I was recently invited by Caroline from In Love with Macarons, to attend one of her new Macaron Workshops in Weybridge. Having never made a macaron before I was intrigued and had no idea what a precise science there was to the art of macaron making. We started off by making an Italian meringe buy boiling sugar and water to the soft ball stage and at the same time our egg whites were being whisked up. We then whisked the boiling sugar water into our whisked egg whites for form a really dense and glossy meringue which formed the base of our macaron. 
Next we weighed out the meringue mixture and split it into 2 equal portions (we worked in paris). The table was full of little cups and bottles full of ingredients that Caroline had pre-weighed and labelled for our convenience. Then we added ground almonds, icing sugar, egg white and powdered natural colouring and mixed these in until a ribbon of mixture settled flat in the bowl. Piping was next on the agenda and Caroline had a laminated sheet of us all to use as a stencil (recipe was on the other side). Once our macarons were piped it was a waiting game and we were told that the time for our macarons to become dry to the touch could depend on the weather but usually took a minimum of 30 minutes. 
All the way through the workshop Caroline gave us invaluable hints and tips that she’d learned in the 18 months that it took her to come up with the perfect macaron. One tip was that banging the tray after piping was not necessary (it’s supposed to release air) and she also advised us never to use a wetted finger to pat down the macaron mixture. While the macarons were drying out on baking sheets lined with silicone sheets Caroline proceeded to make filings which included: Salted Caramel, Lemon Curd, Buttercream and Raspberry Jam, Coffee Ganache and Chocolate Ganache.
Meanwhile Caroline’s daughter started to put the macarons in the oven as they started to dry out. My macarons were the green ones which came out of the oven last and once they had cooled I set about filling them with the salt caramel. Caroline also sells her macarons and other homemade sweet treats at local farmer’s markets and she told us she always sells out of the salted caramel flavoured ones first – I’m not surprised! I tried some of Carolines home-made marshmallows when we stopped to have a drink and they were fabulous and nothing like ones from a supermarket. 
So after a delighful and very informative afternoon spent with other enthusiasti foodies making macarons and trying to take pictures (please excuse the poor quality but the lighting was not great) we were all sent away with a personalised box crammed full of macarons, a laminated recipe/stencil and given the “in love with macarons” apron we’d been wearing. I was literally mauled by the family as I got through the door. The macarons were all totally delicious and chewy and I was very pleased to have learned a new skill!
If you’d like to find out more about Caroline’s workshops or buy her treats then head over to:
In Love with Macarons website
In Love with Macarons facebook
Twitter @inlovewithmacs.
Disclaimer: I was invited to attend In Love with Macarons workshop, was not paid and all opinions are my own.
Sammie
Macarons are something I’ll be attempting over the next couple of week. The photos look fab as do your macarons. What a fantastic workshop. Great post. Sammie
Camilla
Thanks, I really need to try making these at home but they require planning ahead and I more of a spontaneous cook so it hasn’t happened yet!
Isabel O
I’ve tried to make these in the past and it was an unmitigated disaster. I think I’m just not made for making delicate things.
Camilla
It’s definitely an art:-)
Jayne T
Wow, these look amazing, very well done. 🙂
Sarah Cooper
I would love to attend a class like this. The Macarons look delicious.
Camilla
Definitely worthwhile:-)
Jen
Gorgeous macarons, I’m not surprised the salted caramel sells out as it does sound delicious. Love the pastel colours and thanks for sharing some of the tips you learned. I’ve made macarons a couple of times but can never get a full batch to look even, usually only a handful look good. I need more practice! PS I have the same mixer as Caroline 🙂
Camilla
I can understand that Jen as there are so many points at which a macaron fan fail!
Liana
I’d love to go on a class like this, macarons seem to tricky to make but this makes them look manageable! I love learning one-to-one!
Camilla
Yes I couldn’t recommend it enough:-)
All That I'm Eating
They all look amazing Camilla! Lovely colours and flavours. Well done you!
