laduree macarons

1. Sometimes, I eat Laduree macarons for “blog research”. It’s a hard job but someone has to do it.

2. Actually, one of my running friends gave me these as a thank you this past weekend, and it just so happened that I am working on a project this month that involves making the perfect mac. Talk about perfect timing. I don’t feel like I absorbed quite enough of the good mac juju from eating these, though, because my most recent batch was partly cracked and hollow in the middle. Womp womp. I think I need to go back for a second round. I’m still posting them tomorrow, though, because even a bad mac is a good mac! If you have macaron tips and/or a failproof recipe, you can feel free to send it my way. Hint hint.

3. I have done zero wedding things in the past two months. I can’t tell whether this makes me super happy or super anxious. Or just negligent.

4. Eats Well With Others got LLC-ed this past week! This has absolutely no effect on you at all, except that you might have to listen to me explain that I am now a CEO of a small business. And you will have to try to keep a straight face while I say it.

5. Currently obsessed with this cookbook. So far it has produced the best pie crust I’ve ever had (you can actually SEE THE FLAKY LAYERS) and sweet salty peanutty blondie heaven. Someone needs to take it away from me before I bake myself into high cholesterol.

6. I just want you all to know that I really intended to make mango gelato for the past two weekends. But somehow all the mangoes disappeared. Into my belly. And for that, I apologize.

7. How do you guys feel about sifting? I never sift. Until two days ago when I decided it might be a good idea, but I don’t have a real sifter, so I just put flour in a fine-meshed sieve and kind of tried to push it through. <– Non-ideal. I think more flour ended up falling out of the sieve and into the bowl instead of actually going through it. All it did was convince me I should never try to sift again.

8. The only thing The.Boy enjoys more than screaming at the tv during baseball/football/hockey games. Is screaming at the tv during Shark Tank. Like, every five seconds.

9. I try not to even be in the same room as him when Law and Order is on, because then nothing is sacred. Which is pretty hard because our whole apartment is basically one room.

10. Who is going to go see The Other Woman with me?? (You know you want to.)

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69 Responses to Wednesday Coffee Talk

  1. I am with you on the sifting! Whisking works well enough for me, and less messy, too!

    Those macarons look awesome! As for making them, as long as they taste good, that’s what matters. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Sues says:

    Beautiful macarons! I’m working on a recipe, too ๐Ÿ™‚ I’ve never made them before and only have one day to do it in, so it will be interesting!

    Congrats on the LLC!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Monica says:

    I try to avoid sifting too but speaking of macarons, I think it’s unavoidable with making those. Making macs is unpredictable and I also have the issue with hallow centers. I hear using the Italian/meringue method helps with that. I like my macarons really chewy and they come out that way for me with the usual french method so I’m okay with it. How good does mango gelato sound! Have you had the one from Amorino gelato? Think the shop opened in nyc recently.

  4. Allison says:

    Congrats on the LLC! You’re even more legit now than you were before! Very cool accomplishment. And Shark Tank has redefined our Friday nights. Ok actually the baby has, but “TERRIBLE idea!” is the phrase of choice most Friday nights now.

  5. Let me know the next time you are doing blog research, I’d be happy to help;-)

  6. It is a good thing I don’t live in any close proximity to Laduree. And mango gelato sounds perfect! But I always have the same problem, eat all the mangoes ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Exciting about the LLC!
    I very much approve of your blog research. And you may as well count eating those mangoes as blog research too. Quality control. Now you know if they’re good and worthy of making gelato – next time.

  8. I feel like putting off planning wedding stuff is normal. One of my good friends just got engaged and in the span of 2 weeks has already booked the venue, the photographer, bridesmaid proposed to her lady friends, bought her shoes, etc — for her wedding that’s 13 months away! I’ve been telling her to slow down and savor it, so let’s just pretend you’re savoring the experience? :-p

  9. Simply Life says:

    congrats on the “LLC” -wow!

  10. Macarons are so tricky – I tried making them several years ago as a challenge to myself and sometimes they come out and sometimes they don’t. They always taste good, even though they don’t always look pretty ;).

