As a treat for a friend's 40th birthday dinner a few weeks ago, I returned with some trepidation to the fussy world of the macaron. My first attempt several years ago ended in a lot of frustration and a little reward. Not in taste - they were consistently delicious. But in presentation. My fortunes the second time around were no different. From the same single batch of batter I got wildly divergent outcomes. Half with lovely smooth domes and exposed bubbly feet, all the hallmarks of a stylish macaron. Half cracked and spreading tops and smooth rounded edges, no different in appearance from a chocolate crinkle cookie.
The formula for the batter is by Pierre Herme, from a spread years ago in Bon Appetit. (I used a batch of whites that I had collected and frozen last summer, the surplus from an ice cream session.) The filling is my own invention: about a pound of chestnuts blanched, peeled, simmered in milk, then cooled and pureed with unsalted butter, confectioner's sugar, heavy cream a splash of rum, and a pinch of fleur du sel. Inconsistent appearances aside, the macarons made a superb finish to a winter banquet..
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