Macaron Magic

After reading many comments for many choices of macaron cookbooks and perusing our local library collection, I decided on this one. I'm so pleased with this book that I decided to write a review, even though there are already several helpful evaluations. Her approach to recipe development is a meticulous one, which is a great benefit to those of us who depend on accuracy and thorough instruction. My first attempt didn't result in photo-perfect macarons but they were delicious.Each chapter and recipe begins with a short introduction that gives interesting tidbits of background information or the source of a recipe's inspiration. One macaron shell recipe is the base for all flavors. I like that she uses just granulated sugar; many recipes call for powdered sugar. I particularly like being able to use fresh almonds instead of having to locate almond flour (at about triple the price). Some consumers may wish to see the option of an uncooked meringue shell, but she explains why she uses Italian meringue. For those who prefer the uncooked version, you could use a recipe from that well known internet recipe site, then use this cookbook for the fabulous fillings. Her fillings run the entire culinary spectrum--such variety shows imagination and creativity. You'll find white and dark chocolate ganache, Swiss meringue buttercream, French buttercream, Italian buttercream, jam (not the super sweet ones we buy in a jar), Champagne jelly, and cream cheese fillings. One filling incorporates the native American cranberry, another uses tropical guava, still another borrows exotic cardamom from India. One filling is even infused with that elixir of the Asian gods, jasmine tea. You can travel the world without leaving your kitchen.Another strength of the book is that she addresses the whys and wherefores, the scientific underpinnings of the macaron concept (in easily understandable terms). This book is so good that I feel like I should buy one for our public library. She even has instruction videos on her website that are especially helpful for visual learners. Xièxiè, Jialin.

Not often do you find such a wonderful book, full of very tasty recipes, that is so well photographed.Whether you make classics like pistachio, meyer lemon, and bitter almond & amaretto or delve into the tasty adventure of something like Maple Bacon, you will be very happy with this book. The recipes are easy to follow and produce wonderful results. I also found the visual nature of the macron lends itself very well to this book. The simple shapes and colors come together in a visually appeallling book that only whets the appetite for the recipes that follow. Great book. Can't wait to try more of the recipes!

After purchasing a couple of other books on macaron baking, I purchased "Macaron Magic" based on other reviews. It was highly recommended and I was looking for a book that was easy to follow and contained everything I'd need to incorporate variety into the macarons and the fillings. This book answered questions I had about various aspects of making macarons and appears to meet my expectations. I haven't tried the recipes yet but when I do, this book will be a one-stop instruction tool. I base my high rating on the fact that the author didn't spare either details or variety. Besides, I love cookbooks!

I used French meringue method with the recipes for ganache from this book with excellent result. I love the pictures of all the steps and the detailed instructions. I tried the Italian meringue method in this book (because I had hope that I would get shiny shells like Laduree') and it turned out horribly wrong. I have yet to figure what went wrong. My shells were extremely sweet and all cracked without feet. I am still not sure what went wrong and how to fix it.

I was really excited for this book, but it was a big letdown. In one of the recipes I tried out, I had to make caramel but it was a fail. I looked up other caramel recipes and found that you need to put in butter and heavy cream. Maybe this would be better suited for people who have lots of experience because some of the recipes say stuff like "make apple puree" and I had to look up a separate recipe for it. Disappointing.

Even after I have tried countless recipes and techniques I couldn't get my macs just right every single time. Until trying out the one from this book. Thanks to "Look inside!", I sneaked in and tried to make a batch. After every single shell came out perfectly I bought both books (Macaron Magic 2 also). Jialin has very precise measurements of ingredients, temperature, cookie size. So if you are looking for less professional & technical recipes to follow, probably you should search for something else. But if you are looking for A+ macaroons in terms of shape and taste, this book is the right choice!

This is my 3rd or 4th macaron recipe book - it's got a modern "you can do it style", which is good.There's a bit of hype, from my POV, in message that the author did tons of research and came up with her own recipe, that's fool-proof. It's a good recipe, and the addition of a small amount of powdered eggwhites does probably make it more consistent than others, but other than that, it's a classic macaron shell recipe you can find almost anywhere, with the ratios almost 1:1 with what Pierre Herme uses (again, other than the powdered egg whites). The biggest problem beginners have (like a friend of mine who's starting with this book) is in the folding the batter to the right consistency (she calls the right consistency a "quasi" meringue, while classic terms call the process of getting that consistency "macaronage").Overall - a good starting point, a good recipe, and it can work for anyone, but... It can take a while to learn what the proper consistency looks like, if the shells are ready for baking yet, and then time / temp in your oven for getting baking the shells just right.