Macarons

I swore off ever writing about macarons, but I've had so many customers come to discuss the making of them, that I thought I'd share my experience and advice.  I, myself, have struggled with them on and off, and just when I think I've worked out all the kinks, disaster unfolds!  They have definitely been the most puzzling and often irritating products I've ever made.  We had another humid summer here this here, which wreaks havoc with anything meringue - there was a point when I even questioned whether I knew how to make them at all, after nearly two years of producing them for sale. So why do I keep making the little devils?  Well, I still smile at the sheer beauty of the finished beauties, and of course, to the delight of my ever-appreciative customers. 

It all began with looking over the class offerings at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris for an upcoming trip - this was in 2010.  One of the classes that fit in with my schedule was Sweet & Savoury Macarons.  I'd seen them, of course, who hadn't, by that point?  They were already en vogue in major cities across North America, reported to be 'the new cupcake'.  I had never had one, yet I instinctly knew this would be a great new product for my booth at the Saskatoon Farmer's Market.  They were not really yet being done in Saskatoon and they just seemed like a great fit.  So, take the class I did.

In the class, everything was premeasured out for us, but I found out a little about the ingredients.  The almonds are from Spain, whereas ours are from California, and California almonds are known to be more oily.  I put this in my memory bank for later when I would be experimenting with macarons at home.  The egg whites, as it turns out, are aged for several days at room temperature (!).  I immediately knew I wouldn't be following this step - I could see public health being all over that one. 

My first batch turned out great - I see now that one of the insurances we were given was making very tiny macarons.  One of the first secrets - the smaller the macaron, the greater your chances at success.  It's just physics, with the strength of the batter vs. the diameter of the shell the legs have to support.  Legs are the ruffly part of the macaron on the bottom - an essential characteristic of a good macaron.  When I came home, I tried making them bigger, and soon found out that I was going to have to play with the recipe/technique.  I ended up settling on a recipe that seems to work well for my climate and the materials available to me (ie. California almonds).   The recipe, which should yield approximately 40 complete macarons, is: (and yes, you do really need to go by weight)

~215 grams of egg whites (the whites from 6 large/extra large eggs should yield this)
250 grams of almond flakes (flakes are 'drier' than whole almonds, so best to use them)
400 grams of icing sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (this is to help stabilize the egg whites)
30 grams white sugar
*Note - I have made chocolate here - decrease the icing sugar amount by 30 grams and replace it with cocoa.  I have also used brown colouring.

As far as aging, I have altered my technique several times.  Currently, I place the egg whites in an uncovered container and set in the freezer.  I've been letting them sit there for a day or so, then thawing out at room temperature.  With my routine, I then place them in the refrigerator and take them out a couple hours before using.  This seems to age them enough.  The freezing helps remove moisture from the egg whites, which is essentially what you want to do in the aging process.

To make my almond flour, I use a food processor.  If you don't have one, you can buy almond meal already prepared, but it will cost you a bit more.  I place the almonds with approx. half of the icing sugar, then process until it starts to stick on the bottom (the flour).  I take a large serving spoon and scrape the mixture up from the bottom, then repeat.  I do this approx. 7 times.    Add the remaining icing sugar, then pass through a sieve.  There should be very few almond pieces that are too big to pass through.  If you find you do have a lot, then reprocess the remainder and re-sieve.  Toss what doesn't go through the sieve.



Now, the eggs.  They should be at room temperature - if not, place in a microwave on defrost for 15 seconds and test with your finger.  Repeat, if needed.  Place in the mixture bowl and start on about medium.  You want to do a gradual increasing of speed to allow for maximum volume.  When the whites are frothy, add the cream of tartar. 

Once the whites are, well, 'white', and showing the beginning of shallow peaks, add the sugar in three increments.  Increase the speed to med/high.  Once you have soft peaks (the 'beak' of the whites will droop, these are very soft whites shown here), increase the speed to high.  Beat until the whites are a strong-looking white colour and the sides almost start to 'slide' on the bowl.  Test by stopping the beater and checking that the beak of the whites stay completely upright when the beater is held upside down.  The whites should also stay in the bowl if the bowl is inverted. 
This is the point where you add colouring - there is such a thing as powdered colour, which I have never seen around, so I use gel paste.  You want to add the least liquid to the whites as possible.  I add anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon, depending on the intensity you want.  Beat until the colour is mostly incorportaed  - you will finish mixing it in in the next step.  You are now ready for the crucial step of mixing the almond flour with the whites!

