Serves: ~n/a
Cost: n/a
Preparation and baking time: ~n/a
Calories: ~n/a
Greetings folks – I’ve gone Canadian for this post! I’ve got a great guest poster standing in for me today, and in honour of her post I thought I’d post a little photo of William as well. The very latest in Canadian baby fashion (look how cool he is!), this, and a couple of other adorable little outfits, were sent to me by the lovely Barb, from Profiteroles and Ponytails, and Eva, from Kitchen Inspirations, when they first found out my wife was pregnant. Can you believe that this little outfit is supposed to be from 3-6 months? Little Will is rocking it already… chubby little guy that he is! I can see that he’s going to cause us no end of expense in clothes shopping in the future, when he’s growing out of shoes in two months flat!
Speaking of Barb, she very kindly offered to write this guest post for me – even after I was planning on returning to more regular blog work. Naturally I jumped on the offer, because it’s always wonderful to have those precious extra moments free which I can spend with my family. I first met Barb through Eva’s blog about a year ago and since then have greatly enjoyed her recipes and stories. For those of you who don’t know her, she has two adorable children (the ponytails), who pop up every now and again on her blog.
She’s making something amazing today which I’ve never dared to try to make myself (despite buying equipment just for these once) – they look absolutely amazing, and I do hope you all enjoy the post – thank you once again Barb – now over to you!
Find Barb on: Profiteroles and Ponytails
~~~
I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to guest post for Charles. Shortly after I started blogging, my “real life” and blogging friend Eva from KitchenInspirations kindly wrote a post that introduced my blog Profiteroles and Ponytails to her network of blogging friends. Thanks to Eva, Charles was one of the first people that I met and in no time at all I felt like I’d known him forever . . . largely because of his thoughtful comments and blog posts that draw you in and make you feel like you’re right there in the kitchen with him, having a good ole chat and a cuppa. How many times I’ve wished that I was there so that I could sample one of his famous Swedish kakas (cakes) or cinnamon buns? (Trust me, too many to count.)
I started blogging because I needed a creative outlet for my obsession—one that would save me from driving my friends and family crazy with my incessant “food talk”. Turns out though, the aspect of blogging I enjoy the most is being part of this amazing international community of food lovers—it is such a constant source of inspiration and knowledge.
Inspiration works in mysterious ways. You see something that speaks to you . . . and then you tuck it away until the time is right. A few months back I commented on the lovely background that Charles used in one his photos (Calissons) and he told me that it was in fact a macaron mat. I thought that was very cool and it made me want to try to make macarons. Then when Charles mentioned writing a guest post, it hit me. This was the perfect occasion to give macarons a try. What better way to celebrate international friendships and the new little bundle keeping Charles and his wife very busy?
It seemed like such a good idea at first. Why not make something that would bring a little piece of Paris to those of us scattered around the globe who follow Five Euro Foods? Then I started my research and I was completely overwhelmed by the macaron “lingo” that I wasn’t aware existed. My mind was spinning as I learned about the importance of “feet,” macronage* . . . and “aging” egg whites**. The more I read, the more frightened I became.
Can you spot the “feet” in this photo?
I came very close to scrapping the macarons and making something else. But then I decided to give them a try because it would be a good opportunity to share my experience—and if I’m lucky, some of you will share your tips and experience with making this legendary French confectionery. It would be great to learn more. Isn’t that what blogging is all about? I think it is.
And so is this . . .
Eva and Charles getting to know one another — and the macarons of Paris — a little better!
Coconut and Lime Macarons
Slightly adapted from Gourmet
Ingredients
For the macarons
- 1 cup grated dried unsweetened coconut (3 oz)
- 3 oz almond flour (2/3 cup) or blanched sliced almonds (3/4 cup) or slivered almonds (2/3 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 3 large egg whites, aged 24-hours**
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the curd
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 4 large egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
Equipment
- A food processor with a sharp blade or an electric coffee/spice grinder
- A large pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip or a qt-size sealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off, plus another sealable bag for curd.
Instructions
- Make curd
– Whisk together lime juice, sugar, and egg yolks in a small heavy saucepan. Add butter and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate for a couple hours before using. - Make macaron batter
– Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
– Grind coconut and almond flour or almonds with confectioners sugar in food processor until powdery, about 2 minutes. (If using grinder, grind in small batches.) Sift through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl (if not fine enough for almost all of nuts to go through sieve, regrind). Sift again into a large bowl.
