Bouchon Macaron

5 1/4 cups of almond flour

5 cups of confectioner’s sugar

1 1/4 cups of large egg whites (7-9 eggs)

2 vanilla beans, scraped of the seeds

Pinch of Cream of Tartar

Combine the almond flour and sugar and set aside.  


Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks then add a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to whip until they hold stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla bean seeds and 1/4 of the flour and sugar until it comes together. Fold in the rest of the flour and sugar.

With a 1/2" plain pastry tip, pipe the batter into 2" circles, at least 1" apart. Let rest for 1-2 hours until the macaroons form a skin. (Very important!)


Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake for 10 more minutes.

Fill with simple vanilla buttercream.

FOODIE NOTE: I have just returned from San Francisco, and of all the wonderful meals I enjoyed while I was there, the best thing I put in my mouth . . .the one I enjoyed eating the most - was a simple vanilla macaron bought in Yountville at Thomas Keller's new Bouchon Bakery.

I did not make the ones in the photo above, they were the real deal I purchased in Napa and enjoyed for my breakfast the day after I feasted at Thomas Keller's restaurant Bouchon. (Yes, I had tried for weeks to get into the French Laundry only to be denied, perhaps next trip.) Thank goodness I remembered to photo these cookies from my San Francisco hotel room before biting into them, because I inhaled them upon first bite. Poof, I made them all gone-gone.

The description of this cookie describes exactly what I experienced: "This classic French pastry filled with rich buttercream has been adored for centuries. Precise baking produces a cookie that has a light and crisp outside and a soft and chewy inside. These two textures are what make the macaron such a special confection. The flavors of our macarons change with the seasons."

They were two cookies - crispy and crunchy on the outside and deeply, satisfyingly chewy on the inside with rich but light buttercream between the two cookies. The seasonal flavors they had available in the bakery in January? Cafe au Lait, Vanilla, Creme Caramel and Pistachio.

I went online and found this recipe above that supposedly came from Thomas Keller's cookbook called Bouchon.

I can't wait to see if I can duplicate these "cookies of love" in time for Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

UPDATE: So, lookey here! I did get these made in time for Valentine's Day. I looked high and low and was not able to find Almond Flour for this recipe. However, I was able to find at Whole Foods from Bob's Red Mill - Hazelnut Flour, it had a little more texture to it, meaning it was not finely milled, so the appearance of the macarons themselves looked a little more rustic. However, the flavor and texture were very close to the ones I had at Thomas Keller's bakery. For the buttercream filling I used Shatto Farms Heavenly butter and let me tell you it lives up to it's name. Sweet and creamy . . .it is all about the butter isn't it?

A friend once said to me . . ."I don't know why everyone is so crazy about eating out, all the really great Chef's know the secret to really terrific tasting dishes is real butter and lots of it." At the time I dismissed the comment as rantings of a cheap-skate, but the more I think about it and eat real butter the closer I am to understanding the argument. Enjoy!

Comments

[samy]

Thanks for sharing. These are one of my favorites as well! In regards to almond flour, it is easy to make: blanch almonds to remove skin (make sure they stay in the hot water just enough to remove skin), air dry in a 200 degree oven so you remove as much water as possible. put in blender and grind till you make the almond flour. make sure you do not get to the "almond butter stage). Good luck!

[Lauren]

Looking at recipe. You reversed the quantity for almond flour and conf sugar. Should be 5 c almond flour and 5 3/4 conf sugar. Re: actual Bouchon cookbook.

They are amazing. Have not yet tried to make but just returned from Napa. Chocolate macaroons!!!!!'