Macarons seem to be everywhere these days. The delightful, colorful treats are springing up in stores in a huge variety of flavors. In addition to the plethora of versions available in bakeries and patisseries, home bakers can make versions of their own. Les Petits Macarons: Colorful French Confections to Make at Home, a new book from ICE Pastry & Baking Arts Chef Instructor Kathryn Gordon and Director of Center for Food Media Anne E. McBride helps demystify the delicate, delicious pastries.
With dozens of flavor combinations and a variety of methods, the book is a chance to begin making your own macarons at home. The book contains recipes for shells flavored with pistachio, blackberry, coconut, and red velvet, filled with options such as sesame buttercream, strawberry guava pâte de fruit, crunchy dark chocolate ganache and lemon curd. Chef Kathryn also included savory options like shells made with saffron, parsley, and ancho chile paired with fillings like hummus, foie gras with black currant, and duck confit with port and fig. The options for customization are endless!
In addition to a huge variety of flavors, Les Petits Macarons also outlines four different methods for making the cookies. Other macaron cookbooks focus on one, sometimes two, but Les Petits Macarons features the classic French, Italian and Swiss methods, as well as a fourth quick-and-easy type that helps just about any home baker achieve macarons. As we gear up for the book’s release on October 4, we asked Chef Kathryn and Anne about the book, the recipes and macaron mania. More…