– Beat egg whites with salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in granulated sugar, a little at a time. Increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 minute. meringue into almond mixture with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate and batter will be loose.) - Pipe and bake macarons
– Put small dabs of batter under corners of parchment to secure to baking sheets.
– Spoon half of batter into pastry bag. Holding bag vertically just above baking sheet, pipe 1-1/2-inch-wide mounds of batter about 1 inch apart, stopping pressure and flicking tip sideways to avoid peaks (tamp down any peaks with a wet finger). Refill pastry bag and repeat.
– Let macarons stand, uncovered, at room temperature until a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.
– Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F/150°C with racks in upper and lower thirds.
– Bake macarons, switching position of sheets halfway through, until crisp and interior does not give easily when a macaron is gently pressed, 22 to 28 minutes total. (I found they needed much less time to cook. I cooked mine for 20 minutes and next time I will check them even sooner.) Cool completely on baking sheets (for residual heat to harden bottoms) on racks, about 30 minutes. Loosen macarons from parchment with offset spatula (they will be fragile). - Assemble cookies
– Pipe about 1/2 tsp or so of curd onto flat side of half of a macaron, then sandwich with a remaining macaron.
– Layer macarons between sheets of parchment in an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 hours to soften before eating.
NOTES:
- I didn’t put the shells into the fridge to store — I just stored them (unassembled) in a container. I think this was a mistake, as they seemed to harden a bit the next day.
- The changes that I made to the Gourmet recipe were to use “aged” egg whites and to use a lime curd instead of the passion-fruit curd in the original recipe. I also didn’t use any food colouring. I think coconut and lime is a sublime flavour combination. I hope you agree.
- I also used nutella in place of the lime curd for some of the macarons. The ponytails loved both options.
- I used icing sugar because confectioners sugar is rather hard to find. However, the experts recommend that you use confectioners sugar because icing sugar (also known as icing mixture) contains corn starch which impacts the final form and texture of the macarons.
- I didn’t use a macaron mat because, well, I couldn’t find one. Next time I will draw 1-1/2 inch circles on the back of the parchment paper to ensure each cookie is a consistent size.
* Macronage – the process of mixing of the nuts and sugar mixture into the egg whites.
** Aging egg whites – means to separate the yolks from whites and store the whites (covered) in the fridge for 24 hours. The whites should be brought to room temperature before using. The reason is to reduce the moisture content as much as possible.
It is such an exciting time for Charles, as he starts this new journey into fatherhood. Little William is a lucky boy, as I have no doubt that Charles will apply the same enthusiasm and passion towards his new role that he does many of his other endeavors – particularly FiveEuroFood! Congratulations again Charles!
Thanks for such a wonderful guest post Barb, and your very kind words! I’ve never dared make macarons yet. Like you, I read so many things about how you even have to have the humidity levels in your kitchen just right otherwise you end up with a huge failure! You’ve made it look very successful and they sound (and look) absolutely delicious. You really make me want to give these a go sometime finally! Thank you again!
Charles, it has been such a pleasure. You really are going to have to give these a try — but you will need to wait until William starts to have long afternoon naps so have time to work on them. After all, you can’t let that mat go to waste . . . although it certainly makes a nice backdrop for photos! 🙂
What a great guest post Barbie, I can’t believe you made the impossible macaron! And with such success. I was thinking about taking a class for macaron making while in France but decided against it — too risky, they are just too good to pass up!
I was very happy to have met Charles who is as charming, generous and friendly in person as he is on his blog. We had an amazing lunch (you’ll have to read about it on my blog) and great conversation on our last day in Paris.
Charles, I am so happy that the little outfits fit William and that he looks so dashing sporting his Canadian brand! He is quite the lucky little fella to have been born into your family.
Eva, maybe we could make them together some time . . . that way we could split the results too and it wouldn’t result in too much damage for either of us!
I can’t wait to hear all about your visit with Charles on your last day in Paris. It was so fun to get the photos from you both, and know that you had spent such a fun afternoon together.
William is doing us Canadians proud, isn’t he? A lucky fella indeed …
What a lovely post!! I only sort of mastered macarons this year and once you make one batch that “foots” you’ll be able to make them every time. These look really good and that photo of you and Eva is so cool! That baby looks nearly ready for school! How cute.
