Round Two

I would forgive your mind straying, just ever so little, if I said I enjoyed a smooth top and you giggled. However, I will redirect you and your mind away from the gutter’s edge by mentioning I am referring to macaroons rather than a person in said position.

Having my brother as a house guest for the weekend provided an excuse, not that I needed one, to take another crack at baking these meringue treats. Learning from last week, when it came time to fold in the sifted sugar and ground hazelnuts, I folded with a little more vigor. At first I thought more that I should have.

I took being able to more or less pour the batter into the piping bag as a sign that I had not achieved the correct texture. My hopes were somewhat buoyed when the mixture held its shape as it landed on the parchment paper. Smooth tops where achieved and a slight skinned formed as they rested.

Not 100% sure they were going to turn out, and of course not wanting to go without dessert, I knocked together an apple pie while the roons rested. IronGirl would arrive later with cupcakes in tow so there ended up being plenty o’ sweet treats.

IronMan was less than impressed that I felt it necessary to wash out the piping bag for a future use. I pointed out that “a dollar is a dollar” and he pointed out that the bags were actually two for a dollar. Still, waste not, want not I say.

My fears, as it turns out, were unfounded and not only did I get macaroons with a smooth surface, I also got what many recipes refer to as ‘legs’, a little crusty ring around the base.

Having not been a huge fan of the dark chocolate ganache, I opted instead for a butter cream filling and they were delicious!

Next weekend, if the addition of some colour is a success, I think these will become a regular during the Christmas season.