One of the benefits of starting this little blog 3 years ago is learning to make many things I'd otherwise buy. I've discovered lots of great recipes and I'm constantly craving something I've made before and itching to get in the kitchen to make it again.
Learning to make macarons has been one of the more memorable challenges. It's not necessarily hard but a little unpredictable. The learning process was a drawn-out one of trial and error (with a change in oven thrown in the midst) and to this day, I never know how a batch will turn out. But, ironically enough, doing this blog has loosened me up a lot in the last few years. I don't stress about things turning out perfectly (because they don't and you need to do things for the joy of it) though I'm obviously hopeful for a tasty outcome. And with macarons, every time we spend $2.50-$3.00 buying one of them, I think to myself: I've got to make a batch so I don't get rusty!
I won't be so silly as to compare my homemade macarons with the ones at the pastry shop but boy, you save so much money making them yourself - and a girl has to be practical sometimes! Honestly, they taste great even if they don't turn out with perfect feet or in one uniform size.
At home, I stick with the basics (chocolate, coffee, pistachio, etc.) and this time, I decided to make "plain" vanilla bean macarons with my default filling, chocolate ganache. I attempted to fill some with strawberry preserves (and really, the almond-vanilla macaron shells are great to fill with just about any flavors you like) but I found it too thin as a macaron filling. It's curious because I've often seen fruit jams as an option for macaron filling but I'm starting to think you'd need to reduce/thicken it a bit first, or stir it into some white chocolate ganache. My mind always reverts to chocolate.
Macarons always make me think of Ladurée, the Parisian house where it all started. About 2 years ago, a Ladurée boutique opened in midtown Manhattan and earlier this year, another opened in Soho. This location in Soho is not only a boutique but also a tea salon/restaurant. Needless to say, I've been wanting to go and my fellas and I finally had a lovely breakfast there recently.
Living in New Jersey, we try to hop into Manhattan some weekends to do a little exploring and eating. On this recent weekend morning, I had to be in the city for another appointment and having a quiet, early breakfast at Ladurée sounded like a great option since that rather-rambunctious 9-year old of ours would be in attendance. We had tea, hot chocolate, croissants, breads, and dessert! We had a lot to cover on my first sit-down visit. And my, I had a lovely time - a better time than I expected, actually. Ladurée is a place that is somehow at once both whimsical and sophisticated. I loved the ambiance and their signature color palette of pastels. If I could convince someone to sell me those plates and cups, I would be in heaven.
The visit to Ladurée definitely encouraged me to go home and "whip up" a batch macarons for myself.
