Popcorn Macarons

Every Wednesday at 3pm is afternoon tea time at my work. I was put onto the afternoon tea roster when I began working there, around the beginning of February, and have been waiting impatiently ever since for my turn to bring in afternoon tea. This Wednesday was my very first week and I decided to make Adriano Zumbo's wonderfully weird Popcorn Macarons.

I'm not going to lie to you- I was disappointed when after all the effort I went to to ensure that a proper skin was formed on the macarons before they went in the oven, they decided to crack on the surface anyway. Aargh! So frustrating! I seriously could have thrown them into the bin on the spot, I was that irritated. But, before being too hasty, I realised that the cracked appearance on the surface wouldn't be at all apparent with this particular type of macaron. Why, you may ask? Because the cooked macarons are painted with melted butter and scattered with finely processed popcorn pieces. Crisis averted- phew!

In spite of my panic on Tuesday night, the Popcorn Macarons were a hit at work and wolfed down greedily by all and sundry. They were, I must admit, quite delicious- the saltiness of the buttercream and popcorn balancing out the sweetness of the macarons and making them altogether more moreish. That being said, I do hope for a better outcome for my macarons shells next time around.