Photo Gallery: Macarons | Modern Baking

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1. The formula provided divides the macaron production into two stages. In stage one, combine the almond flour, confectionersﾒ sugar and cocoa powder and sift.
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2. Add the dry ingredients and food coloring to the egg whites. Mix until fully incorporated; cover with plastic and set aside. The red coloring enhances the chocolate color, deepening the hue from a grayish shade to a rich brown.
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3. For stage two, combine the sugar, water and liquid red coloring. Use induction heat to bring the sugar syrup to 240ﾰF. Induction heat produces a constant temperature, eliminating the heat variation common in gas or electric stove tops.
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4. When the sugar syrup reaches 235ﾰF, begin whipping the stage two egg whites on high speed. Once the sugar syrup reaches 240ﾰF, slowly add it to the egg whites while continuing to whip.
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5. Whip the batter on high speed for five minutes until it forms peaks on the beater. Relying on temperature and time helps keep the macarons consistent from batch to batch.
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6. Slowly add the egg whites to the stage one dough until fully incorporated. Then, mix by hand to remove the air. If undermixed, the batter will be too meringue-y, if overmixed, the macarons will be too flat. The batter should fall off the spatula like a waterfall.
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7. Allow the batter to set until a lip forms around the outer edge.
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8. Use No. 7 tip to pipe quarter-size discs on a parchment- covered sheet pan. Hold the tip straight up and just above the pan so the tip is never buried in the batter. This helps produce the desired dome shape. Tap the bottom of the pan, and let set for 20 minutes.
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9. Bake in a rack oven at 300ﾰF for 6ﾽ minutes. Open the vent and bake for another 6 minutes. The perfect macaron has a thin, crispy outer shell and a soft interior. The top should be a perfect dome.
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10. To create the featured wedding cake, use a variety of autumn-hued macarons in different flavors.
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11. Begin the four-tier cake by icing the bottom 16-in. round layer, and add the supports.

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12. Stack an iced 12-in round on top of the bottom tier. Use tip No. 12 to pipe a simple bubble border at the base of both tiers.
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13. Begin placing the macarons in a swooping pattern on the bottom two tiers, using the different colors at random. The icing on the cake should hold the macarons in place without any additional icing as adhesive.
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14. Place the 9-in. and 6-in. tiers on the cake, and use tip No. 12 to pipe the bubble bottom borders.
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15. Add more macarons on the top two layers to continue the swoop started on the bottom.
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