Transfer the whites to a very large bowl.  Sprinkle over about 1/2 of the almond flour.  With a large spatula, gently fold the mixture.  When it looks like the almond flour has been pretty much incorporated, add the rest of the flour.  Continue to fold; once the flour is incorporated, use a spoon and scrape off the spatula.  Using the back of the spatula (you are simulating a large bowl scraper), continue folding, working your way along the sides of the bowl.  Once the mixture looks cohesive and not streaky with egg white, do a 'flow' test.  The mixture should flow like lava, as it is traditionally described.  It should also begin to fall off the spatula in ribbons.  This is the point where you can overbeat the batter by even a couple of strokes and have your macarons not turn out.  If they are flowing off the spatula in a quickly falling ribbon, you've gone too far.  If this has happened, take my advice and make very tiny macarons.  It's your best chance at success.

Scrape the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a 1 cm tip.  I use silpat baking liners because I get a near perfectly round macaron.  I have yet to get roundness when using parchment - I think the parchment I have access to is very thin.  The parchment we used in Paris was quite thick and very waxy.  Pipe out small circles (about and inch to an inch and a half), allowing enough room between for spreading.  I get rows of five across.

You now need to let them sit and develop a bit of a skin.  I use the aid of a fan to speed this up because I make several batches at once, which only takes about 20 min per batch for the skin to form.  Without a fan, it will take roughly 45 minutes.  You should be able to lightly touch the surface of a macaron and not be sticky.

Oven temperature - this depends on your oven entirely.  I use a commercial convection oven at 250F, which translates to 300F for regular ovens.  I bake 9 minutes, then turn the pans (you may not need to do this in a regular oven) about bake another 9 minutes.  At the end of the 18 minutes, I gently try to move the top of one of the macarons.  If it gives, I bake another minute, then test again.  If it is giving, they are not cooked all the way through and you will struggle to get them off the liners/parchment.  Plus, the texture will be too wet for the final macaron.

When cool, remove them from the parchment/silpat, peeling from underneath if necessary (you place your index finger under the siplat/parchment and push along the surface of the macaron - the cookie should pop off.  They are ready to ice now, or you can store them in the freezer until you're ready for that step.  I fill them from frozen, they are less fragile and easier to deal with.




Honey Buttercream:
Now you can fill them with whatever you like, but I use a honey butter cream.  The beauty is I get to use up the 6 egg yolks from a batch of macarons!
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup honey, divided
1 pound butter, softened

Beat the egg yolks in a mixer until light and thickened.  Add 1/3 cup boiling honey, pouring slowly down the side on medium speed.  Beat until the bowl has cooled completely.  Add the butter in 1/8th of a pound increments.  When combined, add the remaining 1/3 cup honey (room temperature).  Beat until combined.  Flavour as desired.


Place the macaron shells in pairs of similar size/shapes.  Fill with the buttercream and gently sandwich together.  Store in the refrigerator overnight to achieve the best flavour/texture, allowing to come to room temperature before eating.  You can also store in the freezer (let the icing set up in the freezer first before stacking them sideways).  From frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allowing to come to room temperature before eating.  The proper texture of a good macaron is a crisp outer shell and a soft, velvety interior.......overall, a little bit cloud-like.

There are many steps when, if not done quite correctly, can greatly affect the outcome of the macarons.  It could be a combination of mis-steps, or just one.  I am finally to the point where I have success almost all of the time, but there are still batches where half will come out funny (cracked, or the tops are 'tilted' with no foot on one side).  Sometimes it's just one or two in a single row that don't turn out - pure mystery.  They are the quintessential diva of the pastry world.  Even the instructor in Paris said as much, which I found amazing.  So Bonne Chance, if you attempt to take on the marvelous Macaron!  Please feel free to comment on your experiments :)

Cinnamon & Apple Baked French Toast - for Mother's Day

As seen on Global Morning Show:
A quick, make-ahead breakfast that's sure to please any mother (or anyone, for that matter)! This recipe feeds approx 8 people. For 4 to 5 portions, simply half the recipe and use and 8x8 inch baking dish.

