The Road to El Dorado
Macarons seem little more than almond flour and egg whites. The key is in the execution!
Ok, but before I get cracking at perfecting the technique, I think I had better make sure I've got the best ingredients. I've already figured out a shortcut for the egg whites. Egg whites won't foam if there's any fat (egg yolk) in them, so... I'm going to buy pasteurized egg whites.
Also, Pierre Hermé says old egg whites work best, so I'm going to leave them out for a couple days.
On to the almond flour.
You can buy almond flour from most natural food stores but it seems kinda pricey, so I figure I can make my own. I found these instruction on about.com
1. Place 1/2 cup whole, unblanched almonds in a clean electric coffee bean grinder.
2. Put the lid on the coffee bean grinder and pulse several times until a medium-fine textured meal forms. Don't over-grind or you will make almond butter!
3. Put ground almond meal in a clean flour sifter. Sift almond meal. Place any large particles of almonds back in coffee bean grinder and pulse again. Sift reremaining almond meal.
Almond meal in 3 easy steps. I don't have a coffee grinder so I'm going to use a food processor.
Tips:
1. Do not over-grind the almonds or you will end up with almond butter. Which would normally be fine, but in this case would mean disaster. I want it to be very fine so I'm going to use confectioner's sugar in the mix which should absorb the oils from the almonds and keep them from becoming almond butter.
2. Store-bought almond meal is frequently made with blanched almonds- almonds that have had the skins removed. And that's what I plan to use too.
3. Always store almond meal in a labeled container in the refrigerator or freezer. It actually may keep better in the freezer if you don't plan on using it soon after making it. I am going to store it in a mason jar, perhaps in the fridge.
On to the almond flour.
You can buy almond flour from most natural food stores but it seems kinda pricey, so I figure I can make my own. I found these instruction on about.com
1. Place 1/2 cup whole, unblanched almonds in a clean electric coffee bean grinder.
2. Put the lid on the coffee bean grinder and pulse several times until a medium-fine textured meal forms. Don't over-grind or you will make almond butter!
3. Put ground almond meal in a clean flour sifter. Sift almond meal. Place any large particles of almonds back in coffee bean grinder and pulse again. Sift reremaining almond meal.
Almond meal in 3 easy steps. I don't have a coffee grinder so I'm going to use a food processor.
1. Do not over-grind the almonds or you will end up with almond butter. Which would normally be fine, but in this case would mean disaster. I want it to be very fine so I'm going to use confectioner's sugar in the mix which should absorb the oils from the almonds and keep them from becoming almond butter.
2. Store-bought almond meal is frequently made with blanched almonds- almonds that have had the skins removed. And that's what I plan to use too.
3. Always store almond meal in a labeled container in the refrigerator or freezer. It actually may keep better in the freezer if you don't plan on using it soon after making it. I am going to store it in a mason jar, perhaps in the fridge.
We'll see how I go.
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