The Making of the Smallest Greatest Treat!

So here are some pictures of my labor of love. Some people wonder if I get jaded, especially since these Diva babies bring the word temperamental to a whole new level. But i must say.. it never gets old. I still get those nervous feelings for the first 3 minutes of popping them into the oven, wondering if it's going to be a successful batch. I still worry if the humidity will cause the macs to stick on the parchment (it happens during rainy days). I still smile involuntarily, everytime i see a perfect batch (with tonnes of feet and no cracks), everytime the oven's timer beeps.

Piped and drying away, before i pop them into the oven

Pretty feet, just the right height

So now that the baking process is done, let's see if they get off the parchment easily. There's a technique to get these babies off the paper. Some people reckon to quick-dip the bottom of the parchment into some cold water. Tried that and my macarons did get off the parchment easily, but the result can be disastrous. You might end up with soggy macaron shells if you are not careful. The trick is to turn the parchment upside down, hold it about 1 inch from your table's surface, and tug the paper at both ends, the shock will detach the macarons from the parchment. Your macarons need to cool down completely before you do that.

perfect bases, not too dry, not too wet

Now to fill those babies with sinfully rich fillings. I always tell people that while making the filling, you need to make sure that the filling are not too sweet. The macaron shells itself has loads of sugar. You can't cut down sugar for the shells. If you do, they won't rise, or you won't get the consistency you want. It will be heavy, chewey and it might either crack, or lack feet. So don't worry if your filing is not sweet. There are tonnes of amazing recipes online for macaron filings. Always cut the sugar in half.

Assorted Filings: Dark Choc, White Choc, Creamy Peanut Butter and Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Creamy salty Peanut butter filing for the pinks!

Peanut butter might feel cheap and common, but with the right recipe, it can be a match made in heaven. Don't underestimate the power of this humble flavor! This filing is creamy, peanuty, and salty. It compliments the sweet shells in all the right ways possible.

Melting Moments:by Fay signature White Choc Macadamia

Right here, we have our Signature White Choc Macadamia. Made from the finest Valrhona ivory choc, and salted roasted macadamia nuts. The next best thing to Haagen Dazs' Macadamia ice cream. Making white chocolate ganache is a little bit more tricky than dark chocolate ganache. You need equal amounts of whipped cream and white chocolate. And you have to make it a day in advance and pop it in the chiller, otherwise it will be too runny. The reason why white chocolate needs to be set is because of the presence of cocoa butter compounds in it. Also, don't attempt to make White Choc ganache with cheap cooking chocolate. You can put them in the freezer for days and they will melt into liquid once at room temperature.

Waiting to be devoured!

Black Tie Macarons with Valrhona Dark Choc Filing

And there you have it! The final products! Tomorrow, they will be delivered to their respective buyers and put a smile on their faces!

Sigh.. And this is why i make these babies... The relentless joy it brings to people is immeasurable!!!

Cheerios!.