2011 JuneMon's Appetit | Mon's Appetit

“One of the most vexing tasks some bakers come across is making the perfect Parisian macaron, those ethereal little domes of almond meringue seen all over Paris, often filled with buttercream, ganache, or a fruity filling of jam.” -David Lebovitz, renowned Pastry Chef

I would say I am an experienced baker but as much as I love to bake, I am not an advanced baker. Cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, etc are relatively easy. These baked goods require only careful measurement of ingredients and to mix them together. My favorite cookie, however, is not easy.

Parisian-style macarons are light, delicate and melt in your mouth. I adore them. It’s an obsession, really. I love how the cookies can be made into any flavor and fit any color palette.

I’ve been wanting to make my own Parisian macarons for awhile, but these cookies require technique, not just following a recipe. Honestly, I was scared to attempt these cookies. But alas, I have nothing to do this week so I decided to finally attempt them. My cousin, Sofia, came over to photograph the process and be my moral support. It was a fun afternoon! The cookies are not impossible. They take patience, organization, and time. I would say from start to finish it took me 3 hours. Were my Parisian macarons perfect? Nope. But for my first attempt I consider it a success.

For my first ever attempt at making macarons I chose to follow Baking Bite’s recipe for Nutella Macarons. These are made with ground hazelnut instead of the more traditional almond. Nutella is made from hazelnut, so using hazelnut in the cookie works nicely.

Step 1: Gather your ingredients

Step 2: Grind hazelnuts in food processor. The finer you can grind them, the better.

Step 3: Sift in confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder.

Step 4: Add 2 egg whites and pulse mixture until a thick dough forms.

Step 5: In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a rapid boil.

Step 6: Beat the 2 remaining egg whites to soft peak while the sugar mixture boils.

Step 7: Once the sugar mixture boils, remove from heat. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN YOURSELF. With the mixer on medium speed slowly add the liquid into the egg whites. Beat until you have a thick, glossy meringue.

Step 8: Remove 2/3 of the meringue and set aside.

Step 9: Add the chocolate hazelnut mixture to the remaining 1/3 of meringue in the mixer. Slowly mix together.

Step 9: Gently fold in the previously set aside meringue. Note: do this gradually in 2-3 batches, your arm should hurt by the end The resulting batter will be airy.

Step 10: Line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 11: Transfer batter into a piping bag with a 1 cm opening. I used my dessert decorator tool from Wilton.

Step 12: Pipe batter onto prepared baking sheets, forming 1 inch discs.

Step 13: Preheat oven to 350. Let batter sit for 20 minutes before baking.

Step 14: Bake macarons for 10 minutes. Don’t be alarmed if your macarons look like mushrooms when you take them out of the oven. Once they cool they will lay flat. Let cool completely before filling.

Step 15: Take 1 cookie and spread a thin even layer of nutella. Take a second cookie and place on top to make a sandwich.

Step 16: Enjoy! You are done- time to eat your hard work!

Notes for next time:

-I am going to buy almond/hazelnut flour. This is key to getting the cookies extremely smooth. My food processor can’t grind nuts as fine as they need to be. Also, they need to be ground in a special way that prevents them from becoming oily (which happens if you use a food processor). My point: a food processor is fine, but for perfect macarons you need to buy almond/hazelnut flour.

-After piping the batter onto the baking sheets, I am going to smooth the top with a spatula. My macarons had a swirl so they were not flat.

***Major thanks to Sof for taking the beautiful pictures!!

Dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s:

Dark chocolate + toffee + sea salt + pecans + walnuts, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It was hard not eating the entire bar in one sitting!

Shellac Nails:

This is a special type of nail polish that doesn’t chip or crack for at least 2 weeks. It makes your nails look pretty for a long time. Best of all it doesn’t damage your nails. To me it is worth the extra dollars! The picture above is from today, almost 2 weeks after my manicure.

Magic Hat #9:

#9 — Not Quite Pale Ale A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there’s never been anything else quite like it.

I’m starting to crave this beer more than Blue Moon, which says a lot! It’s brewed in Vermont so it can be a little bit harder to find.

Flora & Muse:

This adorable cafe in Houston is located in CityCentre. It’s really hard to describe this cafe. On one side it’s a bistro/bar serving “pure & clean, local & seasonal and fresh & healthy ingredients to create this delicious farm-to-table cuisine with an international flair“. The other side is the patisserie serving coffee, sweet & savory pastries, amazing desserts and a flower shop.

I think their website says it best:

Flora & Muse was derived from the idea of marrying two great things—art & Roman mythology, romance & beauty, sweet & savory, laughter & people. Flora & Muse represents the idea of two people sharing a moment together in a charming yet eclectic setting—a concept that its owners found easy to come by during their travels in Europe but found few and far between in the states, and completely absent in Houston. Longing for that European style bistro that offered the lively yet casual atmosphere of a bistro combined with the sweet temptations of a patisserie, a new eatery was born—

The place to go in Houston for food & cocktails, coffee & pastries, flowers & friends.

A place where friends, fashionistas, artists, professionals and starry-eyed lovers could meet for coffee, dinner, a fabulous pastry or simply for inspiration. A place where the aroma of fresh-baked artisanal bread being pulled from a brick oven overcomes you when you first walk in, and a place where friends can sip a mojito al fresco while watching families shop and ladies walk their dogs. A place where high tea and a macaron are an absolute must and where going for a late afternoon coffee might turn into dinner and drinks. It is a place where a husband who is late can make up for it in spades with a fresh bouquet and chocolate.

The place would be called Flora & Muse. A bistro & bar and late-night eatery all nestled into one spot—the heart of CityCentre.

While I was in Houston earlier this month I went twice. The first time I met two of my aunts for late night drinks and appetizers on their patio. The second time was for dinner with Andie & Luis (the night after their wedding!), Sofia & Dan, and Chris and myself.

The food and ambiance is so unique. If you come visit me in Houston, I guarantee I will bring you to Flora & Muse!