Homework

I have never really minded doing homework. I think it comes from the part of me that likes to see things through, from beginning to end. In school, that meant working on math problems until the formulas made sense or writing a paper for English that peeled apart the delicate layers of prose to reveal a greater meaning.

Whatever the exact reason for seeking a sense of closure or finality, it has extended into my work life. When I am tasked to brainstorm a project, research a story or develop a tricky recipe, I can not accept any result but the one that leaves me with a mental A+. It's kind of annoying.

The downside of working as a freelancer is that sometimes your time on a project runs out before you have reached the final stages and you have to leave the last bits of the puzzle to someone else. Although I have come to accept that, I often find myself continuing to mull it over in the days following. I may research why a quick bread didn't rise consistently, the origins of an ingredient that was new to me or if another method there was no time to try would have produced a better result. One colleague has, affectionately, referred to me as a bulldog when I get stuck on an issue. Somewhat stubborn and not willing to easily let go of the proverbial bone. What can I say? I can be stubborn and have a strong sense of intellectual curiosity. I have always wanted to know the why and not just the what.

One of the most frustrating things for someone like me to develop is a French macaron and this was one of my more recent challenges. The macaron is a crispy shelled chewy cookie made from egg whites, sugar and ground nuts. Although you could eat them plain, they are usually sandwiched with a creamy, chocolaty or fruity filling. They are currently enjoying fame in bakeries all around the country and have flavors ranging from basic vanilla to exotic rose, lemongrass, yuzu and licorice. They are cute, colorful 2 to 3 bite treats and I figured, how hard could they be?

Well.....that is an unusual question. It's not that the macaron is hard, it is that it is fickle and unpredictable. I read, in one of the many articles I plowed through about the subject, that even professional bakers end up discarding 20% of their macarons due to cracking, hollow centers or the lack of proper feet on the cookie. For those who have not yet been driven nuts (no pun intended) by the macaron, the foot refers to the signature crack that runs around the cookie, just above the base. Although a footless macaron can still be delicious, it just doesn't quite look right in my eyes. Like a cupcake without frosting or a meatloaf without a glaze.

It seemed as if for every problem there were two opposing solutions. For example, I read that if a macaron does not develop proper feet it could be that the piped cookies did not rest for long enough to create a skin on the outside. Or it could be that they rested too long and became firmly attached to the baking sheet. I read that if the macaron crack on top, your oven could be too hot. Or it could be too cold. Or it could have hot and/or cold spots. Seeing as how I didn't have a month to try every possible combination, I took my best educated guesses and continued on.

After much trial and error and sincere bewilderment I thought I had finally worked out a great recipe with helpful instructions, until the crosstest of the recipe failed. Although the issues in the recipe ultimately got worked out, my mind was still churning and I decided I had to make them at home just one more time for my own closure.

While I can't really share with you the recipe yet (I will update after it has been published) I thought I could at least share a few tips that I learned through the process:

1. Do some research. But not too much!
I found watching a video of the talented Joanne Chang making macarons to be very helpful. She is knowledgeable and approachable and made me feel like I, too, could make these cookies successfully. Do not follow up watching that video with hours of reading conflicting recipes, tips and claims of no-fail methods! You will be confused. Trust me. Try making them yourself and then if it doesn't go quite right, research from there.

2. Do not be fooled into folding your batter into a runny mess:
I read great deal about how to know when you have the correct texture of the batter which is essential for a successful cookie. Although the whipped egg whites are the structure of the cookie, when you fold in the ground nuts and confectioners' sugar, you need to deflate the egg whites to loosen the batter. Many people described the texture of the batter to be that of molten lava. But if you fold the batter to get to that point, by the time you actually get the batter into a pastry bag and piped out, it will be too runny and the cookies will be hollow inside and cracked on top. Err on the side of a stiffer batter because it will loosen as you work with it.

3. Don't expect perfection. It is how this cookie crumbles!
There are so many factors to a perfect macaron that are entirely dependent on an individual. For your oven and equipment, you may find better results if you use two baking sheets stacked on top of one another. You may want to adjust your oven temperature by 10 degrees up or down, or leave the oven cracked open with a wooden spoon. You may live in a humid environment and find you need to let them sit out for an hour instead of 20 minutes to let the skin develop. In the process of figuring this out , you will have imperfect macarons. It's ok. They are still cute and tasty and impressive. Enjoy the imperfections and chalk it up to experience!