Remember I promised I wasn’t eating any sugar for three days? Oh, was it? Really? A week?? Are you serious? Well that was plan crazy talk, simply irrational. I must have just eaten the last Irish Cookie Bomb from Easter when I said that. I was obviously on a delirious sugar buzz -sugar does that to me, makes me say crazy things. HA.
So because I can’t eat sugar for ONE more day, I found myself looking (drooling) at what I consider to be THE most beautiful cookie on the planet.
La Duree’s le macaroons.
Le macaroons, le-mak-aur-unes. La Duree, Laj-u-ree. This MUST be said with a french accent so please practice this before reading on -there is a link to help you get it right. Your welcome….. it’s ok, I’ll wait, hummm, hum, hum……….ready? Lovely.
I want to live here, well upstairs -duh. Just saying.
Pretty sure Babs has been here for a macaroon making extravaganza.
Now that we both speak french let’s have a little (or biggie) drool at this cookie work of art by La Duree in Paris. France -that is. They taste divine and are very difficult to make -my friend Kate and I can attest to this, but that only adds to their wonderful-amazingness, or is it amazing-wonderfulness. Both for sure.
I have a plan, we will make something similar looking and muuuch easier and, it will be easier to say! Yay! I’ll get back to you on that soon. In the mean-time have a look-y here…..ohhhh! In. love.
| La Duree le macaroons |
- Macaroon Batter:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar
- Chocolate Ganache Filling:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (preferably 70 percent cacao)
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened
- Pulse confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macaroons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
- Let macaroons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macaroons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macaroons.)
- Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.
- Cook’s Note:
- Piping the perfect macaroon takes a little practice. Treat it as you would a rosette, bringing the pastry tip to the side of the circle, rather than forming a peak, to finish.
- Directions for Ganache:
- Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.
If you have fallen in love with this beautiful cookie then you should check out the Le Duree website -click the English translation…We aren’t ready just yet to listen to it in French, regrettably. I love it nearly as much as the macaroons.
Next person to go to Le Duree, Paris can you please, please, please get me one of these?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
the most beautiful cookies ever!!! i have tasted them first hand made by our friend kate and they taste as amazing as they look!!! come on ladies lets get creative!!
Yummm! I better make some more again soon, craving a bitter chocolate macaron!
Oh, that sounds good…really bitter chocolate ganache inside -yum!