{"id":17368,"date":"2015-01-15T06:00:35","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=17368"},"modified":"2022-10-02T11:05:24","modified_gmt":"2022-10-02T18:05:24","slug":"how-to-make-perfect-macarons-with-stephane-treand-mof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/how-to-make-perfect-macarons-with-stephane-treand-mof\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Make French Macarons with Stephane Treand, MOF"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

French Macaron Baking Class<\/h2>\n

With the skill and patience of master pastry chef St\u00e9phane Tr\u00e9and and the help of my daughter, the Young Baker, these lovely French macarons turned out nearly perfect. It’s still hard for me to believe that I had a hand in making them.<\/p>\n

\"Pastry<\/a><\/h2>\n

Characteristics of a Perfect Macaron<\/h2>\n

Two hours in a gleaming professional kitchen, adjacent to ST Patisserie Chocolat in South Coast Collection (SOCO) and I left with an elegantly boxed treasure of exquisite two-color cassis macarons and a whole lot of knowledge about the techniques that go into making macarons and what a perfect macaron should be like. Never a huge fan of the diminutive – I have a savory tooth vs. sweet and prefer a cheese course over dessert, \u00a0chef St\u00e9phane Tr\u00e9and described a “cookie” whose outer shell is slightly rounded with bubbly “feet”, the ruffled edges of the shells; the delicate shell itself is initially crispy, cracking at first bite to reveal cake-like moistness underneath and the luscious, vibrantly-colored sweetness of the filling. I may be late to the party, but I arrive as an exuberant convert ready to spread the gospel according to chef St\u00e9phane Tr\u00e9and.<\/p>\n

Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Make French Macarons with Master Pastry Chef St\u00e9phane Tr\u00e9and<\/h2>\n

ST Patisserie Chocolat <\/a>by master pastry chef St\u00e9phane Tr\u00e9and offers a selection of modern and traditional French pastries, chocolates, and other artistic delights. In addition to the patisserie, Stephane also shares his passion through teaching classes at his adjacent school, “The Pastry School”. Classes range from 1-hour demonstrations for food enthusiasts to intensive 3-month programs for professionals.<\/p>\n

Here’s what I learned in two short hours – which were probably two long hours for Chef St\u00e9phane Tr\u00e9and. Kudos to chef for his undying charm and patience!<\/p>\n

\"Stephane<\/a><\/p>\n

Types of Meringue<\/h2>\n

First of all, if you’re a baker, which I am not, you probably know there are three different kinds of meringue. We, of course, used French Meringue. But there are two other kinds – Swiss and Italian. Chef\u00a0Tr\u00e9and explained the differences and best uses for each.<\/p>\n

A whipped mixture of sugar and egg whites, meringue is used to lighten souffl\u00e9s, mousses, and cake mixtures; to make pie toppings for pies such as Lemon Meringue and\u00a0desserts like Baked Alaska and crisp baked meringues. There are three types of meringue; their differences lie in when and how the sugar is added:<\/p>\n

French Meringue <\/strong>This uncooked meringue is the one most people are familiar with. The sugar is gradually beaten into the egg whites once they have reached soft peaks, and then the mixture is whipped to firm peaks. (It\u2019s best to use superfine or a mixture of superfine and confectioners\u2019 sugar for this, because they dissolve quickly.) This type of meringue is the least stable but also the lightest, which makes it perfect for souffl\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

Italian Meringue\u00a0<\/strong>The most stable of all the meringues, this is made with a sugar syrup that has been heated to the soft-ball stage (236\u00b0F to 240\u00b0F). The hot sugar syrup is gradually beaten into the egg whites after soft peaks have formed and then whipped to firm glossy peaks. Its stability and smooth texture make it great for egg white buttercreams and mousses.<\/p>\n

Swiss Meringue<\/strong> Firm and slightly denser than the others, a Swiss meringue is made by stirring sugar and egg whites together over a pot of simmering water until they are very warm to the touch before whipping them (types of whisks<\/a>). The early addition of the sugar prevents the egg whites from increasing as much in volume as they do in the other meringues, but adds to its fine texture. Swiss meringue is particularly good for baking crisp meringue cake layers and for topping pies. {Source: \u00a0Fine Cooking<\/em><\/a> #116, pp. 87}<\/p>\n

How to Make French Macarons Video<\/h2>\n

In this short video, Chef Tr\u00e9and shows us how to pipe the shells to make perfectly round, uniformly sized macaron shells. It is definitely the hardest part of the process and requires finesse that comes with years of practice. Even after making a mess of trying to transfer cassis puree to my piping bag, chef told me I did really well at piping considering it was my first time. See what I mean…as charming as dandy Oscar Wilde who also said\u00a0\u201cIf a woman cannot make her mistakes charming, she is only a female.\u201d{Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories}<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n