Home sweet... Paris

I'm talking about Paris. It's a wild guess, but I think if you're reading this you probably already know I'm obsessed with France and especially its city of lights. And beautiful language. And marvelous food. And incredible architecture. Oh and shopping..
But moving on. For my birthday I received a book called I Love Macarons, which is basically a tribute to and guide to making and decorating those beautiful little cookies that are iconic Parisian treats. They were one of my favorite discoveries during my time abroad and I am sad that they really can't be found anywhere else. But before you gasp at their 2 euro price tag (each!), let me explain that they're not exactly a mix you can whip up in 10 minutes. Achieving the perfect texture of the meringue cookies and the creamy filling is no easy feat, and I'm still mystified at how Laduree and Pierre Herme, the two most famous macaron makers in the world, do it on such a large scale.

Before Julia left to return to school, she and I decided to undertake the daunting task of making our own macarons with the help of my new book. Let's just say that there are about six pages of instructions and steps that are so precise that we laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. But we followed it to the letter, and the end result was, frankly, INCREDIBLE! We achieved the "pied," or foot, on each of the meringue cookies that is so elusive and difficult to form - after reading blogs about making macarons I was doubtful we'd get it on the first try. When we assembled them, they looked like the real thing! Unbelievable. I do not advise, however, attempting this recipe if you have less than 3 hours to spare in your day - it will take that whole time!

I've recreated the recipe below, but if you want to seriously attempt making your own macarons with different flavors I'd suggest getting I Love Macarons or something similar. You want expert guidance - but hopefully my attempt is enough!

French Macarons

Vanilla meringue
Makes about 48 individual meringue cookies (for 24 complete macarons)

2/3 C (3 oz/85 g) ground almonds
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. Draw 1-inch diameter circles on the paper with a pencil, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. This will be your template for your cookies!
2. Grind almonds and powdered sugar together in a food processor to form a fine powder. Sift twice and set aside.
3. In a large bowl that is completely dry (any water in the bowl or beaters will mess up your meringue), beat egg whites on high until they are foamy. Gradually add sugar, then vanilla. Beat until meringue is stiff, firm and glossy.

4. Add half of the almond/sugar mixture and fold it into the meringue. Add the rest and mix in a circular motion.
5. When the flour is incorporated, press and spread out the batter against the side of the bowl. Scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. Repeat this 15 times (less will make the cookies dull looking, more will make them oily looking).
6. The batter is done when it is firm and drips slowly from the spatula.
7. Scoop batter into pastry bag fitte with an approximately 1/2 inch tip.
8. Make small circles of batter inside the circles on the parchment, filling them in completely.

9. Rap the baking sheet firmly against the counter once.
10. Dry the batter at room temperature, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. When the batter does not stick to your finger when you touch it, it is dry enough. Don't let them sit for more than about 30 minutes.
11. Stack the baking sheet on top of another sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating tray front to back halfway through. The cookies are done when they are dry to the touch on top and slightly crisp.
12. Remove and let cool on tray before transferring to wire rack. They're now ready to assemble!

Buttercream filling
Makes enough for one batch of macarons

7 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg
Vanilla extract

Directions: Cut butter into 1/4 inch slices and place in a bowl. Microwave for 10-15 seconds or until you can press your finger into the butter. Stir with a spatula until the butter has the consistency of mayonnaise.

Put water and sugar in a heat-resistant container and stir well. Microwave for 1 minute, stir until sugar dissolves, then microwave for another 4 minutes. Use oven mitts - the glass will be hot! The mixture should be a bubbling syrup. Beat the egg in a large bowl, then slowly stream in the syrup. Beat on medium until the mixture becomes white and heavy. Beat in the vanilla and butter in two or three additions. If you see bubbles or separation in the mixture, don't worry - just keep beating until it becomes creamy! Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks if needed, and make sure to beat until creamy when liquid separates.

I decided to add about 2 1/2 Tbsp of honey to the finished buttercream, but you can add the same amount of a jam, 1-2 Tbsp of rum or another liqueur, or even 3 Tbsp of fruit puree.

Assembling les macarons 
Spoon cream filling into a pastry bag fitted with a narrow tip. Squeeze a small dollop of filling onto the flat side of a meringue cookie, then press on another cookie with the flat side down. You want enough to raise the two cookies apart but not enough to gush out the sides. Next step? Let them sit! The texture isn't right until the filling and cookies have had a chance to set for a couple of hours. Trust me, the wait is much shorter than a plane ride to France - and much cheaper!