batter suffering.
Practice does make perfect.
I'm going to go restore order to my kitchen now. Hope everyone out there has a great weekend.
Cheers,
Ms. H
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