Interview with Erica Doukas, Cocoa Mademoiselle

I love reading other people's blogs, especially when its food related! One blog I love reading is Erica Doukas' Cocoa Mademoiselle, or otherwise known as Macarons by Erica. A Melbourne blogger, Erica solely dedicates her blog to her passion of macarons, sharing all her all her recipes, tips and experimental baking sessions! If you are keen baker, this is one blog to check out as some of the flavours Erica comes up with are really out there...think Tiramisu, marshmallow, baklava and even lamington macarons! They are definitely not the normal run of the mill macarons you would find at a patisserie and with detailed recipes complete with pictures, they are easily replicated at home. I interviewed Erica last week, this is what she had to say: 

So where did you learn the art of Macarons and how long have you been baking for? Do you bake anything else other than Macarons?
I started making macarons after a trip to Paris one year where my sister introduced me to Pierre Herme. I became addicted to his delicious creations, but when I returned home to Melbourne I couldn’t find anywhere that sold them. My only hope of being able to enjoy them at home was to learn how to make them. This was easier said than done – in the end, it was Pierre’s book, “Macaron” that my husband sourced on the internet (in French) that helped me master the macaron…needless to say, it took many months and many failed batches before I finally got the hang of it!

I love baking sweet things – not so keen on savoury baked goods. I love baking cakes, cookies and puddings too!

Erica's favourite: Pear Crumble Macarons

How long have you been blogging for and what made you decide to create a blog specifically around baking Macarons?
I started blogging in 2010. Initially it was just pictures and flavours, but I got so many requests for recipes that I decided to turn it into a macaron recipe blog instead. I can’t even remember why I started blogging in the first place…I think maybe a friend thought it would be a good idea?
 

Erica's Baklava Macarons

You feature so many different flavoured Macarons on your blog, what’s your all-time favourite?
I think the pear crumble macaron is my favourite so far, but it’s very hard to say! Baklava macarons are a close second…

What’s your number one top tip for all those buddying Macaron bakers out there? Is there a secret to creating a perfect Macaron?
Don’t rush!! There are many critical time points during the process – how long you mix the batter for, how long you allow them to rest for, how long you bake them for, how long you let them mature after sandwiching. If you cut any of these too short or extend them for too long, they can result in a dud batch of macarons. Having said that though, they usually taste good no matter what they look like!

What are your plans for your baking in the future?
At the moment it’s just a little fun on the side but we’ll see where the future takes us J
 

Lastly, where can we follow you and find your blog?
My blog is at www.macaronsbyerica.com and you can follow me on twitter at @MacaronsByErica