Vanilla Bean Macarons

Ah, the elusive macaron.  I have longed to make macarons for years now, but could never quite work up the courage.  They are notoriously finicky, and I hate wasting ingredients, not to mention it's a blow to the old self esteem to fail at a recipe.  Over the holidays, I had finally had enough looking at other bloggers' beautiful little cookies, and I set out to make them myself.  I spent a good amount of time reading tutorials and tips from others, then I gathered my ingredients, weighed everything out, and set to work.

And you know what?  They aren't terribly difficult!  I was super careful with each step, working slowly, and being as anal-retentive as I possibly could.  After I finally put them in the oven, I promptly sat myself down on the floor and watched them cook through the oven door.  And when I saw the little feet forming, I may or may not have gotten up and done a little dance (which both Caroline and Joey thought was quite hilarious).

They weren't perfect, and there are a few things I would do differently next time, but I was super excited to share them with my family at our big holiday gathering.  I kept it simple with the filling and went with chocolate ganache, but I'm already dreaming up all the possibilities for future batches.

Here are a few of the resources I used:
DemystifyingMacarons 
Confections of a Foodie Bride
Annie's Eats


One Year Ago:  Green Bean Bundles


Vanilla Bean Macarons
Use Real Butter, originally from Tartelette

• 110 g blanched almonds
• 200 g powdered sugar
• seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
• 50 g sugar
• 100 g egg whites (about 3 egg whites), aged a day at room temperature

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground.  Add the powdered sugar and pulse a few times to combine.

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds out using a paring knife.  Add the seeds to the granulated sugar and whisk to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to whip until a shiny, glossy meringue forms (but not dry).

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and add the almond mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, briskly and quickly fold the almond meal into the egg whites.  After a few brisk strokes, slow down and then gently incorporate the rest into the batter.You want a batter that flows and "ribbons" for at least 5 seconds.

Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.  Pipe the batter into 1 1/2-inch rounds, spacing them about 1-inch apart.

Whack the bakign sheets on the counter a few times, then allow to sit at room temperature 45 minutes-1 hour, or until a hard shell forms.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Bake the macarons 8-10 minutes, depending on size.  Allow to cool completely on the pan before using a small spatula to remove them.  Match the cookies according to size and pipe filling on half, using the other half to form a sandwich.


Chocolate Ganache Filling
adapted from The Pastry Queen

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• pinch salt
• 1-2 Tbs Jack Daniel's whiskey (optional)

Heat the cream and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  When the sugar is dissolved, add the butter, chocolate chips, and bittersweet chocolate and stir over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Stir in the salt.

Remove from heat and stir in the whiskey.  Whisking often, allow to cool to a pipe-able consistency.  Can also be refrigerated overnight to achieve the desired consistency.