1 loaf day-old french bread
3 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar
2 TSP vanilla
6 eggs
6 granny smith apples
2 TBSP butter
2 TSP cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
 1 TBSP cinnamon

 Cut bread into one inch slices. Arrange, tightly, in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish (it may not all fit). Set aside.

Mix together the milk, sugar, vanilla & eggs. Set aside.

Peel, core & slice the apples. In a large pan (or two batches), saute the apples in the 2 TBSP butter until softened - approx. 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Pour half of the custard mixture evenly over the bread. Top with the apples, spreading evenly. Pour over the remaining custard mixture. Wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator overnight.

Next Morning: Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle the dish with the 1/2 cup brown sugar mixed with the 1 TBSP cinnamon. Bake for one hour. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with maple syrup.

Guinness Fudge Brownies for St. Patrick's Day

Guinness creates a dense, but somehow light, fudgy brownie - perfect for any day of the year, but most especially on St. Patrick's Day. There is no 'beer' flavour that you can detect, but it somehow intensifies the chocolate and creates the most interesting texture I've ever tasted in a brownie. Give them a try, you'll love them!
Preheat oven to 375F.

6 TBSP butter (85 grams), cut in cubes & softened

8 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate (~ 1 1/2 cups)

4 oz white chocolate (~3/4 cup)

Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler, or in the microwave checking at 30 second intervals - be careful not to burn it. Set aside to cool.

1 1/4 cups Guinness
1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 TSP salt
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 TSP vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa & salt; set aside. Using a mixer, or a bowl and whisk, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar until light and frothy. Add the chocolate mixture in three additions. Add the flour/cocoa mixture in two additions. Finally, add the Guinness in three additions.

Pour into a parchment-lined/greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle evenly with the 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (there may be moist crumbs).

Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares . Garnish with icing sugar, if desired.

SHAWTV Recipe - Wild Rice Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

This is a great, hearty salad which can also double as a side dish - either cold, or warmed up slightly. Saskatoon berries can be used in place of the blueberries.

WILD RICE SALAD WITH BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE

1 cup wild rice
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 cup cranraisins (or fresh blueberries/saskatoon berries, if in season)
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup pan-toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup pan-toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup chopped snap peas
1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley

Vinaigrette:
2 TBSP balsamic vinaigrette (can use the raspberry flavoured variety)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
~2 TSP honey
1/3 cup blueberries or Saskatoon berries (frozen is fine, thaw first)
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic (small), minced
salt (~1/4 TSP to 1/2 TSP), freshly-ground pepper, to taste

To Cook Wild Rice:

Rinse the rice in cold water, then drain in a sieve. Combine the rice, 4 cups water and 1/2 TSP salt. Bring to a boil; cover, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff, then allow to rest 5 minutes. In a sieve, drain excess water, then run cold water over to cool completely. All to continue draining in sieve while you prepare vinaigrette and remaining ingredients.

Vinaigrette:
Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you don't have a processor or blender, mash the berries into a paste and push through a coarse sieve. Taste, and adjust for seasoning if need be.

In a large bowl, place the cooled rice, cranraisins, nuts, peas and parsley. Toss to combine. Drizzle the vinaigrette over top, tossing to combine. Garnish with additional fruite and/or parsley, if desired.

Dutch Baby for a Leisurely Sunday Breakfast

Today was one of those Sundays where there was time for breakfast consisting of something more satisfying than cereal or toast (we're a soccer family). Flipping through my many 'must try' recipes in the Brunch folder, I had wanted to try Oatmeal Pancakes, then realized I had no old-fashioned oats - they all get used up for my granola at the Market. So, back to an oldie but a goodie: Dutch Baby, which is a cute name for a puffed apple pancake that gets baked in the oven.

The apples I used were Pink Lady, by default, as that's all that was in my fridge. Granny Smith is another great choice, always the go-to apple for baking since they don't fall to pieces.

Most recipes will talk about using an oven-proof skillet (such as cast iron) - I don't have an appropriate pan in my home kitchen, that one resides in the commercial kitchen where I teach classes. Don't despair, you can just as easily cook the apple mixture separately in a regular pan, preferably non-stick pan (to make sure you get all the gooey goodness in the baking dish).

I used a V-slicer to slice my apples to about 1/4 inch thickness, just 'cuz I felt like it. This is definitely not required - just cut them into thin slices. If you cut them a little thicker, just cook them a bit longer in the pan before transferring them to the baking dish.

