Baking macarons is not for the faint of heart. It's been a journey of successes, failures, and lessons learned in baking and in life. So many factors play into baking the perfect macaron from using the best ingredients, the heat and humidity, the meringue, folding the macaronage, your oven, and your willingness to immerse yourself into the process. To be successful you have to bake with meraki, the Greek word for putting your creativity, love, soul, the essence of yourself into your work, into baking macarons.
My macaron baking journey began four years ago for my youngest granddaughter Annabelle's first birthday, The Macaron Journey Begins. My first attempt to bake macarons was successful, beginners luck. I read a few recipes, watched a few videos, and launched into baking macarons not understanding the intricacies of the process. I used the Italian meringue method to bake the macaron shells which I flavored with rosewater. For the filling, I used a raspberry Italian buttercream with a bullseye of raspberry preserves. The combination of rosewater and raspberry is still a favorite flavor. The resulting rosewater raspberry macaron kind of looked like a macaron.
rosewater raspberry macarons
Macarons for Annabelle's second birthday were more successful. I had endured several failures and had taken the time to better understand and appreciate the macaron baking process. I began viewing baking as a working meditation immersing myself into the process and baked the macarons with meraki.
rosewater raspberry and orange macarons
Annabelle loves the rosewater raspberry macarons, so naturally for her third birthday I baked them again. To make them more festive her mother, Beth Hunt Calligraphy, used her skills to decorated them with edible ink.
rosewater raspberry macarons
For her fourth birthday, Annabelle had a unicorn themed party complete with a real unicorn and unicorn macarons, 🦄Unicorn Macarons🦄 for a birthday. I flavored the macaron shells with rosewater and the filling was raspberry Italian buttercream. The shells were decorated by Beth. This was a true labor of love but well worth the effort. The birthday girl had a very special day!
Annabelle riding a "real" Unicorn
Annabelle's fifth birthday was full of macarons and cupcakes. Birthday cake macarons were a hit. They were flavored with birthday cake in the macaron shell and a strawberry Italian buttercream filling, Birthday Cake Macarons for a Birthday Celebration. The macarons were decorated with a dusting of sprinkles. The birthday cupcakes had a milk chocolate Italian buttercream frosting. The birthday girl had a great day!
birthday cupcakes and macarons
Annabelle enjoying a birthday cake macaron
Baking macarons for family and friends is rewarded by smiles, hugs, and knowing that I brought joy into someone's life.
Annabelle and her Glenn
#foodphotography #birthdaycake #MarionMacarons #birthdaycelebration #marionmacarons #rosemarymacxarons #cakerecipe #macaronsforgrandaunghter #rosewaterraspberrymacaron #まっちゃ #unicornbirthday #unicornmacarons #unicorn #zenworkingmeditation #birthdaymacarons #macaronage #haiku #macaronsforspecialoccasions #birthdayparty #bouchonbakerycookbook #Italianbuttercream #culinaryjourney #strawberrymacarons #Frenchmacarons #bouchonbakery #macaron #meraki #calligraphy #マカロン #italianbuttercream #마카롱 #macarons