So now I'm a certified macaroon-making pastry chef!!

Haha, nah, it's not that easy. All I did was to sign myself up for a 3 hours workshop (The Secrets of Macaroons) at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and I walked home with a certificate, chef cap, apron and tea towel. And well, most importantly, i got to take away 25 macaroons!!! That's surely going to last us a few months?

On the day of the workshop, I woke up to a really cloudy and rainy Paris. The workshop started at 09:00 but we were already there by 08:30. Thankfully, the institute was opened and we didn't have to wait out in the cold. The staff ushered us in and offered us freshly baked bread and coffee! Nobody would have expected a free breakfast from a morning pastry course!

Croissant and the most delicious Pain au Chocolat I've eaten!

Now with a full and warm tummy, I'm all ready to begin!

Starting off on a VERY clean slate.

Depending on the course date, you will get to learn 2 different flavors of macaroons. For me, it was Intense Vanilla and Salted Butter Caramel. Typically I prefer trying more exotic flavors of macaroons but i guess it's good to learn these common flavors so you can really try to taste if there's any difference with the big names'!

The list of ingredients are printed on the notepad given so you would only have to jot down the steps. There were 16 people in the class so every one could stand somewhere near and watch the demonstration. Chef Ollivier Christien shared that it's very difficult to make small quantities of macaroons due to the mixing process and so we worked in teams of 2. We were told to work with enough ingredients to make 150 macaroons!

There are 3 main procedures in making a macaroon: (1) making the meringue (2) transforming the meringue into macaroon shells (3) making the macaroon fillings. While I can't say that the pace is slow, there were 2 assistants patrolling the kitchen to help and ensure that every one keeps up to the pace.

Adding the color and flavor to the macaroon shells

Even though I have done some simple baking at home before, I find the squeezing of piping to make the macaroon shells difficult. If you over beat and made the mixture too watery, the piping will definitely be a nightmare.

The chef does it with such ease and each single one of the macaroons are a perfect circle

Just look at how mine turned out -.-

The tricky part doesn't end here; the real challenge (in my opinion) lies in making the macaroon fillings. The liquid fillings actually need time to cool down and take shape overnight in those fridges we have at home. Naturally, here being Le Cordon Bleu, they have specialized cooling equipment (I'm not even sure it should be called a fridge anymore) that can do the same in 10 minuets.

After hardening, the caramel filling requires some beating. Just look at the photo, the caramel on the beater and the caramel in the tray are the exact same thing: only that one of it was beaten and the other one was not. See how violence changes not just people but food permanently.

The beaten caramel actually feels less sweet to me.

 Later, the Chef showed us how easy it is to do the fillings and press the macaroons together:

Perfect as usual.

One great thing about the course is that the chef and assistants (and translator) are so helpful to clarify any doubts or answer any questions. Throughout the course, they were patient and unreserved in sharing any knowledge. The name of the workshop, "The Secrets of Macaroons" is truly aptly named.

Making macaroons and answering questions at the same time is no easy feat!

Look how gorgeous the chef's macaroons look

The course, being only 3 hours long, is of course too short for any one to be a professional in making macaroons. To be honest, i'm not even certain if i can make macaroons on my own fit for self-consumption. The good thing is that I did walk away with greater appreciations and some interesting facts about the macaroons. In any case, it was definitely enjoyable in itself and I did still have 25 "home-made" fresh macaroons to boast to my friends and family! :D I would most definitely recommend it to any one interested in baking. After all, it takes only 3 hours off your schedule!