The baking dish - I have a lovely ceramic pie plate that's quite deep that is perfect for this. I have also used a rectangular glass dish, it is not required that the dish be round. For a little added decadence, I also added about a tablespoon-ish of Canadian Maple Liqueur to the apples while they were cooking. What's not to love about that?!

DUTCH BABY

4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 TSP baking powder
dash salt
1 TSP vanilla
1/2 TSP cinnamon
pinch freshly-grated nutmeg
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP butter, melted
1 cup milk

2 apples, peeled, cored & thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 TSP (or more) cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
optional - splash of your favourite liqueur

In a large bowl or 8-cup measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain. Gradually whisk in the melted butter & mix until completely smooth. Allow the batter to stand for at least 20 minutes, as long as overnight if you want to get a jump start on this the night before (keep in fridge).

Preheat oven to 425F.

Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle half the sugar and half the cinnamon over, swirling the pan to combine. Place the apples over the sugar/butter mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon. Over medium heat, cook apples until softened a bit - they will finish cooking in the oven. Either with a flipper, or just doing that little tilt& jerk motion with the pan, get the apples covered evenly in the mixture. Add the liqueur, if using, stirring to combine. Cook another minute or so.

Pour the apple mixture in a lightly-greased 9" deep pie plate or any other appropriately-sized vessel. Carefully pour the pancake mixture over top. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 375F and bake another 10 minutes.

Serve immediately (it will begin to deflate as soon as you take it out of the oven). Serve with warm m-m-m-maple syrup!

Scotch Eggs - Kicked up!

I've been wanting to try baked Scotch eggs for some time. If you're not familiar with these little delights, a Scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg, encased in sausage meat. Usually they are deep-fried, which I never do. A couple years ago I googled baked Scotch eggs, and sure enough, there were baked versions.

At the Farmer's Market in Saskatoon, the annual WinterShines festival, a celebration/embracing of winter is coming up and the Market vendors are being encouraged to remain open a little longer. People coming to WinterShines will presumably be looking for items to buy that can be carried about and eaten while mulling about. The Scotch eggs came to mind, and the chance to finally try them out was here!

I opted to use a mild Italian sausage (hence, the 'kicked up' Scotch eggs) and seasoned breadcrumbs to coat, thinking the flavour would be excellent. Be daring & use hot Italian, if you prefer! I was right - they are like the regular Scotch eggs, only better. If you tend to get grey rings around your hard-boiled eggs, follow my recipe, you'll always get perfectly-done eggs with no rings.

Here's the recipe:

8 eggs
1 pkg (454 g) mild Italian sausage
1 egg, beaten with 1 TBSP milk
seasoned breadcrumbs, to coat (~ 1 cup)

Place the eggs in a pot large enough to hold them in a single layer. Fill with cold water, up to an inch above the eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat; once they come to a boil, removed from heat immediately, cover, and allow to sit for 12 to 17 minutes (12 for smaller eggs, up to 17 for extra-large eggs). Drain pot and rinse eggs with cold water until they remain cool. Note: to make an egg white congeal should an egg crack while cooking, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water prior to boiling.

Divide the sausage into 6 portions - I was lucky, the package of sausage I used came with 4 sausages, so I just halved them, squeezing the meat out of the casing. In either the palm of your hand or a cutting board, press out the meat into a small patty, making it as flat as you can. Place an egg in the center and carefully wrap/press the meat around the egg, making sure no egg white is peaking through. Roll in the egg wash, then roll in breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining eggs, then place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to allow the meat to set up and the crumb mixture to dry a bit.

Preheat oven to 400F. Baking on a parchment-lined sheet for 30 minutes, making sure meat is cooked through. Allow to cool, then serve. These are often served cold, making a great snack or a small lunch. Scotch eggs are eaten alone, or with a variety of sauces, often mustard-based.

If you'd like to try them with a sauce: mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 TBSP of a fine-grained mustard, 2 TSP honey and 2 TSP lemon juice (or to taste). Or, just plain mustard will do the trick, as well.

As for a candidate for WinterShines, I've decided against it. I will make them for my family, but they are a bit too labour-intensive for what I would be able to charge for them. I am glad I finally tried them - they'll be making frequent appearances in our kitchen :)

2011 Gifts from the Kitchen, as seen on SHAW TV

2011 Gifts from the Kitchen, as seen on SHAW TV

PUMPKIN PIE BISCOTTI

Perfect for gift-giving in a cellophane bag tied with ribbon!

