French Macarons

I have noticed a new dessert trend and obsession recently with French Macarons. They seem to be a hit when it come to mini treats. Up until about 2 years ago, I don't think I even knew what they were until I visited a friend in SF and we went wine tasting in Napa. She told me that we HAD to go to Bouchon and get French Macarons because they were to die for! I was pictures in my mom coconut Macarons which I love but when we got to the shop I was in for a surprise.

Macarons come in all different flavors and colors as I have come to admire them on Pinterest. They look beautiful on dessert table displays as I had seen at some bridal shows I went to. In preparation for my own wedding, I decided to take a class and learn how to make them.

If you have a Sur La Table (S.L.T as I will reference in this post) store in your neck of the wood, I highly suggest looking up some of their cooking classes. Not all locations do them but they have a lot of cooking and baking classes to choose from. So I signed up for this class and went last sunday. The chef that was teaching said he was new to S.L.T. but had been in the industry for 5+ years. We were divided up into 4 groups but we had to share the wet ingredients between 2 teams and long story short, no ones Macarons turned out. They were too runny and they didn't cook them long enough so they were breaking when we took them of the pan. Bummer.

In my group, I was talking with 2 ladies (mother and daughter) who took the class after many failed attempts at home. I learned a little bit more through their trials and errors as well. So I left the class with my recipes feeling a little perplexed about the class, but I guess I at least got 10% off the shop.

So I prepared myself to make them on my own at home the following weekend to make sure I didn't forget what I had learned. I followed the recipe to a T and then some and sure enough...IT WORKED! I guess the class wasn't a total lost cause then!

Piped batter on the pans

The recipe said that you have to let them dry on the pan for about 15-20 minutes to let them crust over and when you lightly touch them they shouldn't stick to your figure. I ended up letting them sit for about an hour and they still stuck to my figure but I put them in anyways...

Hot out the oven!

... and they seemed to turn out fine. A couple of them didn't but thats ok...they still tasted yummy.

The Finished Product! 

I was super proud of how these came out and now I am ready to get even more creative with colors and flavors! I decided to stick to the basics the first time though in the trial run.

Chocolate Ganache Filling French Macaroons

French Macarons

Since my batch made about 5 dozen "tiny hamburgers" as my fiance called them - LOL - I packaged some up and gave them to friends to enjoy! I have a wedding dress to fit in after all ;)

Packaged and Ready to Go!

The best thing about these treats that I didn't know is that they are Gluten-Free! They are made with Almond Flour! Super cool! Thanks for reading!

If you would like to order some, they are $15/dozen, minimum 2 dozen per order.