Macarons

I think it's fair to say that the cupcake has gone the way of the sweet potato fry and the chipotle pepper.

They're ubiquitous. We love them and we'll keep eating them, but as food trends go, they're past their peak.

With every exhausted fad, though, comes something new for people to salivate over. In the sweet department, the cupcake has been shoved aside by an equally pretty young thing: the macaron.

Macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons) are lovely little ground almond and egg white cookies sandwiched together with flavoured buttercream. They come in an eye-catching array of colours and, thanks to their good looks and memorable taste and texture (crisp outer shells giving way to squishy meringue and silky icing), they're the current darlings of North American bakeries and patisseries. Here is the part where the Parisians would roll their eyes -- there, they've been a staple treat for many moons.

Shops dedicated to macarons alone have popped up in Toronto and Montreal. And the little cookies are the new thing at weddings (in showstopping tree-like towers or as boxed favours), showers and parties. Some are touting them as a more affordable -- but equally attractive -- alternative to cakes and cupcakes.

Here in the Waterloo region, Kate Sauer has been making macarons at her Waterloo patisserie, Sabletine, since it opened 16 months ago. She's makes them to order (though you may also find them ready-to-buy at the bakery in smaller quantities) in a variety of colours and flavours -- chocolate, grapefruit, cassis, raspberry, passionfruit, orange blossom and lemon.

If you're feeling ambitious and are looking for a Family Day kitchen project (or something sweet for your Valentine, perhaps?), why not make your own? Just don't expect to whip them together in an hour.

"My words of wisdom would be patience," says Sauer. "They take a long time, so don't try to do it in a rush."

Key things to remember, she says: Don't try this on a humid day; weigh your ingredients for best results; don't underwhip or overwhip the egg whites; and let your piped cookies dry before you put them in the oven or they'll crack.

Here's a recipe from the website Serious Eats, with some alterations and added advice from Sauer. These are for chocolate macarons. You could take away the cocoa powder and use a little gel food colouring to make the meringue cookies the hue of your choice, then add colour to the buttercream icing, as well. The icing is also the place to play with flavour (using zest, extracts, and so on).

Basic Chocolate Macaron Cookie

Makes approximately 30 to 50 finished macarons

225 grams icing sugar

125 grams ground almonds

20 grams cocoa powder

110 grams egg whites (about 4) at room temperature

30 grams granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1. On parchment, use a pencil to draw one-inch circles about two inches apart. Flip sheet over and place on a baking sheet (you'll likely need to do about three baking sheets worth). 

2. Push almond flour through a sieve, and sift icing sugar and cocoa powder. Mix all three in a bowl set aside. If the mixture isn't dry, spread on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at the lowest setting until it is.

3. In a large, clean, dry bowl, whip egg whites with salt on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to whip to stiff peaks -- the whites should be firm and shiny.

4. With a flexible spatula, gently fold icing sugar mixture into egg whites until completely incorporated. The mixture should be shiny. When small peaks dissolve to a flat surface, stop mixing.

5. Fit a piping bag with a 3/8-inch (1 cm) round tip (or fill a plastic baggie and cut the corner off). Pipe the batter into circles draw on parchment (use a moist fingertip to flatten any peaks). Tap the underside of the baking sheet to remove air bubbles. Let dry at room temperature for one to two hours to allow skins to form. At this point, they should be tacky (not wet) to the touch.

6. Bake in a 325F oven for 10 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 5 minutes for even baking. (Note: The recipe suggests using a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar but Sauer says she's never done this).

7. Remove macarons from oven and transfer parchment to a cooling rack. When completely cool, slide a metal offset spatula or paring knife underneath cookies to remove from parchment.

8. Pair cookies of similar size and pipe about 1/2 tsp of filling (recipe follows) onto one cookie. Sandwich macarons and refrigerate to allow flavours to blend together. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cream Ganache 

230 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Place the chocolate in a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients and keep it close at hand. In a separate bowl, work the butter with a rubber spatula until it's soft and creamy. 

2. Bring the cream to a full boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and, working with the rubber spatula, gently stir the cream into the chocolate. Start stirring gently in the centre of the mixture and work your way out in widening circles. Continue to stir without creating bubbles until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. 

3. Let cool slightly, then add the butter in two additions, mixing with the spatula from the centre, again in widening circles. When the butter is fully incorporated, the ganache should be smooth and glossy. Let it sit at room temperature or chill it slightly in the fridge (stirring it now and again) to get it to the right consistency for piping.