I had the privilege to taste my very first macaron ever at the ultimate macaron temple: La Durée at Paris. So of course, it can not be any different than that I was addicted from the first bite. I have no idea how they do it, but they simply make the very best macarons you can ever eat. And don't even get me started on the interior...


Whenever we are in Paris, La Durée is a necessary stop. Usually, we all take 1 - 2 macarons, but when we feel really luxurious, we go inside and eat/drink a hot chocolate. Yes, I am serious about the eating part because when you finish it (if you are even able to), you won't have to eat the next day. It is like a chocolate cream. Absolutely delicious though.


Last year, La Durée made an amazing decision. They opened up a store in Antwerp. Macarons every day? I would love to. Sad thing that they are so expensive though. When the store just opened, I went there with my mom and we bought some macarons in a fancy box (the Napoléon one). I have it standing in my room for decoration now and it looks very nice!

But let's stop talking about my love for La Durée. In a sale a while back, I bought a beautiful book about macarons. It had a lot of explanation in it and - my favourite part - some amazing recipes. I even bought a sugar thermometer, but still was afraid to make them. I had tried whipping up egg whites twice before, but they both failed (because I was using kneading hooks, smart!). But this weekend, I finally decided to just go for it so I could silence my macaron craving.

I decided to go for vanilla macarons, since they are not too special but are still very delicious! And you can't believe how proud I am. Macarons are known to be very difficult to make, because they are very fragile - but I did it. I'm not saying you whip these up in a minute or that they are easy, but they are worth it! Perfect to make on a rainy day. So all I can say is: go for it! You'll be proud the entire week.

Ingredients
for approximately 40 macarons

• 200 grams (1.8 cups) almond powder
• 200 grams (1.6 cups) icing sugar
• 75 ml (5 tablespoons) water
• 200 grams (0.9 cup) fine sugar
• 2 x 80 grams egg whites
• 1/2 vanilla-pod
• optional: white colouring

Filling (whipped cream with mascarpone)

• 250 grams (1.1 cup) mascarpone
• 60 grams (1/2 cup) icing sugar
• 1/2 vanilla-pod
• 250 ml (1 cup) full-fat cream

Mix the almond powder with the icing sugar. Sift the mixture and set aside.

In a pan, heat up the water with the fine sugar. Heat the syrup, without stirring, to 115°C/230°F.

Whip up 80 grams of the egg whites with a mixer on low speed. Raise the speed as soon as the syrup temperature rises above 105°C/210°F. Take the syrup off the stove as soon as the temperature is 115°C/230°F and pour carefully into the egg whites (preferably while still whipping). Whip the meringue for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is cooled off.

Mix the 80 grams unwhipped egg whites into the almond and sugar mixture and keep stirring until it becomes a creamy paste. Cut open the vanilla-pod and mix the granules through for a nice effect. If you would like to use colouring, this is your moment.

Carefully fold one third of the meringe through the almond paste, so it gets less stiff. Fold through the rest of the meringue slowly and watch out not to overfold.

Put the mixture into a piping bag and line some baking sheets with baking paper. I prefer using silicone, if you use paper then check the tip. Use the piping bag to put rounds the size of a walnut on the baking sheets. Make sure there is enough room or they might stick to each other. Let the scallops dry at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Bake them for 14 minutes. They should not look brown. You could put the baking sheets on a cold surface - it makes it easier to get them off. Let them cool completely before you put the filling on them.

Filling:
Mix the mascarpone with the powder sugar and the vanilla granules until it is a creamy paste. In a different bowl, whip up the cream until it is almost whipped completely. Fold through the mascarpone mixture and whip up completely.

Make sure the macaron scallops have cooled completely and now comes the fun part: find partners for each scallop. As soon as that is done, you can use a teaspoon or a piping bag to put the filling in between the scallops.

The macarons are best after one day. You have to keep these in the fridge and they should be eaten within 4 - 5 days. Enjoy!

TIP: Put small dots of the mixture in the corners of your baking sheet before you put on your baking paper. This way, it will stick to the sheet and the macarons will be nice and flat.