macaron take #4 - coffee caramel macarons.

To be honest, this isn't take #4, it's take #5. The actual #4 batch was such a flop, probably as bad as my first batch, that I wanted to bury it within the deep recesses of my mind so I decided not to take any pictures. After trying so many tries, I find that my second batch produced the most desirable results so far. The batter was super sticky and more difficult to squeeze and I need to keep that consistency of the batter in mind the next time I try making macarons. Again.

I was so desperate for my macarons to work this time, I googled almost every page on troubleshooting macarons and I came across this page. She used a different macaron recipe and even suggested not beating the heck out of the macaron batter. I followed her instructions obediently and while my macarons didn't show any frilly feet this time, it was definitely under-mixed.

The shells were too full of air and fragile. Just a tiny poke and I created a dent! Uh-oh. Not good. I knew something would go wrong when the batter was too easy to pipe. And instead of parchment paper, I used a silicon baking mat despite knowing that it would produce shorter feet. But I think the silicon baking mat prevented my feet from exploding at the sides. Or is it just the batter consistency? Hmm...

On the bright side, no cracks in this batch again! At least not when baking. And I think I've gone overboard with the caramel filling. It's highly fluid so even a half teaspoon can result in a gooey mess spilling out of the macaron. Anyway, since this caramel is quite sweet, you may want to avoid spooning too much of it into the macaron.

I want, no, I need to get this right soon. My mum is already complaining at how much almond meal I've already consumed. Not good for the wallet, as we all know. I'm really near my wit's end. I've read Tartelette's, Syrup and Tang's, Not So Humble Pie's and many other sites on macaron making, not to mention the You Tube videos but I still can't perfect it. WHY?! Argh!

Anyway, if you would like to know the recipe for the coffee caramel filling, click here:)