Challenge of the Week #2

The challenge: Eat a classic pastry from a top pȃtisserie in Paris and, using it as inspiration, create a similar recipe that can be made easily at home.

The pastry: macarons

The pȃtisserie: Dalloyau, 101 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008, Paris

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend a masterclass by Christophe Michalak, one of the top pȃtissiers in France. At the beginning, he went round the group asking people what they liked to bake and home and what they wanted to be able to bake. One woman said, ‘I would love to be able to bake macarons, but …’ and everyone else in the room, Chef Michalak, included, gave a knowing sympathetic look.

Macarons are to France what cupcakes are the the USA. However, unlike cupcakes, they have a mystique surrounding them based on their supposed difficulty to make. A recent episode of Le Meilleur Pȃtissier contributed to this mystique when almost every contestant completely bodged their macarons and more ended up in the bin than before the judges.  They consist of two almond meringue shells with a flavored filling sandwiched between. The shells are colored to reflect the flavor of the filling.

Almost every eatery in Paris, MacDonalds included, serve macarons. Two boutiques in particular, Ladurée and Pierre Hermé specialize in them and are often have queues the length of which seem proportional to their prices. It would have been obvious to have visited one of these for this challenge, but instead, I chose what is supposed to be one of the oldest pȃtisseries in Paris, Dalloyau.

Dalloyau, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

From 1682-1789 four generations of the Dalloyau family served as master pȃtissier to the kings of France at the palace of Versailles. As the macaron was popular even then, it seems inevitable that Dalloyau would have baked them for Queen Marie-Antoinette, and it is for this that I chose them. After the revolution, in 1802 the Dalloyau of his day set up a pȃtisserie in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré which is where I found them ready and waiting. Later, the shop was responsible for the introduction of another Parisian classic, the Opéra Cake, but that’s a different challenge.

I chose four different flavors of macaron from Dalloyau: pistachio, pink grapefruit, raspberry, and caramel fleur de sel. They all had a delicately crisp outer shell, with a gooey interior and fillings that I would say were competent rather than inspiring. I would have liked for the raspberry filling to have been more tart.

For my macarons, I chose to fill them with a home-made lemon curd as I adore the deliciously sour flavor that adds to the comfortingly sweet almond shells. For the recipe below however, I concentrate on the shells, as you can really fill them with anything you like but it’s the biscuits themselves that fill people with dread. However, like any baking, if you are meticulous about the measurements, oven temperatures and baking times, then you will master the macaron in no time. 

Note: I have written the recipe in weight measurements as they are more exact than volume measurements and for macarons, you have to be exact. The method is an amalgam of advice I have collected from top french chefs and cookery writers and a bit of trial and error from myself. However, for me, this produces perfect macarons every time. 

Macaron shells

Coque de macaron

Active time: 15 mins

Total time: 2 hrs

125g /4 1/2 oz ground almonds

225g / 8 oz icing sugar

¼ tsp food coloring powder

30g / 1 oz caster sugar

110g / 4oz egg whites

1. Heat the oven to 150° C / 300° F . Place the almonds on a baking tray and toast them for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool completely. Then pass them through a sieve, discarding any pieces which are too large. Sift them, together with the icing sugar, into a bowl.

2. Mix the food coloring with the sugar. Place them in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the egg whites. Using the whisk attachment, beat until they form stiff peaks. The consistency should be such that if you hold the bowl upside down, the mixture will not fall out.

 3. Add the egg whites to the almonds and icing sugar. Using a plastic spatula, scoop the almond mixture over the egg whites twice, and then flatten the mixture and slightly turn the bowl.  Continue to scoop, flatten, and turn until all the ingredients are combined into a smooth mixture. As soon as the ingredients are combined, draw a line in the mixture with your finger. If it closes up again, the mixture is ready. If not, continue to scoop, flatten and turn once or twice more until it does.

 4. Place the mixture in an icing bag. Then pipe small disks onto a silicon mat placed on a baking tray.  Lift the tray about three inches off the work surface and drop it to knock out any air bubbles. Do this three times. Then leave the macarons to dry at room temperature for one hour.

5. Heat the oven to 160° C / 320° F. Bake the macarons for 12 minutes. Then gently press the tops of the shells with your finger. If they are still soft, give them one more minute. Remove from the oven and allow the shells to cool completely before carefully removing them from the silicon mat. Refrigerate overnight before filling them.

Macarons filled with lemon curd

French Fashions #1

Japanese inspired chocolates at the Salon du Chocolat

If, in London, it feels like there is a Starbucks on every corner, in Paris the same can be said for Japanese restaurants. Sushi, it seems, is the plat du moment for Parisiens. So, it's not surprising that two Japanese ingredients have made it big in the world of French patisserie, and can be found flavoring everything from macarons to mille-feuilles.
The first of these is thé matcha, Japanese green tea, which is commonly used to color madeleines, macarons, and financiers as an exotic alternative to pistachio. The other is yuzu, which at a recent masterclass I attended, chef pȃtissier Christophe Michalak described as a cross between an orange and a lemon, but which to me tastes more like a hybrid lemon / grapefruit.
Both of these ingredients have been known in the US for a decade, but it's interesting to see them established as stalwarts of the Parisian patisserie scene. 

New look, new focus

Before, I moved to Paris, a French friend of mine told me that, from a culinary point of view, living in France was just like being in the movie Julie and Julia. I was skeptical, and have spent the last three months waiting to be disappointed. But I can categorically state, he was right.