Camilla
Well I can’t take much of the credit (the green ones were mine) as we had intense tutoring and Caroline made all the fillings:-)
rebecca beesley
these macarons look amazing. I tried making some once and it was an utter disaster and yet when my 8 yr old son makes some they turned out perfect! Great tips – I won’t do the wetted finger anymore or knocking the air out the tray in future. x
Camilla
Thanks Rebecca although I can’t really take any of the credit for the fabulous outcome, Caroline was a fabulous teache:-)
Chris
I love macarons. I am sure you had a wonderful time. That seems like the best way to approach mastering macarons.
Camilla
I’m very lucky Chris, I now know all the pitfalls:-)
Sarah Maison Cupcake
Looks like a lot of fun! Glad you enjoyed it!
Camilla
Thanks Sarah, it was great fun:-)
Helene @Croque-Maman
Wow! Making macarons is such an art… and all the ones you have made look like the ones of professionals!!! I am amazed. Well done!
Camilla
Well there was a professional at the helm so that had a lot to do with the outcome:-)
Jeanne Horak-Druiff
What a fabulous-sounding workshop! I adore macarons but I have never attempted to bake them – I am not a natural baker (too precise for me!) and I fear macarons do require some preicision… Love the sound of that salted caramel filling!
Camilla
I’m glad I’m not the only macaron newbie then as they are a fairly new concept to as they only appeared on my radar in the last few years! Yes the salted caramel was divine;-)
Ciara (My Fussy Eater)
I’ve never managed to successfully make macarons at home. This is a fantastic idea. Love all the colours too.
Camilla
I’m not surprised now I’ve been to this workshop there are so many stages why you can slip up!
kellie@foodtoglow
It looks like you had a most useful and delicious day! As you know I rarely eat sweet things but it is hard to resist a perfect dinky macaron, espesh if homemade. Your family must be chuffed to bits to have a macaron-baker in the house! And your photos are just fine. Far better than I would have achieved under the circumstances. 🙂
Camilla
I had a fab time and just need some spare time now to make my own! Thank you for your kind words about the pictures – it’s a new thing to me being somewhere new and having to snap away and cook at the same time LOL:
Helen
These look amazing – I’m so impressed. I’ve only tried to make them once (without the help of an expert!) and they were edible but didn’t look anything like so professional as these. Wow!
Camilla
As long as they’re to be enjoyed by your family I don’t think it matters if they go wrong at home because as you say they taste just as good:-) It’s nice to have learned all the pitfalls though for when I do take the plunge and make them at home:-)
Ren
Wow, stunning, what a lovely day out! I love taking classes of any kind, I find I always learn something. The colours are so pretty, too.
Camilla
It really was Ren, so much fun and learned so much too:-)
Claire @foodiequine
I absolutely love Macarons but the thought of making them scares me! Wish there was a class near me to do this. We have a beautiful shop in Aberdeen who make and sell their own Macarons, I have pestered them to do classes but no luck so far.
Camilla
Yes there are so many things that can go wrong if you don’t treat the recipe like a very precise experiment. I think patience is a big key to it too. Hope you get to a class one day!
Keep Calm and Fanny On
They all look fab – I went on a course once which was AWFUL, everyones Macarons were dreadful and the teacher really shouldn’t have been doing it… I’ve since taught myself and love making them, and eating them! Are you hooked?
Camilla
Thanks, yes Caroline was a macaron expert so we were in very good hands:-) I am hooked:-)
Angela @ My Golden Pear
These look fab. Can you believe I’ve never tried making macarons! I’ve always thought they were too much work for such an itsy bitsy treat but maybe I should give them a try. Photos are great btw.
Camilla
Thanks Angela, I was a total macaron virgin and knew absolutely nothing about them. After seeing the skill needed and the work involved in making them I can understand why they cost so much to buy! I can see why people say they’re difficult to make now as it’s a very precise science:-) I bet your’s would look beautiful Angela:-)