Maureen, it is encouraging to hear that my future batches of macarons should work out as well! Little William is growing very quickly, isn’t he? I’m thinking we need to start looking for a Canadian sweater, because that onsie isn’t going to fit for long!
What a great job on the macarons Barb…and it’s nice to meet you. I was like you when I started researching macarons. I almost didn’t want to try them anymore, but I love a challenge! They came out great and now I am really good. They’re quite easy once you get the hang of them.
I love your combo, lime and coconut, very tropical. My children love the Nutella ones too.
Charles, William is definitely rocking his new outfit :). He’s adorable.
Nazneen
Nice to meet you too Nazneen! I’m encouraged to hear that you’ve mastered macarons now and find them quite easy. I was just sweating when I made them, especially after aging the egg whites and double sifting the almond meal/sugar mixture. I really do need to find some confectioners’ sugar though.
Lime and coconut has become my new favourite flavour combination. 🙂 Although it is nice to know that the Nutella is such a good (and popular) option, since it’s so easy to use!
What a wonderful post, so sweet how you guys have this special bond and got to meet up too in Paris! Little William is so adorable and look at all that hair!
Thanks Lisa! It really is cool that Eva and Charles were able to meet up in Paris! I think friendships like this are the best part of blogging!
Little William certainly is the star of the show. Don’t you love it when babies have that much hair?
Barb, your macarons leave me speechless. They are perfect (and as a big macaron fan and a difficult one too I can assure you I know what French macarons must look like!). I have never dared trying these sweet treats because they seemed impossible. They still do! Congratulations!
Charles, your son looks really cute in this babygros (how do you call it in English???). Barb and Eva are adorable and so thoughtful!
Don’t they look awesome Sissi? I haven’t dared trying them either… I think they’d flop because I read so many horror stories about their difficulty!
I think we just call it a “onesie” in English… as in a “one-piece”, although maybe I’m completely wrong…
Sissi, you are always so sweet. I felt the same way before trying these — however I just stuck to the directions and everything went smoothly. If I can make them then … (you know what I’m trying to say here).
I also have to give Eva the credit for the idea about the onesie. She mentioned that she was going to send something to Charles and I offered to go in on it. As usual, Eva was very organised and pulled this together.
great guest post. VERY brave. Much like you, I’ve often thought of making macarons but always chickened out at the last minute. All that macaron language, but really they can’t be that hard??! Yours look wonderful and with a perfect foot. Congratulations. Congratulations to Charles too, what a beautiful baby. GG
Thanks so much! You really must try them GG. The main thing is to have the right equipment, follow the directions and to not over-mix during the macronage (mixing the nuts and sugar mixture) stage. They are so good, that they are worth the effort. I’m definitely going to work at improving my skills.
Beautiful, Barb! As always, I love your blog, your photos and your great recipe ideas for busy moms. These macarons will have to wait for a day when I can spend a little more time in the kitchen – but they look delicious!
Congratulations on your new son, Charles. I had the opportunity to dine with Barb and Eva this summer, so know the fun you would have had with Eva in Paris!
Thanks Carol! Yes, this is a recipe that requires a little planning and time — but worth the effort!
What a great dinner that was. Hopefully we’ll be able to get together again soon — either here in Toronto or in the Maritimes!
Oh my GOODness – how much do I love this post?!! I can’t figure out what’s giving me bigger shivers: the adorable picture of William rocking Canada to the core or the photo of Eva and Charles hanging together in Paris! How cool is that – two bloggers coming together over a sweet delight. Barb, I wish I could comment more intelligently on your macarons but I know almost nothing about them nor have I ever tasted one…having said that, they sure look beautiful (love the coconut/lime combo) and by the sounds of things, they’re very difficult to make. So, like William, you clearly rocked it! :).
p.s. Charles, I actually didn’t think that was William at first… I cannot believe how ‘grown up’ he looks already?!
I know, right? 7.5 weeks old and he’s pretty much doubled in weight already and soon gonna be too big for even 3 month clothes!! I’m wondering when it’s going to stop! 😀
Also: I can’t believe you’ve never had a macaron… I thought they were one of those things which pretty much everyone had had, like apple pie. You *have* to try them… they’re SO good!
Thank you for such a lovely comment Kelly. Charles is right, you really must try a macaron! There are so many wonderful patisseries/bakeries where we can buy them here in Toronto now — hopefully you have a good patisserie near you? I must point out though, that I have a long way to go before mine are up to that standard!