  11. Oh indeed, a hard job but someone has to! I never sift either.

  12. Emma says:

    You have Ladurรฉe stateside?! Thought it was just a Paris/Europe thing.
    Congrats on becoming an LLC!
    Exciting stuff ๐Ÿ˜€

  13. I’m so in for a movie night! And sifting… Psssh! Who has time for that?

  14. Meg says:

    I never sifted anything until I received a real-deal sifter as a wedding gift, and now I feel very rustic and of-the-earth and serious-bakery-ish when I use it . . . but according to my mother-in-law, the Christmas cookies we made this year weren’t “quite right” because we sifted? She never sifts, and she’s a fantastic baker. So I say live on the edge — no sifting up in here!

  15. Confession. I have never, ever sifted anything. OK, maybe once in cooking class when I was about ten years old. I always skip that part in recipes a little guiltily, but there never seem to be big blobs of unmixed-in flour in my cakes so I’m not going to worry until there are!

  16. danielle says:

    sifting is over rated – I totally agree!

  17. I’m a sifter ๐Ÿ™‚

    And watching Shark Tank with my hubs is hilarious. He fancies himself a business mogul.

  18. Mmmmm macarons! Plus congrats on the LLC that is super cool! You’re inspiring all of us that don’t make a dime! Hope to make some money from this all soon!

  19. i never sift and once i tried your method – it was a mess..never going that sifting road again. you really dont need a reason to macarons, or any dessert in that matter. happy hump day.

  20. Heather says:

    I generally never sift, though I do whisk flour. I also have a confession to make… I have never had a macaron. Ever. Everyone talks about how magical they are, though, so I guess I should find some.

  21. Julia says:

    UGH Gimme that box of maco-delish!! SO pretty! I’m not a sifter on account of my fear of powder-y messes, so I’m a stir-er-with-a-fork-er. LOVE these coffee chats, lady! Glad you’ve been able to take some time off from wedding planning!

  22. Susan says:

    I don’t sift, okay, I rarely sift and like you I use a fine mesh sieve. It always produces a huge mess. I like my mac recipe, they are generally pretty chewy but from all my research I’ve found it’s really about the ratio of egg whites/sugar & powdered sugar/almond meal

  23. BTW we never shift flour either. Congrats on your LLC – exciting! We love Shark Tank too! and seeing that movie is on our list of things to do this month! Have a great day!

  24. P says:

    I’m a Shark Tank fan as well!! I don’t scream at the tv though, haha.
    And I still can’t believe I have not tried a macaron yet! How can I have resisted those colorful cookies for so long??

  25. Congrats on your LLC, Joanne! How mega exciting! Now to celebrate with another box of macarons… let’s keep that going.

  26. true story…i never had mac…as you call them haha…i need to get on that!

    good question about sifting…always wondered that myself…i never do it either :-/ I always thought that one day i would do a recipe comparison of when you sift the flour/etc versus when you dont to see if there is any difference! ill report back if i ever decide to do that haha

  27. I never sift either (and always felt like a fraud for skipping this step) but looks like there are a lot of us out there. Non-sifters unite!

  28. bahahaaa yesss Shark Tank!!! Those macarons look soooo gorgeous-I’ve been too chicken to try making them yet, so I am in awe of your bravery to try them! lol

    With the move my wedding planning is on hold too and it makes me like…sad and anxious lol.

    and I rarely sift-only for recipes that seem super fancy/finicky ๐Ÿ˜›

  29. SallyBR says:

    Amazing! In a week or so I will have a post featuring Laduree, which I brought from my recent trip, and there is a line in the post that reads “I am now obsessed with making macarons at home” – I haven’t tried, but the collection of recipes is growing. Caramel fleur de sel is a favorite

  30. I’ve never had a macaron or a macaroon (and didn’t know there was a difference until just now. Thank you Google & The Kitchn) I feel deprived. I’m afraid of making anything with egg whites…I’m not sure why. I must conquer this fear. But for now, I must make a 4 layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing per my 5 year old…his birthday request. I’m creating birthday cake monsters! And I hate sifting and rarely do it. I’m a whisk kinda girl!

