The French macaron is a finicky beast. Get the heat, humidity and ingredients wrong anywhere in the process and instead of a smooth, candy-coloured shell, you get a flat, deflated blob.
The macarons at Bobbette & Belle, a pair of Parisian-inspired patisseries in Leslieville and midtown, are flawless pastel rounds piped with salted caramel, cassis or passion fruit – the stuff Pinterest boards are made of.
But the struggle to get them to cooperate is one owners Allyson Bobbitt and Sarah Bell know all too well. In their early days as a two-woman baking operation in Bobbitt’s basement kitchen, the duo made batch after failed batch (the rejects, dubbed “macawrongs,” got chopped up and sprinkled over ice cream).
“It’s probably guaranteed that your first time isn’t going to work out, and there is going to be version after version,” Bell says. “They’re a cookie that’s so temperamental, and they’re affected by a bunch of different factors: temperature, humidity, even the quality of ingredients you’re using.”
The duo dole out all of that hard-earned wisdom in Bobbette & Belle: Classic Recipes From The Celebrated Pastry Shop (Penguin, $35), a 265-page tome that teaches readers how to replicate the bakery’s most famed recipes at home.
Though fussy items like lavish wedding cakes and the aforementioned macarons are what the bakery is best known for, many of the other treats lining their shelves – cakes, pies, squares, classic shortbreads – fall into the “like grandma’s but better” category.
When it came time to put pen to paper, Bobbitt and Bell were adamant that that’s where they wanted to put their energy.
“We both decided pretty early on that we wanted this to be a home baking book. It’s definitely approachable recipes for people with a beginner skill level,” Bobbitt says.
Any trade secrets they felt compelled to leave out? “I would say no, to be honest,” Bell replies. “Just because Allyson and I have such a passion for what we do, we get excited, and we do want to let people in on it.”
And so, in addition to recipes for crumbles, tarts and cookies, the book is packed with general baking advice, ideas for gluten and dairy substitutes, and tips on how to nail any recipe – including the dreaded macaron.
To exercise maximum control over the macaron-making process, the uptown location of Bobbette & Belle even has a dedicated macaron kitchen decked out with humidifiers and dehumidifiers to maintain the desired sweet spot.
They’ve come a long way from their origins just six short years ago, when the duo filled orders themselves in Bobbitt’s basement. They now oversee a team of 35, and spend more time in business meetings than up to their elbows in flour.
On one memorable occasion, they cranked out thousands of macarons themselves for a huge corporate order in a marathon overnight baking session, then promptly went to make their first appearance on The Marilyn Denis Show.
“We still laugh about just how crazy we were, barely even knowing now how we completed that order,” Bobbitt says.
“Being six years older, I don’t think we’d have the ability to do that again. Actually, wait, we did – opening another bakery (in 2014), and then writing this book,” Bell laughs.
Recipe: perfect pumpkin pie
Bobbette & Belle’s bakers reinvent this Thanksgiving classic
This Thanksgiving-ready pumpkin pie is a top seller at Bobbette & Belle this time of year. Says Bobbitt, “I think we’ve done a good job of balancing the flavours.” Bell adds, “You don’t want it to be bland, like you’re chewing on a mouthful of baby food. And it’s got a really nice texture – it’s velvety.”
SWEET PASTRY
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons cold water
1 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cold butter over the flour mixture. Gently blend the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles a coarse meal, taking care not to over-mix the butter.
2 In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cold water. Drizzle over the flour in three additions, gently mixing with a large spoon until the wet ingredients are absorbed and the dough just comes together.
3 Turn the dough out onto a work surface and press it together with your hands until it forms a ball. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least three hours.
4 Have ready an 8-inch round tart pan with removable bottom. It is not necessary to grease the pan.
5 On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a ⅛-inch-thick circle that is 2 inches larger than your tart pan. (If the dough cracks, let it rest for a few minutes and warm up slightly before continuing to roll.) Roll the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll it over the pan. Gently press the dough into the sides and bottom of the pan. To ensure a clean edge, cut off excess dough. Prick the entire bottom crust with a fork, being very careful to not pierce through the dough. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch.
6 To blind-bake the pie shell, line it with a piece of parchment paper, then fill it with about 2 cups dried beans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until edges are barely golden. Remove the parchment paper and beans, rotate the pie shell to ensure even baking and continue to bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden in colour. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the pie shell cool completely.
PUMPKIN FILLING
- 1¼ cups canned pumpkin purée
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, condensed milk, sour cream, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
3 Pour the filling into the baked pie shell and bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is just set. If you gently jiggle the pie, the filling should not move. For even baking, rotate the pie front to back halfway through. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.
CHANTILLY CREAM
- ¾ cup 35% cream
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Dollop the Chantilly cream on top of the pie. The finished tart can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to three days.
TIP: If you want to create a sweet dough garnish that encircles the top of the tart, simply roll out the dough scraps and, using a small leaf cutter, punch out as many leaves as the extra dough will allow. Brush with egg wash and bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350°F until golden. Place the cooled leaves all around the outer edge of the tart to create a wreath.
nataliam@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
