Drying Macarons...What The Textbook Didn't Tell You!

Well, well.....I must say that making macarons involve a lot of drama, haha! It has been raining in KL lately and the weather has been pretty wet and damp...and I had to make Macarons! I thought after making them successfully for quite a while, there wouldn't be anymore glitches...and NOT!

The past few batches (since last weekend) had seen me dumping all cracked macarons, yup they have their pretty feet and all but they cracked like the eruptions of the volcanoes...grrrr...I hated the site of them! They were suppoed to be dainty and sweet and pretty...like Audrey Hepburn...not some kind of tsunami aftermath...urgh.....

And, I have scheduled all those classes in April....what am I to do if the weather continues to challenge me!? Cancel the classes...nah, I haven't the heart to turn them lovely ladies down.....

So, I decided to google and find out some solutions....yup I read in some blogs that by letting the shells sit near your oven, will help to dry the shells....you can pop the shells in the oven and warm them at a low temperature....done that, and the 'eruption' still took place...so how, how, how......

Then, I stumbled on Kak Nomie's site about making Macarons on a wet day....well, after the Milkadeal deal, I have been in contact with Kak Nomie, asking about Kek Lapis classes, this and that, itu ini.....

I read the post and rang her yesterday! She advised me to follow the method that she wrote about in her blog...and it had worked for her! So, last night, after all the kids had been tucked in bed ie around 10pm, I decided to whip 2 batches of Macarons...they are for my friend who now resides in Doha!

The shells were drying, but I wanted to fast forward things...it was almost 11 pm after I cleaned up my kitchen, I needed my beauty sleep (I must confess that I lurve to sleep and eat...nevermind the tv!)....

So, I decided to give the method that Kak Nomie taught me a go! Here's how....

Turn on your oven at 160C and let it to heat well, then turn off the oven, and leave the piped shell and the baking tray on the oven door, like this...I did this for 10 minutes, rotating the the tray after 5 minutes....and then, I aired the shells a bit more to ensure they are dry....indeed the shells were dry, in about 15 minutes...woot! Then, bake your Macarons like you use to...I did mine at 150C! And...the results were this....

Loved the feet...Vanilla Bean and Hazelnut Macarons.....after I did this and while I lulled myself to lala land...I remember what my sugarpaste teacher Wiz always remind me of our weather...this hot and humid or wet and dry might not be suitable for readymade storebought fondant and....the normal ways of making Macarons...afterall!

Well, I'm not saying that the textbooks are not accurate or can't be followed, but hey, I think a first hand's experience and your blog storiers and experiences tell more stories, right! And, yup, sharing is caring....now I owe Kak Nomie Red Velvet cuppies! Serious!!I can't thank Kak Nomie enough!

So...go on you alls...what's stopping you from making Macarons, now! Though I must put a disclaimer here that in order to achieve the pretty nice feet and pied Macarons, all the other things in making Macarons must also be present and are essential...the mixing of the ingredients, ageing the egg whites (to some this is a myth)...but I notice that aged egg whites give nicer frills, skirt...the macaronner and macaronnage...aprt from the drying process...this all have their pertinent roles to play! And having said all those.... 

....I haven't stopped purchasing books about making Macarons either! Here's my latest collection that I got hold from Kinokuniya...I wanted to order another book on Macarons, but saw this! Grabbed this and another copy for another Macaron making "maniac" like me, hehe!

See you in the classes soon, lovely ladies!