Elegant summer treats bursting with the juiciness of fresh strawberries and the tickling tartness of rhubarb. Includes how-to resources and videos.
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After launching a macaron video class back in January, I decided to challenge myself to create new macarons more regularly to keep on feeding macaron fans looking for new flavor inspirations {pun intended!} and to keep honing my skills macaron- and pastry-wise. I feel like I learn something new every time I make a new macaron batch; instead of always using my same trusted recipe, I go out of my way to test new ingredients or techniques that have failed others. I want to keep gathering information to help budding macaron-makers (in other words, I hope to fail more to help you fail less!).
With all the tests I’ve done recently (such as using different types of almond meal and baking sheets with different finishes and beating egg whites stiffer or softer, to name a few), my macarons have not all been perfect looking. I used to strive to create the perfect macaron, but after a taste test I conducted at a real-life macaron-making class, I concluded that taste is the most important factor when it comes to enjoying a macaron. In the taste test, I brought perfect-looking macarons from a popular pastry shop in Quebec City. All the students had already tasted them, and some had only ever tasted those macarons. I also brought macarons from another pastry shop, which were ugly looking by all macaron standards: the size of the shells were uneven, the feet had spread sideways, and some shells looked “wet.” However, everyone agreed that the ugly macarons were better. The perfect-looking macarons were dry and brittle, and the very thin layer of filling delivered little flavor, whereas the ugly macarons provided surprisingly great texture, and the flavors were bright and generous.
Since then, I’ve relaxed my macaron standards a little. I have to admit that I used to throw away macarons I made when I thought they looked a bit crooked for one reason or another; now if I’m confident of the flavors hidden inside, I keep them all. The other thing I realized is that I had built up unnecessarily high standards for myself when it came to macaron perfection; all my friends and loved ones are perfectly happy eating a macaron with a cracked or crispier shell than usual. As pastry creations, macarons will forever be treats that one enjoys with the eyes and the taste buds, but embracing imperfection can be freeing—which is something I should definitely apply to other areas of my life.
These strawberry rhubarb macarons represent the early summer bounty—they burst with the juiciness of fresh strawberries and the tickling tartness of rhubarb. The recipe is a bit more technical than usual because it requires you to make pâtes de fruits, another of my current obsessions. Pâtes de fruits are gummies made with fresh fruits, and these candies are commonly sold—at prohibitive prices—in pastry and gourmet shops in Paris. However, they’re quite easy to make at home, especially using this shortcut recipe from Jacques Pépin. The strawberry and rhubarb pâtes de fruits recipe yields a lot more than you’ll need to garnish the macarons, but once you taste a square, you’ll be over the moon that you have leftovers. In other words, your efforts will lend you not one but two delightful treats that’ll allow you to properly celebrate the arrival of summer.
If this is your first time making macarons, prep, read, and watch before you start: Macarons are finicky to make, but if you set aside enough time so that you won’t be rushed, you can do it. I have a variety of resources available for you: a lengthy step-by-step recipe with photos to guide you through the process; a detailed troubleshooting post that’ll help you understand mishaps, should they happen; and a full video class—which I highly recommend watching before you make macarons for the first time. There’s nothing like watching someone making macarons to learn how to make them properly—that’s how I learned over 10 years ago, and that’s how thousands of my students did too!
My class is hosted on Skillshare and if you sign up using this link, you’ll get free access to the whole site for 14 days—which is just perfect to get you started on your macaron-making journey.
If you want to SEE someone make macarons before you take on the project of making your own, my Skillshare video class is for you:
I designed my Skillshare class both for novice bakers who want to learn new skills, and for experienced bakers who are seeking to master a new and impressive dessert. The class is divided into 15 short lessons that show you the essential equipment you need, the important steps to follow, the techniques to master, and the potential pitfalls to avoid. You can watch the videos on your own time, start practicing, share with other budding macaron makers, and ask me questions if you encounter difficulties along the way.
I myself learned how to make macaron by watching a friend making them for me repeatedly, and I believe a live (or video!) demonstration is the best way to learn how to make macarons because you can see exactly the techniques, textures, and results you should aim for.
Over 6,000 people have taken my Skillshare class so far and the class gets overwhelmingly positive reviews, most students stating the lessons exceeded their expectations. I’m confident that this video class will enable you to create perfect macarons.
Get FREE Access to my French Macaron Video Class for 14 days: Enroll Now!
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these macarons are perfect! and i love the strawberry and rhubarb flavour combination too. so perfect for the season. Xx