  31. pizzarossa says:

    I’m a whisker, not a sifter, like so many others. Who wants to wash a sifter???
    I have a bunch a macaron recipes on my blog – I always use the Italian meringue method and it never fails me ๐Ÿ™‚

  32. Jessie says:

    Congrats on becoming an LLC!! This is your first step to eventual world domination, right?

    As for sifting – I’ve done both sifting and non-sifting extensively, and I find it makes not a jot of difference. Despite what Peter insists.

  33. Anita D'Souza says:

    Congrats on the LLC! I love Shark tank! My bf had a hard time believing it – he didn’t think a super-liberal person could be into that (silly boy!) I don’t yell too much, though ๐Ÿ™‚

  34. I had to Google LLC, and now that I’m in the know, CONGRATS!! Also, non-wedding planning is totally normal…it’ll hit you soon, haha. xoxo

  35. hehe, I do sift. But when I’m lazy, I just whisk instead. Same thing.

    Kinda upset about the mango gelato thing. We’re officially having a tiff.

  36. Katie says:

    No to the sifting – yes to the flaky pastry and blondie please ๐Ÿ™‚

    Also congratulations on the LLC (with an entirely straight face – well I’m smiling obviously) anyway, fab news!

  37. Wow, you got your big girl panties on with becoming an LLC. Congrats. It does put a different spin on how seriously you take yourself and what you do. I think you made an important move. And then you are getting married too??? I am new to your blog. Wow another BIG move. I wish you well on the macaroons. I love them and never have made one. We need a serious researcher.

  38. Wow, you got your big girl panties on with becoming an LLC. Congrats. It does put a different spin on how seriously you take yourself and what you do. I think you made an important move. And then you are getting married too??? I am new to your blog. Wow another BIG move. I wish you well on the macaroons. I love them and never have made one. We need a serious researcher.

  39. Hurray! congrats on the LLC….that’s so exciting!

  40. Jenn says:

    You should check out this blog post on Macarons. By far the best and more comprehensive troubleshooting list:

    http://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/macaron-recipe-faq-troubleshooting/

    From what you described, it sounds like you need to tap the pan and that should prevent the cracking. Also, I’ve heard sifting is essential to perfect Macs! Good luck! Can’t wait to see your post on it!

  41. Pam says:

    Congrats on getting the LLC… do you recommend it? Looking forward to seeing your macarons even if they weren’t perfect.

  42. I never ever sift. In terms of macs I find the italian meringue method from Bouchon to be really consistent. Congrats on the LLC!

  43. Teffy says:

    I really really enjoy your Wednesday coffee talk – it always brings a smile and a chuckle to my day!
    The mangoes would not have lasted in my house either, so you’re totes forgiven ๐Ÿ˜‰

    {Teffy’s Perks} X

  44. Brooke says:

    You’ve got to love that blog research! My own research has had me eating bread, bread & more bread lately…darn! I have yet to try to bake my own macarons, but they are on my list! They are almost too pretty to eat…almost! And my boyfriend and I LOVE Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den (the Canadian version). We come up with all sorts of brilliant ideas in the moment that never seem as genius the next day!

  45. Kate says:

    I never sift, but Alton Brown says a good alternative is putting it through the food processor. (I don’t do that either)

  46. sandra says:

    I thought you’d already mastered the French macaron! Yours look pretty amazing to me.

  47. cheri says:

    Congrats on becoming an LLC!! another great coffee talk Joanne!

