Home Bakers Collective: French Macarons — trips, scribbles, & crumbs

“How much cream would you like in your coffee?” I very commonly get asked at a coffee shop.

“Until it’s about the color of my skin.”

I love saying that. It’s the most accurate way of describing how much milk or cream to add to my coffee, but it reminds me of how much I love my skin color.

cappuccino courtesy of lucky’s coffee roasters in upland, ca

Last summer, I met a tribe of bakers that became a wonderful community to me. Together we started the Home Bakers Collective, and I’ll regularly be participating in that the things we do together. This month, we asked the age old question every serious thinker takes time to ponder and reflect on:

“If you were a French Macaron, what kind would you be?”

One of the things I love about my community of bakers, is that while our love of baking and each other binds us, we are all different in our point of views, (although you’ll find there is some overlap). But yet, as different as we are, I treasure a small collection of pictures I have of us all sitting in front of our ovens, eagerly watching the magic in front of us.

So. If I was a French Macaron, what kind would I be? Coffee and Dulce de Leche. I could go on and on about how both me and this macaron appear simple on the outside, yet are complex. I could tell you that most people see an aloof, somewhat dark and unapproachable exterior, yet are delighted by how sweet I can actually be once I trust them. And I can tell you that coffee tasting is a serious hobby of mine, and that dulce de leche is a nod to my culture of which I am very proud.

But… at the end of the day, it’s just a cookie. A delicious one, sure. But a cookie nonetheless.

these macarons are filled with a ring of dark coffee flavored white chocolate ganache that surrounds a dollop of sweet, dulce de leche.

I tried my best to have them be the color of my skin, but I think that’s easier to do with actual coffee.