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
2 TSP dried ginger
2 TSP cinnamon
1/2 TSP cloves
1/4 TSP allspice

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, dry-toasted in frying pan till puffed
1/2 cup chopped cranraisins

chopped white (or dark) chocolate for garnish - ~1/3 cup if just doing a drizzle, about 2/3 cup or more if dipping

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, stirring with a whisk to completely combine. In a large glass measure, mix together the pumpkin and vanilla, whisking to combine. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Add the pumpkin seeds and cranraisins, mix to combine.

Divide the dough into four portions. Shape each portion (flour your hands, if necessary) into 15 inch long log, approx. 1 inch in height. Place the logs at least 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool logs for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. Then, using a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheets (they can be close to each other now) and bake for 15 minutes (20 minutes if they are a little thicker than 1/2 inch) Cool completely on a wire rack.

White Chocolate Garnish:Fill a small pot 1/3 way with water; find a glass bowl that will sit nicely on top without the bottom actually touching the water (adjust water level as needed). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Add the white chocoate, stirring until completely melted. Dip one end, or one side, of each biscotti into the chocolate, then place on parchment to set.
Alternatively, you can drizzle chocolate over the biscotti sitting on top of a cooling rack, with a cookie sheet or parchment beneath to catch the excess.




BAKED MAPLE POPCORN

This makes a ton, as it's designed for gift-giving. It stores perfectly in the freezer, or scale recipe accordingly. Pack in holiday tins, or cellophane bags, for a gift that's sure to be loved!

1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 TSP salt
1/2 TSP baking soda
2 TSP vanilla extract
Optional: few drops of pure Maple extract (Boyajian brand - contact me for info if you love maple flavour and would like to purchase some)
1 cup unpopped popcorn (if kernels are kept in freezer, they will pop bigger & fluffier)

Heat oven to 250F. Cook the popcorn using method of your choice. Place the popped corn in lightly greased bowl(s).

In a small pot, melt together the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then allow to boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from mheat & stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract and maple extract (if using). Pour the mixture over the popcorn, mixing well to combine. Turn into a large roasting pan(s).

Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, stirring every so often to keep popcorn from clumping.

Spring 2011 Recipes as Seen on Shaw TV

Caakiri - a West African Dessert

Typically made with couscous (a durum semolina product), this rice-pudding-like dessert would have originally been made with a grain similar to millet. If you love rice pudding, but the idea of standing at the stove for half an hour is unappealing, this recipe is for you. Light versions of one or both of the yoghurt and sour cream can easily be used in this recipe, as they do not get cooked. I don't add any additional sugar to the mixture, as I find the caakiri sweet enough with the condensed milk and the sweetened vanilla.

2 cups uncooked couscous
4 cups water
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 TSP salt
1 TBSP butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 TSP vanilla
2 cups yoghurt (vanilla-flavoured, preferably)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 TSP cinnamon
1/4 TSP freshly grated nutmeg
sugar, to taste
cinnamon (for garnish)
any combination of fruit/seeds/chopped nuts for garnish

Bring the water, sugar & salt to a boil. Place the uncooked couscous in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water mixture over the couscous, stirring briefly to make sure there are no lumps. Cover with saran wrap and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap and fluff with a fork. The couscous will be wetter than normal couscous recipes, where the ratio is closer to 1:1. If the couscous is too dry at this stage, the pudding will eventually solidify. Add the butter, fluffing with fork until melted. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the condensed milk, vanilla, yoghurt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sour cream. Pour over the couscous, mixing to combine. At this point, taste for sweetness. Add additional sugar, if desired. Pour the mixture, or part of the mixture, into a serving platter.

Garnish elaborately (think strips, swirls, etc). Leave some space(s) for sprinkled cinnamon (or sprinkle cinnamon over the entire dish before garnishing so it can be seen through the garnish) Serve warm, or chilled. Store in the refrigerator.

Final Paris Moments - it was Frigorifique

Just a few pics and description from our last evening in Paris.

Our last meal was the 'one' meal we wanted to have while we were in Paris - traditional, (somewhat) formal, but not requiring a small loan.

