Macaron Tea Party with Macaron Enthusiast Clara Lee

25 Nov 09 (Wed)

Menu
- Chocolate Macarons
- Rose Macarons with Lychee Filling
- Pandan Coconut Macarons with Kaya Filling

With Recipes also given for:
- Pistachio Macarons
- Caramel Fleur de Sel Macarons
- Vanilla Chai Macarons

Have any of you ever had trouble with making macarons?

Not able to get your head around perfecting it? Many of the participants at our Macaron Tea Party class had similar woes and boy were we determined to get our Macaron manufacturing right! Enter Clara, a macaron enthusiast in her own right – she dreams about new flavours and combinations of Macarons in her sleep and was very excited to share them with us! All of her recipes are her own and through much trial and error have become crowd favourites at her own house-parties.

Watching Clara go through the steps of macaron-making and you become inspired – it’s really simple! So simple that I myself have turned into a Macaron Making Monster (with 4 tubs of macaron shells in the fridge waiting to be filled at any one time)

Clara shared with us that once you get the basic recipe and watch out for key things during the process and you’ll be on your way to becoming a Macaron Making Master for sure!

First step’s first, get all your equipment ready, and here’s what you’ll need:

Thick-based baking trays
Baking Paper
Large Piping Bag (Disposable ones are handy)
Piping Tip (1 cm tip for 3-4cm sized macarons, 3cm tip for 5-6cm sized macarons)
Standing Electric Mixer/ Handheld Electric Mixer
Food Processor
Mixing Bowls
Spoons
Spatula
Measuring Spoons and Cups
Digital Weighing Scale (for the most accurate measurement of weights!)

Macaron shells are made up of icing sugar (has to be pure icing sugar, you may purchase SIS) and almond flour/meal, egg white and caster sugar. Now there are some things that we’ll need to take note of re the ingredients

Icing Sugar – Pure icing sugar must be used to make macarons. Often icing sugar sold in the market is mixed with corn starch and corn starch will not help your macaron shells turn out the way you want it too. SIS is a good brand to buy – it is pure icing sugar. Other brands like Taikoo and Phoon Huat have corn starch in them – they resulted in my macarons having craters.

Almond Flour/Meal – These are available in large packs at Phoon Huat under their Red Man brand but I cheat by purchasing the Extra Finely Ground Almond Meal and you can do away with the step of food processing the icing sugar and almond meal together.

Egg white – Macarons require the egg whites to be aged but the time taken to age egg whites (usually at room temp and overnight) can be reduced to seconds by simply placing the egg whites in the microwave on High for 10 seconds! Thanks to Clara’s time saving tips!

Sugar – use caster sugar because it’s of a finer texture ideal for mixing into batter

Step 1
Process Icing Sugar and Almond Flour in a food processor.


Step 2
Place aged egg white in a mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks form (meringue), adding sugar during the process in two parts.


Step 3
Fold in dry ingredients into the meringue in two parts (if adding any colouring, add before the 2^nd addition of dry ingredients). Fold in a manner remembering to scrape the side and the bottom to incorporate all the dry ingredients. This process is called by macaron experts – the Macaronage and has to be done with haste.

Step 4
After the 2^nd addition of dry ingredients, mix until a lava-like consistency is achieved. Lifting the batter up and over the mixing bowl, the batter drops back into the bowl with a bit of a stretch and not too quickly.

Step 5
Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with tip in place and then start to pipe away!


Clara showed us how to pipe the macarons and her mantra is push, twist and flick!

Step 6
It’s time to whack the baking trays to flatten the piped-out macarons and give them a better chance of having ‘feet’ – feet are the base of the macaron that gives it stability and the mark of a good macaron. Whack the baking tray on a cloth on the table while holding on to the corners of the baking paper on all four sides of the baking tray. Pop into the oven and watch them bake!

Here are the Chocolate Macarons – Baking in Progress

                                                                  Look at those feet!


Chocolate and Rose Macaron Shells fresh out of the oven!

Our Macarons after filling them – Clara even made some Heart Shaped ones! Genius!


We paired our Macarons with tea from BonTea and coffee from Nespresso! What a treat!

We’ll be having 1 more Macaron Tea Party coming up on 2 Feb ‘10 (Tue) 7-9pm for the CNY Festive season where we will learn how to make CNY-inspired flavoured macarons such as Black Sesame Macarons, Yam Macarons, Matcha Green Tea Macarons with Red Bean Filling, Peanut Macarons, Mandarin Orange Macarons and Coconut Macarons with Pineapple Filling!

Each Macaron Tea Party will feature 3 recipes demonstrated and remaining 3 recipes will also be given to all participants.

More details can be found on www.tangs.com.sg/thekitchen and you can sign up at TANGS Customer Service Counters, TANGS Orchard, L2 or TANGS VivoCity, L1, at least 2 days before the class date.