  48. iscribbler says:

    I don’t sift or weigh and sometimes I fail to use measuring cups. (bakers the world over lift their wooden spoons in horror)

    But what they hey, the recipe still comes out wonderfully and I feel more James Dean (or is it really Fonzie?) by my blatant disregard to hard fast rules. ๐Ÿ™‚ Congrats on the LLC…I think…what’s that mean? lol

  49. Molly says:

    I have pretty good luck with macarons thanks to this blog post and the several related posts:
    http://bravetart.com/recipes/Macarons
    My biggest problem is also cracking, and I’ve found in my case it’s because of unincorporated meringue. This happens most often when I try to make the full recipe in my very small mixing bowl because it’s simply not possible to execute proper macaronage without enough space. When I halve the recipe I get perfect adorable little shells ๐Ÿ™‚ So basically my next kitchen purchase is a bigger bowl…

  50. Caroline says:

    Those macarons look like pure perfection! Next time I head into NYC I need to get some from Laduree…for “research” right? I’ve wanted to make macarons…but keep putting it off…All the talk about how difficult they are to get right has intimidated me! Looking forward to your post on that…Congrats on the LLC, Ms. CEO…so cool…I don’t sift either…I whisk briskly…does that count?

  51. I love mangoes! I would end up eating them all too ๐Ÿ™‚ Good luck with the macs and good thing you had some for “research.” CONGRATS on the LLC – that’s very exciting!

  52. I’ve never been brave enough to make macarons, but it’s on my bucket list. I’ve never even tried one before, so sad I know.

    I sift sometimes, just to make sure there’s no clumps or whatever. But mostly I whisk. I don’t even know what sifting is for?! ๐Ÿ™‚

  53. Hotly Spiced says:

    So…I’m now in correspondence with the CEO! That does tend to happen with mangoes, doesn’t it. When I buy them (alas, they’re now gone for the season), I have to hide them from all other house members xx

  54. Dude. You’re an LLC. And I don’t believe you are at all sorry about the mangoes.

  55. I sometimes sift my flour and have a special sieve for baking. It will help make the perfect macarons ๐Ÿ™‚

  56. I don’t bake nearly as much as you but I am all about sifting. I do have one of those old school sifters that you turn but I never use it. Just put the flour in a mesh strainer and gently shake over a mixing bowl!

  57. Danguole says:

    Limit that liability like a boss, gurl! Congrats!

    I do sift, because I think I saw a blog post somewhere that baked two identical cakes, except one was sifted, and it apparently made a difference? I could be a giant time-wasting sucker, though. I don’t know.

  58. I’m definitely a non-sifter too! Actually, I’m even worse because I pretend I’m a sifter by whisking the flour. Yup, just whisking, lol!

    And ooooh, I could so go for a mac right now!

  59. bellini says:

    I have a small metal mesh strainer that I use for sifting. It works so well. Next week I am taking a macaron making class which makes me happy:D Last week it was Macaron Day and I ate my fair share for charity.

  60. Johanna GGG says:

    never sift – life is too short

    never make macarons – life is too short (but I still love your purple ones)

  61. You’re incorporated…Stop being so legit!

  62. I never sift, even when a recipe calls for it. And I’ve never really had an issue. Take that sifting!

  63. High five on the LLC!!! That is so awesome! I set mine up last month. If you’re seriously looking for a movie partner for The Other Woman, I’d totally join you!

  64. Mangoes from bowl to belly sound perfect to me ๐Ÿ™‚ I also agree that sifting is something that should never happen. The more of us who agree on that, the less often I have to feel guilt over ignoring recipe instructions to the contrary.

    Also – congratulations on LLC status! That’s wonderful.

  65. Congratulations on becoming an LLC. I am quite impressed!!

  66. Yay!! Congrats on LLC ๐Ÿ™‚ I love your blog research! PS: Do you sift your dry ingredients for macarons? I always do with a very fine mesh and that helps.

  67. Do not sift it’s all LIES.
    Or maybe I’m dumb and I don’t know how to do it the proper way.
    But I think it’s a lie.
    LIES.
    Also, lucky you. Those macarons look awesome!

  68. Megan says:

    I don’t like sifting. I usually just give a nice whisking to whatever needs to be sifted. But if I feel like I absolutely have to do it, I sift over a sheet of parchment. Then you can just pick up the parchment by the corners and use it to pour whatever you’ve sifted into a bowl or wherever you need it.

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