Yes, there is a small baker's shop opposite my apartment, where I can pop down and buy fresh croissants, and baguettes so hot from the oven, that they burn your hands on the way home. Yes, there is a large turn-of-the-century market hall in the next street, where I have made friends with one of the grocers who will suggest just the right ingredients for whatever I am making. Yes, the city is full of the most amazing patisseries which compete with each other to create stunningly beautiful cakes that make you want to weep.

If I had to find something to complain about or criticize, it would be that the baker's is closed on a Saturday, and I have to walk to the next street to find the nearest alternative; the market is only open three days a week (although one of these is Sunday), and the patisseries can be expensive.

As well as the sheer range and quality of the food, I have been overwhelmed by the fads and fashions I have seen here, many of which haven't been heard of outside France. I have also discovered that there are myriad opportunities to learn how to cook as well, ranging from lessons at well-established cooking schools, to masterclasses with celebrity chefs.

All of the above led to a bit of a crisis on my blog, as I had no idea what to focus on as I couldn't write about it all. So, I have decided that a change of focus and a new direction are in order.

This blog will now focus on patisserie. Every week, I will try one classic pastry, from a famous shop and then recreate my own version at home. As I learn, I will share my recipes and insights here which will build up into a manual. I am also going to take a class once a month at a different cooking school and will blog about my experiences there too. Updates in between will focus on anything I happen to notice around town and feel like sharing.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Updates coming soon about the oldest macaron shop in the world, a masterclass with a real TV celebrity, and a legendary tart made by two sisters. 

Macarons

OK, I am sorry that you had to wait a couple of days before the news about the macarons, but actually you have to leave them for 24 hours after filling them before you can eat them.

I am not going to write extensively about how to make macarons and how to get the perfect macaron, for two reasons:

1. I don't know yet, as I have only made two batches
2. Gigabytes of internet server space is clogged up with such data

But, I will tell you that making macarons is the best way to learn about them and I can confirm that they are HARD!!!

The main problem I encountered was cracking. I need to experiment with where I position them in my oven since it was the oven that caused several of my macarons to crack. I know this because they were in the same part of the oven in every batch that I baked. (I ended up baking my two attempts in a total of 4 batches.) I already experimented during these batches with position in the oven and also timing: I think my first batch was undercooked and the final one overcooked which means that the next one will be just right!

The other thing I learned and cannot stress enough is the importance of allowing macarons to mature. After you have baked the shells, leave them in the fridge for a while and then after filling them leave them in the fridge for at least 24 hours. During this time an amazing alchemy takes place and faults such as hollow shells can even correct themselves, I kid you not.

I made two different types of macarons. Firstly, a dusky pink batch which I filled with buttercream, into which I had added and whisked in some fresh raspberries: this gave a really nice sweet but slightly tart filling. The second batch were chocolate flavoured and coloured, with a buttercream flavoured with nutella in the middle. I really like the tart fillings for macarons and always go for those, and would like to experiment with more types. However, I also love salty caramel as a filling and will be trying that one too.

I was really lucky that all my macarons developed the distinctive 'foot' which you read about and although I noticed many many faults with my first attempt, my audience (my best friend, whose birthday it was and my colleagues at work the next day) was very impressed.

Quotes:
'You made these yourself? Many I know have tried but all have failed!' (Swedish colleague)
'They were honestly the best I've ever had ...' (French best friend)
'You should sell these. When are you making some more?' (British colleague)


I will leave you with pictures of the macarons themselves, but watch this space as I think I will be making many, many more!

Le grand jour!

It's been a really busy week and so little time for baking, but now the weekend has arrived, it's time to pick one of the things of my future bakes list and go for it. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, today will the the day that I attempt, for the very first time ... (drum roll) ... les macarons! Roll over Sprüngli; roll over Ladurée, there's a new bueb in town!

Pop back later and see how it went!

A Chuecheli* lover's guide to Zurich

 When it comes to buying and eating bread and cakes, Zurich is a bit disappointing. Among all the high-end jewellery and watch shops, you are hard pressed to find a traditional Konditorei or Backerei such as you might see in Munich or Vienna. I guess the sizeable population of bankers is more interested in spending their time making money than whiling it away enjoying a cappuccino and Apfelstrudel like their Austrian neighbours.
It is not to say that Zurich pâtisserie doesn't exist; it's just not so present as you might expect and I use the word pâtisserie, because there is a distinctly french influence to what is available. The most famous Zurich pâtisserie, Sprüngli, is known for it's Luxemburgerli, which are essentially mini french macarons. And if you want the authentic french version you can pick them up from the Zurich branch of Ladurée but without the authentic Parisian queues.
A recent outing to Honold (est. 1905) Zurich's self-styled 'confiserie' revealed a second growing influence on cakes, that of the English-speaking ex-pat community who have brought their love of cupcakes to Switzerland. And it's telling that Zurich's own cupcake shop has an English name 'Cupcake Affair'.
In fact, you can buy cupcake-making equipment all over the city, perhaps aimed at wives of expat bankers sitting bored at home and wondering what to do with that Neff oven.
As a footnote, I must add that just round the corner from my apartment is Zurich's only 24-hour 365-day-per-year Backerei where you can buy fresh baguette at 3am.

*'chuecheli': swiss german for little cake

Sprüngli Luxemburgerli

Chaussons aux pommes for carnival at Sprüngli

The real deal: Ladurée macarons

Traditional ...

... and not so traditional at Honold