Little William really is rocking Canada to the core, isn’t he? We couldn’t ask for a better brand ambassador!
Thank you for sharing your macaron recipe, Barb. I hope to give macarons another try one day.
Your boy is getting so big, Charles. 🙂
Thanks so much! I hope you do give them another try, as the finished product is just so tasty!
These macarons look beautiful and delicious. Good job. I don’t pipe….
Thanks so much. I can certainly understand that … I didn’t until quite recently myself!
Gorgeous looking macarons, Barb. I would like 3 make that 4 with my coffee.
William is growing really fast, Charles. What a beautiful head of hair, guess he got it from Mom and not Dad.
Thanks Norma. Would you like cream or sugar with that too? I’d happily make these for you if you ever come visit us in Toronto!
I will let you and Eva know when I am visiting next year.
What a great post Barb! I love the macarons and that you gave them a try. They always seem so intimidating to me. And what a fabulous picture of you and Eva Charles!!! What a great time you all must have had. But, I have to say William is stealing the show on this one. What an absolute doll! 🙂
William is definitely the star of the show Kristy. Don’t you just want to give him a big squeeze?
I was intimidated by macarons too! I’m definitely a long way from being an expert, but it was fun to give them a try for this occasion.
Lovely macarons, the coconut and lime together sound delightful!
Thanks Laura! The two flavours really do go hand in hand. It’s my new favourite combination!
Absolutely beautiful. Tremendous post, amazing photos, and a delicious-looking recipe for me to try next weekend. Thank you. 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment Alex. These macarons are really worth the effort when you have a little extra time to make them. Have a great weekend!
Hello from a fellow lime/coconut appreciator 🙂
I’ve also been slightly terrified to tackle macarons but I am DEFINITELY giving these a try. The instructions are terrific, and the photos are making me drool! Thanks for a great post.
Hi there Saskia, nice to see you over here. Long live the coconut and lime combo. You know when I started searching for macaron recipes I kept getting a coconut macaroon recipe that had lime added to it. It would be the same flavour combo, but a very simple recipe. I may have to try that sometime soon when I’m time stretched….but not until after I try out that gorgeous cake on your recent post! Good luck fixing your menu bar.
Does seeing the adorable photo of William make you miss the baby years? Most times I’d say no, but William is a perfect poster boy for babies!
William is absolutely gorgeous. Those cheeks! Seems like only yesterday we were awash with diapers and milk. I definitely miss the baby years, but big boys are lovely too! xx
What a fun post and great little treats! All of the pictures are great, each in its own way. 🙂 Very nice to meet you Barb!
Nice to meet you too! The photo of William was such a nice surprize — and I must say that it is my favourite. I’m glad that you like the post, as it was lots of fun to work on. Take care!
Hats off to you Barb on a job wonderfully done!
The macaroons look amazing! like the ones I buy at the pastry store!
I honestly have not had the courage to try these yet but when I do, I know I will be coming back to this post
Thanks so much Sawsan! I must be honest, these macarons were not up to par with what you’d buy at the pastry store — but they were still good. Just gives me something to work on. I remember those stunning swan puff pastries that you made a little while ago, so I’m surprized that you are hesitant to make macarons. I think these macarons would be way easier!
lovely post barb! I must say, charles probably knows too, that I can’t bring myself to like macarons (or meringues, I’m weird eh) but I do love the flavour combinations you’ve used here!
and to charles, hope evrything’s going fine with the baby and you’re getting some time to feed yourself (:
Hi there. Nice to meet you Shuhan, and thanks for your kind comment. I can see that you wouldn’t like these if you are not fond of meringues. Based on my research, there’s no shortage of tasty treats out there made with this flavour combo that you’d probably enjoy. Take care!
Charles and Barb, these sound fabulous. When I get around to making some macarons, I’m coming back here! Isn’t William a darling boy! Can’t blame you for wanting to spend more time with him. Of course, we all will love having you back blogging again. But next time you want a little break, let me know; I’d be happy to do a guest post for you.
Nice to meet you Jean. I see that we both agree that William is a little cutie pie (well, who wouldn’t?) and that we are all looking forward to having Charles back blogging again!
That is so awesome that y’all get to hang out beyond the blogisphere! I adore Macarons (I just whipped up some pink raspberry ones) and love this flavor combination as well! Lovely feet + Lovely flavors! Well done all around, guys!!