I did a fair bit of research on picking a place, and then picking a place that had seats available. I settled on Le Reminet (rooster). Successfully making a reservation over the phone in french was my single biggest accomplishment, language-wise. When we arrived, they were expecting us.......all was good! Open up the link, you'll have soft jazz in the background (the restaurant is located in St. Germain des Pres - home of nu jazz). It completely lived up to the reviews - very quaint, old-style traditional, exceptional service, and most importantly, really wonderful food.

Here was my meal:

Carpaccio de betteraves rouges et jaunes en marinade exotique, beignet de langoustine 16e (right)

Filet de boeuf au poivre (didn't i say it was traditional?), pulpe de pommes rattes monte au beurre frais 28e (left)

And for dessert: Tube au chocolat a la mousse malibu (!)-coco fressinettes (baby bananas) flambees au rhum 9e

Heading back to the metro, we walked by this alley/lane, called, as depicted: rue du chat qui peche.

And, to sum up the entire Paris experience, my new favourite word:

Le Cordon Bleu Experience (finally)

Well, thank god for journals!! I can't believe it's been nearly two months since I took the class at Cordon Bleu, and I'm just now beginning to blog about it!

For the original Paris trip in the Spring (postponed due to the Iceland volcano) I was booked in the French Pastry class. For this trip, a Sweet & Savoury Macaron class was offered. I've been rather intrigued by these little beauties - they really are quite adorable. I thought this might be the 'new' product I've been looking to add to my Market repertoire. So, sign myself up I did.

Taking a class at Le Cordon Bleu started out being a surprise 'add on' to the Paris trip. In the months leading up to the trip, it somehow (not surprisingly, in hindsight) became the pinnacle of the entire purpose in going! The thought of walking those halls, where so many of great culinary significance have also walked, made me heart flutter.

The evening before the class I quadruple-checked my alarm setting. Having barely slept through the night due to the constant checking of the alarm clock (damn these OCD tendencies!!! ), I was a little worse for wear the morning of the class. We'd mapped out the subway trip the night before, so we knew (roughly) where we were headed. Once we found the street, I was surprised at what a quiet little area the school was located in. I'm not sure what I expected, but it really is a little gem, hidden on a tiny residential street. I arrived just past 8:30. The class was set to start at 9, with a light breakfast available before that. Once I checked in, I was presented with a package containing a Cordon Blue-emblazed apron and dishtowel, and a class package. Very excited about the apron!! The dining area was already buzzing with students for the Saturday classes, as wells as some of the full-time culinary students. When 9:00 approached, we were led up the stairs to the pastry kitchen on the 4eme floor (ie. 5th floor), we walked by a display of Julia Child memorabilia, which also included a photo of Meryl Streep taken at the school during the filming of Julie & Julia. This really was it - walking in the footsteps of culinary giants.

Once upstairs, we sorted ourselves out around the huge granite worktable (it housed 18 of us, plus the instructor and translator); a rough estimate of its size would be 20 ft x 5 ft. We were introduced to our instructor, Chef Daniel Walter. Immediately you felt at ease with this man, he has such a warm, pleasant way about him. Reading through his bio, he has been a consultant chef with Le Cordon Bleu since 2005. Prior to that, one of his significant career highlights was having his business awarded "Best Pastry Shop in Paris" in 1999 (in Paris!). Talk about learning from the best! How humbling.... He did not speak English - everything he said was translated directly by a lovely woman who stood at his side throughout the class. I was surprised at how much I understood, given my less than stellar accomplishments in Paris thus far (how silly I had been to think that 'it would all come back'!) Likely my comprehension was aided by the fact that he was talking about what I do/know/care about.........cooking! ;)

We were to do three Macaron recipes - chocolate, raspberry and a savoury one - olive tapenade (blechh!). He demonstrated the basic macaron recipe, comprised of just five ingredients: egg whites, almond flour, icing sugar, white sugar and creme of tartar. The basic recipe looked simple enough - it is all in the technique. If you are unfamiliar with macarons, you probably won't be for long, they've been sweeping our nation of late. Macarons, which look a little like a pastel hamburger, consist of two cookies, sandwiched together with buttercream/ganache/curd/jam. The cookie is an almond meringue, with a crisp, thin top layer, and airy middle, and a soft, chewy base. The base has a 'foot', a frilly edge, that should not extend past the edge of the round part of the cookie.

