I was once told by a wise man that: “hope isn’t a plan”. Ya right. I hope for a lot of things, and if hope isn’t a plan, and things happen in my favor over and over - am I just lucky…lucky at nearly everything (haha 🤦♂️!)?
To that, I’d say I’m the luckiest person in the world.
I’ve worked hard at developing myself and proud of my accomplishments in every aspect of my life; but to be honest, a lot of things have had to go right which enabled me to take full advantage of my luckiness? It’s hard to admit, but my luck has been the result of (gulp) a plan - but I wasn’t hoping to be lucky?
But the straight forward words once uttered couldn’t be truer today. So what happens when you couple not having a plan, and bad luck?
You guessed it. A macaron baking disaster.
Well to be fully transparent - I had a plan, and a recipe to follow but because I can articulate my luckiness, the intersection of hope and luck is growing in complexity. And certainly didn’t ring true in my latest baking adventure.
Over the past several months, I’ve baked over 100 dozen macarons (that’s 2,400 shells if you’re trying to count!). You might recall a recent post reminiscing on the complexities (and headaches!) of making macarons. Needless to say, I’ve refined my baking skills and confidence is at an all-time high.
So today - Bounced out of bed mentally prepared to start the sophisticated production of raspberry macarons. While this was the first attempt at this flavor profile, there wasn’t a worry in the world.
The process was straight forward - develop a standard macaron shell, coupled with a delicate white-chocolate raspberry purée. Pure bliss.
Perfect measuring.
Meringue flawless.
Folded the batter like a pro.
Piped and baked shell impeccable. The best I’ve ever made.
So I’m firing on all cylinders today!- And I glimpse past the standard well-known procedures to make macarons are not to be completed in a day- shells and filling composition in the first day, after aging of both components, complete the assembly the following day.
But hey, I’ve reached expert status so let’s keep rolling!
As the creation of the fresh raspberry purée with white chocolate filling progressed after intensive, hastily rushed preparation: blending, straining, double boilers, boiling, combining, ice baths, freezers, splitting liquids, and recombining containers…all to speed the process…when it would have been far better to just slow down and work towards the certain result in the coming days.
All to be said…I was hoping for a successful resolution, with a plan that didn’t make sense, and I was extremely unlucky.
The end product tastes amazing. But sloppy. I’ll regroup tomorrow and give it another shot- or just throw the towel in and make icecream with the yet-to-consumed purée?
Lesson learned: stick to the plan and don’t rush the macaroon making process!!
Ready to be baked shells.
Shells fresh out of the oven!
Shells cooled and stacked.
Filling nightmare realized.
Umm. And then this.
Looks are deceiving cuz this tastes amazing!