Macaron Class From An "Expert"

In September I took a macaron class at a certain upscale kitchen store that shall not be named. The class was a generous and lovely birthday gift from my generous and lovely friend Linda. I was so excited about the class that I told Jenny about it and she too wanted to attend. She even brought her mother-in-law along.

The class description promised to teach “fail safe” methods for making perfect macarons every time.  Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It is.

When we arrived to the class, we all took a seat and received a crisp white apron and an info packet containing an overview of mac making, the class recipes and some traceable macaron patterns. In order to make all of the macarons that had been promised in the class description (Lavender with white chocolate ganache! Chocolate with chocolate ganache! Lemon! Coconut!), we broke up into five groups of four and then…basically read how to make macarons off a sheet and then did it ourselves with the occasional help from one of the assistants.  In other words, we read a recipe and then made it. In more smug terms, if Jenny and I didn’t already know how to make macarons, we would have been lost. There were no little tips and tricks offered, just the basic details--definitely not fail-safe information.

This is the only picture I took. It's too bad I didn't document the final results.

We chose to make the lavender macarons with the white chocolate ganache, which sounded like a possibly nice, subtle combination. We had our shells piped and ready before any other group and so our macs were the first into the oven. Thank goodness because there were only two small ovens going and most of the other groups macarons set out too long before making it into the oven.  This seems like something they could have managed better, especially considering that this is one of their more popular classes.

Every group also made a different filling and it seems that there was not enough time allowed for the ganaches to set up before it came time to sandwich up our selection of misfit macaron shells. Again, something a popular class should have figured out by now.

Our shells were not bad in terms of the form, but they tasted like nasty, bitter soap. Maybe the instructor was washing out our mouths in advance because he knew we would have some dirty, dirty things to say following this expensive class. Whatever the reason, the recommended amount of lavender was way too high to make an edible cookie. And for the record, I actually enjoy lavender-flavored sweets. Many of the other groups’ cookies were cracked, under baked, or over baked, but we were given cheap little paper plates to take around so that we could make some little Frankenstein cookie samples to take home. Have you ever tried to fill a sandwich cookie with runny ganache? It’s not pretty. 

And the greediest part of all? After extorting a large fee for this class that would given me a macaron-baking phobia had I not already known what I was doing, the assistants made us turn in our aprons at the end of class. Really, Overpriced Cooking Store? You couldn’t spare the aprons?

On the bright side, it wasn’t a total loss because it was still a fun way to spend the morning with friends, and I guess that’s what I will remember most about it.

- Jenn

Back in Le Saddle

Jenny did such a great job describing our most recent baking adventure. We were both pretty flummoxed by the whole experience and we knew we had to jump right back in the saddle. The following Saturday found us each baking up another batch of persnickety macarons in our own kitchens. Interestingly enough, we both chose to make them in a vibrant, come-hither shade of pink.

Hot pink bakes into a beautiful rose shade. 

Less garish now, no?

These macs turned out great and I got to share them with my brother and his family who seemed to like them. (Though I think my nieces were much more interested in the fillings.) I know Jenny's macs were also a success, and confidence was restored in the kingdom. So much so, that I finally busted out my grinder and made some pistachio macarons. I think I should have gone a little easier on the green coloring, but they look pretty nice with their golden yellow friends.

Too green?

On second thought, maybe I'll make up another batch for St. Patrick's Day. I promise not to fill them with corned beef or cabbage.

- Jenn

Sweet Sunday!

That's what my family used to exclaim when we landed on the Sweet Sunday spot while playing the board game Pay Day. It was our attempt to make that boring spot more fun. The first person to say it won bragging rights, but not much else. Somehow, it worked.

I tried to turn our crazy weekend weather into a Sweet Sunday of my own.

Hail...in San Diego!

Sweet Sunday:

Orange-flavored macarons

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

- Jenn

My name is Jenny and I messed up a batch of cookies today

So I thought since I didn't have much yard work to do today, that I would attempt a batch of macarons using the almond flour that I made myself in a burr grinder.  Almond flour is mad expensive ($13 for 8-12 ounces), so I thought, why not get some slivered almonds at $5.99/lb and try to make the flour myself?  Well, it worked, the flour turned out perfect so off to make macarons I went. 

If you have never made macarons before, there are very few ingredients, but the utmost care must be taken with each of them.  The almond flour and powdered sugar must be sifted about 2 or 3 times, the egg whites have to be beaten not too stiff- whoops. 

The macaron batter I thought was perfect -John got to pick the color today

As soon as I piped them onto the cookie sheet, I thought they looked a bit extra pointy, but then I thought, "whatever, they will turn out perfect, they always do."  Ugh, was I ever wrong.



First indication we had a problem:  cookies were VERY pointy prior to baking

Then, when the timer went off, I ran to get them out of the over and discovered that I had not made beautiful little cookies today, I made blue gnome hats.

But they still have little feet!!  Small victories.

Oh well, I over whipped the crap out of the egg whites and this is what happens.  I always think, "Oh just a minute more, no big deal."  Well today people, it was a big deal, my cookies turned out like crap.  You win some, you lose some.  In my husband's case, I make 'em, he eats them.  It's all the same to him.

-Jenny

Edit- I thought about this all last night and have since realized that it was the egg whites that were over whipped, it was the batter that was under mixed.  I had forgotten everything Jenn taught me, the batter should fold back on itself like ribbons and be very pliable.  I undermixed!  Dangit.  And yes, I sometimes stay up nights trying to figure out why stuff doesn't work.  You're lying if you say you don't.

The joy of Christmas and job hunting, Second Edition

Hello all!  I am the second Jen in this new adventure called "The Strawberry Tree" blog.  Jenn and I decided to share our collective love of cooking and other random things with the world, or at least the each other since we are the only ones reading this right now....

Cooking is my prozac, I can't say it any simpler than that.  It nourishes my soul and makes me a good person.  Whenever I am down, anxious, excited, bored or any other emotion really, I cook.  I cook so I can give it away mostly because there is no way in hell my husband and I could eat everything I make and not become obese.  And the dog is not immune either, I like to bake him doggy friendly treats as well, which he normally turns his nose up at and they go to his very appreciative doggy friends, Weezy and Sampson.  He's kind of a jerk. Back to Jenn and I.....

We have recently discovered the joys of "macaron days" in which she taught me how to make the most sublime little cookie I had ever tasted!  They are tricky little buggers, but after our first day, we were most successful:

When you can make something like this, who cares if you don't have a job, right?

-Jenny