As with an Artisan bread class I took at Dubrulle in Vancouver, everything was already mise en place for us, so all we had to do was the actual making of the recipe. The recipe starts off with whisking egg whites until they're frothy, then adding the white sugar and creme of tartar in three additions. The whites are then beaten until thick & glossy. Did I mention we were whisking by hand? I laughed to myself at this, since I get the participants in my class to whisk whites or cream by hand, and now here I was! I was able to get my whites done first, thanks to my popeye forearms (kneading out all those thousands of batches of scones has finally paid off!!!). Chef Walter came by during the process to add some brown colouring. He took this moment to talk about the relatively recent increase in the intensity of the macaron colours. Although food colouring is not the most "traditional" of ingredients, macarons in all colours under the rainbow have become fashionable, and anything pale would be, well....pale. Apparently chocolate macarons with cocoa powder are the trickiest to prepare.

Once the whites were beaten to stiff peaks, the almond flour/icing sugar mixture was added, also in three additions. After mixing in the dry ingredients, the most important step, the 'macaronage' is done - this is the mixing/folding motion done until the batter is of the correct "flowing like lava" consistency. The batter is then piped out onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Being the mecca of macarons, the parchment paper they had was marked with a grid, just for making them! We made very tiny macarons, piping out maybe a teaspoon and a half of batter each. Once piped out, the batter settled out into a relatively flat pool. We finished the tops with a few flakes of Fleurs de Sel. At this point, the batter is left to rest to allow a crust to form on top. This, apparently, aids in forming the 'foot', the cute little frill you see on the bottom of the cookie.

While the chocolate batter was setting up, we started on the second recipe, raspberry. The basic recipe was the same. The forearms were a little fatigued the second time around. For this recipe, we were also doing a couple large macarons, along with the tiny ones. During this time, our first batch of macarons were out of the oven. I was both thrilled and relieved to see that mine looked pretty darned perfect - relieved because I have to say, I put a lot of pressure on myself for this class, since part of my living is made teaching people cooking classes! After peeling them off the parchment and placing them on a cooling rack, they were ready to be assembled with the chocolate ganache that Chef Walter had prepared for us. Looking at my completed macarons, I was so happy with how they turned out, looking just as they should. I was, however, about to discover the meaning of the term "don't rest on your laurels".

At this point, we took a break for lunch. There was an assortment of breads, shrimp salad, pates and crudites. Along with wine, of course - which I did not partake in, as this class is serious business! After chatting amongst ourselves once we were done with lunch, we were led back to the pastry kitchen. Our raspberry macarons had already been pulled from the oven. I took one look at my sheet and knew something had gone amiss - my large macarons had definitely not cooked long enough (they were cooking all the trays at once, so most were going to be either over- or under-baked). I'd have preferred over-baked, because under-baked, they're quite the disaster. The large ones were a write-off - there was simply no saving them. Again, my small ones looked perfect, just as they should. And thus began my macaron mystery obsession.......much more on that later.

As we started the third, savoury batch, I was trying to go over in my head what I did differently between the first and second batch. I just carried on, hoping that I'd figure it out somewhere along the way. The forearms were definitely feeling it at this point, I don't think I could have whipped them as stiff as the first time without the assistance of my old friend, Sir Kitchen Aid. For the savoury macaron, Chef Walter was quick to point out that the only reason we were doing this recipe was that it was listed on the class description; he didn't like the recent trend in making macarons savoury. When he prepared the olive tapenade, he made the most sour of faces, and then gave a half-smile and proclaimed, 'ah, c'est bon!'. He explained that he's a pastry chef, and savoury (esp tart, vinegary) is just not his thing. I mentioned that I had done a fig and olive tapenade in my classes and everyone seemed quite intrigued by that - sweetening the mixture does make it more palatable to some (like me).

We then began the assembly of the raspberry macarons. It turns out that the macaron we were preparing was inspired by the one made famous by Pierre Herme, the Rose Lychee Raspberry Macaron. Chef Walter made a white chocolate raspberry (chambord) ganache, and then a rose-flavoured french buttercream. We used both to fill the raspberry macarons, along with a canned lychee and fresh raspberries. Because my large macarons were a complete washout, I made a couple of the smaller ones into a lychee-free version (there was not enough room for one). They were still pretty cute.

