Macarons part deux

I had another opportunity to try making chocolate macarons at the end of the week. This time, I was to use a recipe tweaked by chef but using the "cooked sugar" method (ie. the method used by everyone else at the beginning of the week) - my friend generously allowed me to try this method (makasih, Fen!) while she tackled another tweaked recipe but using the "raw" method. The good news was that my new batch looked picture perfect (smooth and complete with "feet") and tasted pretty good compared to the ones I had made at the beginning of the week, the only conundrum left to solve now is how to get them to the right colour of chocolate brown. My friend didn't have as much luck with hers, the same cracked results as mine the other day, I blame the oven!

We finished off in lab with practicing making some more almond roses (slowly getting better at these, think I have finally mastered the art of making petals and the power of the back of a spoon!). Chef also gave us a demonstration of pulled sugar which was very impressive - sugar is heated to c.160 degrees and then transferred onto a silpat mat to cool. Once the right temperature is reached, chef then "pulled" the sugar some 20-25 times and the molten lump changed consistency and texture right before our eyes! At this point, the lump of sugar looks like a glossy piece of faux smoked salmon - it is left on a specially-heated plate for a while and afterwards, chef then gradually moulded an exquisite-looking rose from the sugar, amazing!