Pierre Hermé's Rose Macarons

finally, the english version of the much-awaited pierre hermé's macaron book has hit the shelves and i was elated to get my hands on a copy. it features many of his classic and signature macaron recipes like mogador, infiniment vanille, montebello, olive oil vanilla and ispahan as well as the customized ones he did for his clients like jasmine, oolong and carrot orange. there's also a section where he uses exceptional ingredients like foie gras, black and white truffles and 25-year old balsamic vinegar to incorporate into his macarons so its really fantastic.

elated about the book aside, i was actually more excited to dabble with the italian meringue method, my FIRST after all these years of macaron making. macarons are known to be finicky therefore i just shyed away from anything that would make them even more complicated.

though slightly apprehensive, i wasn't actually too worried about the outcome like whether or not i would get the right "macaronnage" consistency or if they would develop feet. i just had this 101% trust on pierre hermé coz so far i've not failed at his recipes. they turned out just like i expect and seriously, i think they bear an eerie resemblance to my own in terms of taste and texture. i gave these a nice swipe of tempered colored white choc so they'd look more interesting.

paired with french buttercream that utilizes whole eggs and yolks, it was richer and more delicious than most meringue buttercreams. also, contrary to the popular belief, macarons that didn't form a skin during drying WILL NOT crack. i baked these without drying coz my macarons just wouldn't form skins. in singapore where the weather is perpetually humid (humidity is around 60-100% everyday), it took me a good 4 hours for the skin to form. frankly, i think its a waste of time. i baked them immediately after piping and all were good - no cracks & nice feet. seriously i don't understand how macarons can dry in 30 mins to an hour. if marshmallows take 12 hrs to dry in room temp, how would macarons dry in 1? at least for me, it didn't happen.

monsieur hermé also gave a specific set of instructions in the book so pls read before you start baking :

• use egg whites that have been aged for at least a few days to a week in the fridge. the whites lose their elasticity upon ageing so they're easier whipped to soft peaks without turning grainy.
• the baking temp ranges between 160-180C so it depends on your oven. use an oven thermometer to determine your oven's real temperature. i burned my first batch baking them on 180C.
• the macarons need to be matured after filling so leave them in the fridge for 24-48 hrs before consuming.
• lastly, remove the macarons from the fridge and leave them out for 2 hrs before eating. being someone who lives in the tropics, i could not agree with this point. leaving them out for 2 hrs would turn them mushy so theres no way im gonna do that. i think 5-10 mins out is ideal as they're soft enough to eat with slightly crisp shells and moist chewy innards. i believe this should be the correct texture to enjoy the macarons.

recipe source : macarons by pierre hermé

ingredients (makes 72 macarons / 144 shells) :

for the macaron shells :

300g ground almonds

300g powdered sugar

110g egg whites, aged

abt 5g red food coloring

+

300g caster sugar

75ml water

110g egg whites, aged

for the rose buttercream :

200g caster sugar

75ml water

150g whole eggs

90g egg yolk

400g butter, softened

4g rose essence

50ml rose syrup

directions :

1. to make the macaron shells, line baking trays with parchment paper. sift together powdered sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. add the coloring into the 1st portion of the egg whites. pour them into the bowl of icing sugar/almond mixture but do not stir.

2. in a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil to 118C. when the sugar reaches 115C, start whisking the egg whites until soft peaks. pour over the egg whites and whisk meringue until it cools down to 50C then fold it into the icing sugar mixture until it starts to turn glossy. it should resemble a runny cake dough. spoon mixture into piping bag fitted with plain nozzle then pipe rounds of 3.5cm, with 2cm apart each other. leave to stand for at least 30 mins until skin forms.

3. bake in a preheated oven between 160C - 180C, depending on your oven, for 12 mins, briefing opening & shutting the oven door twice during cooking time. remove macaron shells from oven and baking tray and let cool on parchment paper. do not leave the shells on the baking tray as they will continue to bake.

4. to make the buttercream, bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. heat mixture until 120C. in another bowl whisk eggs & yolks until lightened in color. pour hot sugar syrup over and continue whisking until the bowl cools down. in another bowl, cream butter until thickened then add the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. whisk in rose essence & syrup. sandwich macarons with buttercream.

5. leave filled macarons in the fridge to mature for 24-48 hours prior to eating.