Isn’t it great that Charles and Eva got together in Paris? Such fun! I’ll have to check out your site to see if you’ve posted on your macarons. I’m keen to try a new flavour next time, and of course pink is always a crowd favourite with the ponytails!
I was so excited to read about little William’s new outfit.. the Macarons.. and then all of a sudden.. a photo of Eva and Charles together!! Eeek.. that is just too cool that they met.. brought the macarons!! I love this!! it’s like two bloggers jumped up off the screen and met up. How awesome.. it’s quite a distance those macarons flew! Your William.. is adorable!! I’m baby crazy again!! And I have to wait to be a grandma, lol! xx to you all!!
Isn’t it cool that they got together Barb? I just love it because it so perfectly captures the essence of blogging — we are all sharing our passion for food with one another, just in the virtual world. If only we could just jump off the screen to meet up! William really is adorable and enough to make anyone baby crazy. Charles and his wife are very lucky indeed. I’m looking forward to hearing more stories about this little guy over the coming months. All the best to you as well Barb.
Something just went wrong and my whole comment disappeared. I’ll try again. William is looking gorgeous and he already has so much hair. People who breed small-sized people are economically advantaged as they get so much more value for money out of clothes and shoes. If you breed rapidly growing people destined to tower over the rest of us it’s expensive bringing them up because every time you turn around they’ve outgrown their shoes or their jeans or their pyjamas etc. Barb’s macarons look very good. xx
Thanks Charlie. I’ve never thought about it like that before (the expense of rapidly growing children), but of course that must be true. Hopefully the growing levels off at a certain point though. I’m getting the feeling that you are speaking from experience…and it must be especially expensive when you have several kids, like yourself!
Wow. I am so impressed with this post and you making the macaroons, Barb. My hat’s off to you as that is a gauntlet I may not take up, and yours look beautiful and sound delicious, too! And what fun to see William growing so already, and in his Canadian duds. A great pic of you and Eva, too, Charles. Looks like you guys had a lovely day for lunching. Cheers!
Thanks so much Betsy! It was a lot of fun to work on this post and to finally make macarons, which I’ve been wanting to make for ages. I’m ready to try them again…so I guess that says that they are not too bad to make. The photo of William came as a total surprize to me — and I was so just so excited to see him in this outfit. How can you not smile when you look at that photo?
haha the expression is priceless. Canada rocks! XD
how sweet of barb and eva sending some gifts ( I feel really bad now…) forgive me Charles but, I dont think so William would have liked a mini sari or anything like that. Not even sure if something like that exists. O.O
Barb I agree with you, Charles makes you feel as if you were in the five euro food kitchen and he makes it so much personal. I mean, one doesn’t have the feeling talking and chatting with him through the web. Thats great!
Your macarons sound awesome by the way, maybe I should get into macaron baking. =)
Wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Helene, don’t feel bad about not sending anything. Eva was the one who thought of it and I loved the idea…so I offered to go in on the gift too, so she really deserves the credit for the idea.
I also learned that macarons aren’t as scarey as they sound at first. I think the main thing is to really stick with the directions because there is quite a bit of science to them. I hope that you give them a try sometime!
What a gorgeous baby! And a great recipe 🙂
Thanks Tandy^^ 🙂
Thanks for dropping by Tandy!
I am so impressed, Barb. These look amazing!
Thanks so much Beth . . . and for taking the time to drop by!
Awh, this is so nice. I’m still trying to get macarons right. Three times so far, and all unlucky. I’d like to try this recipe, but no one is a big fan of coconut here, is it possible to replace the coconut with something else? Or is it not worth risking (& we’ll just learn to love coconut? :))
Fati, I wouldn’t recommend swapping out another ingredient for the coconut, just because of the precise science behind these. It’s so much effort to make these that I’d hate to see you take the risk. I’m going to do a little research for another recipe without coconut, so that I can try another version too. I’ll let you know if I find a good recipe.
Thank you sweetie… In the meantime, if I get the chance, I’ll try this recipe anyway 🙂
Hi Barb! You made very beautiful macarons and I enjoyed reading your guest post. 🙂 William is already getting so big! He has more hair now and he is handsome! I love the last picture of Charles and Eva, too. 🙂
Thank you for all of your lovely comments Nami! Of course I’ll let Charles take full credit for adorable William. I enjoyed the challenge of trying the macarons for the first time for this post. It’s been great getting to know a few new bloggers, like yourself, as well. Take care!