The fragile, delicate nature of macarons give them the air of being impossible to reproduce outside of specialty bakeshops.
But the Moana Surfrider’s pastry chef, Carmen Montejo, is set to reveal all the secrets of perfect macarons during the next Moana Masters Series lunch and workshop, noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the hotel’s Beachhouse at the Moana.
If you’ve already mastered the art of whipping up a meringue, you’re halfway toward baking up some of these colorful treats for Easter or any spring soiree.
Montejo, who was born in Guatemala and grew up in California, said she entered the pastry world accidentally, learning the art of baking while working in various kitchens. She became familiar with the French confection only about six years ago, when images of the sandwich-style, ganache-filled cookies began circulating widely on Instagram, sending bakers scrambling to reproduce the eye-catching sweets.
As soon as she saw them, she wanted to make them. “It takes a few more steps than most people are willing to try, but it’s not as hard as people think. It comes down to temperature and patience.”
From beginning to end, the process takes about 45 minutes, but one of her secrets is to make the ganache a day ahead, which allows the whipped cream filling to set and crystallize, resulting in a smooth filling.
Montejo will demonstrate the Italian method of making macarons. The French method calls for folding dry ingredients, including almond flour common to every macaron, into the meringue mixture. The Italian method calls for pouring boiling sugar syrup slowly into the egg whites, which cooks them as they whip, resulting in a more stable meringue. Most bakeries use this method for consistent results.
The macarons’ uniform size comes from using a template of circles that can be drawn onto parchment paper placed over cookie sheets. The circles, a little larger than a quarter, give bakers a boundary for piping the meringue.
Older eggs also tend to yield better results, so Montejo recommends cracking them open and keeping them refrigerated a couple of days ahead.
Saturday’s class will include a cocktail demonstration and chocolate pairing, and will conclude with afternoon tea service.
MOANA MASTERS MACARON CLASS
>> Where: Beachhouse at the Moana, Moana Surfrider
>> When: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $100; go to honoluluboxoffice.com
>> Note: Additional classes are planned for June 8 (beer, braut and sausage tasting with demonstration of chicken and andouille sausage gumbo; lunch will include beer pairings), July 6 (seafood boil and mango celebration; learn to shuck an oyster and use it in a bloody mary; lunch includes Southern classic cocktails), Sept. 14 (a “Pigging Out” lesson on making pork cracklins; lunch includes red-wine pairings) andNov. 9 (Thanksgiving and holiday techniques include turkey cookery, covering sous vide, braise and confit methods; lunch will include a ham jook arancini with ginger-scallion relish, and apple and cranberry pie)