Chef Walter then prepared a second filling for the savoury macaron - he decided to do a foie gras mousse. Foie gras is also not one of my favourite things. I have issues with organ meats in general, whether or not they are coveted in the culinary world (I've studied biology - given the processes that these things are designed to do......they're not particularly appetizing to me..........plus, I don't care for the organ-meat taste). By this time our savoury macarons were out of the oven - these were definitely the best batch yet. Not really caring to use either of the two savoury fillings, I used both. Of course, these macarons turned out the best out of the three, and I knew they were pretty much going to go to waste!

And that concluded my Cordon Bleu culinary experience! We were all presented with certificates of completion (which they had pre-printed with our names on them - nice touch!) and Chef Walter was available for photo ops. We were provided with Cordon Bleu cake boxes to pack up our little beauties. I purchased an insulated bag (with the Cordon Bleu logo, of course) to carry the boxes in - figured that would make for easier transport on the subway. As much as I was thrilled to take this one class, talking to those around me during the day, found out that most of the people there had/were taking several classes. The classes were basically the reason they came to Paris. The next time I take classes at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, it will be for a one month intensive course. I'd always struggled with choosing between cuisine and patisserie. After the Macaron class, and the obsession that ensued, my decision has been made.

La Grande Epicerie (oh how grande it was............)

After the Eiffel Tower visit, we were off to the next destination, La Grande Epicerie, located on the ground level of the Bon Marche.

I had heard tales of wonder and amazement.............and oh, the rumours were true! Truly, I was nearly rendered speechless as I walked into the store. I was expecting something smaller, I guess - the space was massive, the size of a good-sized grocery store. Wall to wall shelves of beautiful, high-end, eye candy..........in the form of food and food items. It was difficult to know where to start. We made our way towards the back of the store, the dairy section. The selection, the interesting products and packaging............amazing. Grabbed a container of banoffee pie, for starters. Saw egg cartons in easter colours, a section of baby vegetables, edible flowers, and stir fry veg kits that looked like works of art. And, Jones soda!!


The clientele of La Grande Epicerie are clearly foodies - this is no run-of-the-mill corner grocery store. Picture an olive display the size of entire deli section in one of our grocery stores - just olives! The ready-to-heat deli display was huge, with an amazing assortment of tantalizing dishes ready to take home and eat. Food from all over the world was represented - Asian potstickers, tandoori chicken, Turkish eggplant, honey-drenched Kataifi pastries.......it just never ended. We picked a container of eggplant caviar, a red pepper feta dip and a cous cous salad with yoghurt and chicken (so good!). We were given a sample of proscuitto that melted in your mouth......of course, we bought some.


There was a fabulous spice section, with many spices offered in bulk. One, of note, was mustard seeds for $25/kg. This is a crazy high price, for those not from the prairies where the seed is grown. For that price, the mustard wasn't even cleaned, as there were visible bits of debris.


The candy section was, not surprisingly, displayed elaborately. The cheese section contained so many treats for the eye, not just for the cheeses themselves, but for the packaging and decoration (I chose two goat cheeses). The produce displays looked like they came to life from a food photography shoot. A mushroom section to die for - with a massive section of beautiful chanterelles. We picked up some fresh figs and strawberries to go with the rest of our 'picnic' supper. I also snagged a container of marzipan cherries - complete with stems :)


For gifts, I picked up a couple jars of two-toned jam, raspberry on the bottom and peach on top. There were several items created just for picnics - a condiment set (which I bought) that had a tiny olive oil, balsamic, ketchup, mustard, salt & pepper. I also picked up a couple dozen tiny vinaigrettes, also for picnics. Too cute to pass up. Bought some crazy bowtie pasta, all from natural dyes (squid ink, tomato, turmeric, spinach), one that looked like licorice all sorts and one with pastel stripes. Knowing, full well, they were going to be a nightmare to transport back home. But, I could not resist.


I stopped by the patisserie section - the cakes (in small portion sizes) were works of art, everything looked absolutely perfect, many adorned with elaborate garnishes. I chose a mini Opera cake, a fruit/mousse cake that had a baby persimmon on top, and a chocolate cake for Dana. Macarons (lots, of course) and cupcakes were also there. Nearby the patisserie is the bakery - a myriad of artisan breads, baguettes, croissants.........





I picked up (had to, of course) yet another reusable shopping bag - it was only 15euros, I had to! In total we spent 142 euros..............my memories of La Grande Epicerie........priceless. This was my favourite experience of the trip (pre Le Cordon Bleu).