MACARON WORKSHOP NYC

I have a bit of a sweet tooth but I rarely crave cookies or cupcakes. If I could only eat two desserts for the rest of my life, I'd go with Talenti sea salt caramel gelato (there are no words) and vanilla macarons. I'd been told that macarons are difficult to make but stubbornly I wanted to see for myself so Will and I signed up for a macaron workshop at Mille-Feuille through Vimbly, a booking site for activities and classes in New York. 

The class was taught by a fabulous French baker named Olivier (I mean, really, what more could you ask for?) and had only six students so it was easy to keep up. But it's true what they say: macarons are not a walk in the park! It's a very involved process and it would definitely take a lot of practice for me to be able to make them at home... I might even have to take the workshop again just to get more comfortable with what everything should look like before progressing to the next step. For those who requested the recipe when I posted on Instagram, here goes! Good luck :)

SHELLS: (~75 macarons)

In a large bowl, sift together:

385 grams confectionary sugar

385 grams almond powder

Then add the following:

155 grams raw egg whites

Add coloring according to your desired color. (We were in charge of vanilla so these are just white!)

In a KitchenAid bowl, whip the following gently until firm:

155 grams egg whites

(Optional ingredients: 3 grams dried egg whites, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or 1 pinch cream of tartar)

In a sauce pan, cook at 245°F the following then pour it on the whipped egg whites:

475 grams regular sugar

160 grams water

Add the meringue little by little to the first batter.

Pipe the macarons on a tray then leave them for 20-25 minutes minimum at room temperature.

Bake at 320° F for 13-14 minutes.

Vanilla Ganache (~25 macarons)

Bring to a boil:

95 grams cream (36% or 40% fat)

2 vanilla beans (Amadeus Trading Company), should be moist and soft

Pour on the following:

190 grams Ivoire Valrhona (Valrhona 35% white chocolate or Soie from Guittard)

Blend, spread in a tray, and put in the fridge.

Chocolate Ganache (~25 macarons)

Bring to a boil:

95 grams cream (36% or 40% fat)

Pour on the following:

85 grams Caraibes Valrhona (66% chocolate)

35 grams European style butter (>82% fat, cut in pieces)

15 grams honey

Blend, spread in a tray, put in the fridge.

Pistachio Ganache (~25 macarons)

Bring to a boil:

95 grams cream (36% or 40% fat)

Pour on the following:

210 grams Ivoire Valrhona (Valrhona 35% white chocolate or Soie from Guittard)

20 grams of Pistachio paste

Blend, spread in a tray, put in the fridge.

Once the shells are baked and the ganache is chilled, you can match up shells of a similar size and sandwich them together with a drop of ganache. They actually tasted delicious — I just don't trust myself to recreate them properly when left to my own devices! Still it was a really fun workshop, went by super quickly, and we each got to take home a box of macarons. A great way to spend a Saturday morning in New York!

If you're interested in taking the same workshop, you can sign up through Vimbly here. (They're also in Boston, Chicago, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Orlando, and Seattle!) Here's a list of other Vimbly experiences that I can't wait to take advantage of!

Ballroom dancing

Gelato making class

NYC helicopter tour 

Pottery class

Scavenger hunt

I have a bit of a sweet tooth but I rarely crave cookies or cupcakes. If I could only eat two desserts for the rest of my life, I'd go with Talenti sea salt caramel gelato (there are no words) and vanilla macarons. I'd been told that macarons are difficult to make but stubbornly I wanted to see for myself so Will and I signed up for a macaron workshop at Mille-Feuille through Vimbly, a booking site for activities and classes in New York. 

The class was taught by a fabulous French baker named Olivier (I mean, really, what more could you ask for?) and had only six students so it was easy to keep up. But it's true what they say: macarons are not a walk in the park! It's a very involved process and it would definitely take a lot of practice for me to be able to make them at home... I might even have to take the workshop again just to get more comfortable with what everything should look like before progressing to the next step. For those who requested the recipe when I posted on Instagram, here goes! Good luck :)

SHELLS: (~75 macarons)

In a large bowl, sift together:

385 grams confectionary sugar

385 grams almond powder

Then add the following:

155 grams raw egg whites

Add coloring according to your desired color. (We were in charge of vanilla so these are just white!)

In a KitchenAid bowl, whip the following gently until firm:

155 grams egg whites

(Optional ingredients: 3 grams dried egg whites, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or 1 pinch cream of tartar)

In a sauce pan, cook at 245°F the following then pour it on the whipped egg whites:

475 grams regular sugar

160 grams water

Add the meringue little by little to the first batter.

Pipe the macarons on a tray then leave them for 20-25 minutes minimum at room temperature.

Bake at 320° F for 13-14 minutes.

Vanilla Ganache (~25 macarons)

Bring to a boil:

95 grams cream (36% or 40% fat)

2 vanilla beans (Amadeus Trading Company), should be moist and soft

Pour on the following:

190 grams Ivoire Valrhona (Valrhona 35% white chocolate or Soie from Guittard)

Blend, spread in a tray, and put in the fridge.

Chocolate Ganache (~25 macarons)

Bring to a boil:

95 grams cream (36% or 40% fat)

Pour on the following:

85 grams Caraibes Valrhona (66% chocolate)

35 grams European style butter (>82% fat, cut in pieces)

15 grams honey

Blend, spread in a tray, put in the fridge.

Pistachio Ganache (~25 macarons)

Bring to a boil:

95 grams cream (36% or 40% fat)

Pour on the following:

210 grams Ivoire Valrhona (Valrhona 35% white chocolate or Soie from Guittard)

20 grams of Pistachio paste

Blend, spread in a tray, put in the fridge.

Once the shells are baked and the ganache is chilled, you can match up shells of a similar size and sandwich them together with a drop of ganache. They actually tasted delicious — I just don't trust myself to recreate them properly when left to my own devices! Still it was a really fun workshop, went by super quickly, and we each got to take home a box of macarons. A great way to spend a Saturday morning in New York!

If you're interested in taking the same workshop, you can sign up through Vimbly here. (They're also in Boston, Chicago, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Orlando, and Seattle!) Here's a list of other Vimbly experiences that I can't wait to take advantage of!

Ballroom dancing

Gelato making class

NYC helicopter tour 

Pottery class

Scavenger hunt