I had a plan. I thought it was a good plan, a fun plan, and a not overly ambitious plan. They had a different plan, and as usual, they won. I thought we could make some yummy green velvet cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day. Nothing too difficult, a fun easy recipe, but always a pleaser. The kids thought we needed to make French macrons…what?!
Of course they talked me into it, I’m not immune to their adorable faces. Their argument was valid; that we hadn’t made macrons for a while and they’re “super yummy”! What we all seemed to forget was just how much work and how temperamental these little cookies are!
If you’ve never attempted to make macrons before I can’t say that I blame you. It wasn’t on my radar until we started ordering these AMAZING cakes from a local baker who also happens to be the macron queen. (She doesn’t call herself that, but I do. I’ve literally never had anything as delicious as her macrons, she’s brilliant.) If you’re ever lucky enough to be on Church Street in Burlington, Vt you can find her macrons at a sweet little kiosk on the corner of College St. and Church St., called Leunigs Petite Bijou. You can also give her a follow on instagram @matryoshkasbakery and you can find her goodies at her families restaurant, Good Times Cafe in Hinesburg, Vt. You will be amazed at what she comes up with!
When the world shut down a year ago we decided it was time for us to try and tackle a recipe we’d been waiting to try. We all LOVE macrons, and in order to support our habit it was learn to make them or live in a box. We had to try a couple recipes before we found one that was both simple enough for our novice selves, but also made good enough cookies. You’ll never guess where we found said recipe…oh wait, you probably can…King Arthur Baking coming through for us again! https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/simple-macarons-recipe Now, they have a few different recipes on their site and I’d encourage you to try which ever feels best to you. This is the one we use and so far, as we muddle through learning how to perfect these little devils, this is what works for us.
Now, back to our adventures in macron making. These are tricky little cookies right from the start. Separating eggs is one of my least favorite things, and you know the kids wanted NOTHING to do with that task! You have to watch the eggs closely while you whip them because if they’re not at just the right consistency then they’re not going to come out as well (ours were a little softer then they should’ve been this time I think). Also important: SIFT THE ALMOND FLOUR AND POWDERED SUGAR! (And then make sure the kids don’t dump in the clumps they sifted out…like mine did today, oops, oh well. Lesson learned from our less then perfect end product.) The other part of macron making that I find tricky is folding in the meringue to the flour/sugar mixture. It takes a LONG time to get the batter to the right consistency, but it is SUPER important to get it there. This time we weren’t as patient as we should’ve been, which leads to clumpy macrons that lack the shining top.
So, they didn’t turn out perfect, but to be fair, we haven’t made a perfect batch yet. Let me reiterate; these are tricky! They are also fun, and a great way to help kids understand that things don’t have to turn out perfectly. Sometimes good enough (to eat) is ok! We will for sure be feasting on these for our St. Patrick’s Day dessert and I think they will taste better then they look! (We filled them with a milk chocolate mint whipped ganache, so good!)
Come on over and follow us on Instagram @100daysofbakingwithkids and on Facebook at 100 days of baking with kids. Tell us if you’ve ever tried to make macrons and how they turned out. Happy baking friends!
100 days of baking with kids 