iN VIDEO: Kamloops baker gives crash course on making the perfect macaron

The kitchen at Mary Ann’s Macarons in Kamloops is clean and comfortable, a place where thousands of festive macarons are made all year round. The baker behind the business is Ashley Funk, although she is known by many customers and fellow local makers as Mary Ann. iNFOnews.ca stopped by the shop on Dec. 4 to learn the art of macaron making, first donning an apron, then doing a thorough hand wash before jumping into the fun. “I love making macarons, it’s a creative outlet for me,” Funk said putting a steel mixing bowl on a scale. “There are always new flavours, colours and designs to create, and I love the decorating part.” She is making batches of macarons that look like penguins wearing earmuffs and minty green wreaths with festive bows. Funk weighs out the ingredients for the meringue component of the macaron, putting sugar and water on the stove to boil and egg whites into a mixing bowl. “Everything is measured in grams and has to be precise,” she said. She turns on the oven, then mixes the dry ingredients together, adding a drop of blue food colouring. “Macaron shells are a four-ingredient cookie,” she said. “It’s almond flour, egg whites, icing sugar and granulated sugar. Success is dependant on the process and technique. You have to be focussed.” She takes the boiling sugar water off the stove and slowly pours it into egg whites as they are beating in a mixer. “You drip it down the side of the bowl slowly, it’s very hot and it will cook the egg whites if you add it too fast,” she said. Once incorporated, the meringue mix is beaten for another five minutes until it comes closer to room temperature and has a firmer structure. “It has to be able to hold its structure as it isn’t being put into molds,” she said. “I used to over mix it and then all of it would run together and I’d have one giant macaron.” When asked if she still eats macarons after making so many, Funk said yes, but not as many as she used to. “I always have a couple of flavours I really, really like, like the Reese's peanut butter flavours, if I have any of those in the bakery they’re just gone.” Once the meringue is done beating and holds a stiff form, Funk incorporates it into the shell batter in two steps. She puts half into batter and gives it a good mix. Incorporating the other half of the meringue into the batter is the most technical part and takes a skilled, gentle touch. “This is where you can make or break your macarons, you have to gently fold in the meringue by running the spatula along the side of the bowl," she said. “We want the mix to be able to form a couple of figure eights that fall off the spatula. If you stir for too long the batter will get too runny and won’t hold its shape, this is the technical piece.” READ MORE: iN MAPS: The most festive Christmas displays in Kamloops https://infotel.ca/newsitem/in-maps-the-most-festive-christmas-displays-in-kamloops/it107339 The mixture is put into piping bags and Funk makes circular blobs on a pan. She takes a pin and removes any air bubbles in the blobs before putting them into the oven where they bake into the shells of the macarons. The finished shells are painted into cute penguins with edible paints before top and bottom shells and pressed together with pastry cream.  It has been almost a year since Funk opened the little shop https://infotel.ca/inwine/popular-kamloops-macaron-maker-opens-brick-and-mortar-bakery/it103276  and after making innumerable macarons, she is never bored of the job. “It doesn’t even feel like work,” Funk said. “There are long days and you get tired and stuff, but it allows me to be creative and if this is what I do for the rest of my life, I’m so content. READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Renowned Kamloops photographer Peter Olsen on the trade, his connection to the city https://infotel.ca/newsitem/in-photos-renowned-kamloops-photographer-peter-olsen-on-the-trade-his-connection-to-the-city/it107366 “I’ve made thousands of them, hundreds of thousands, I don’t even know.” Funk continues to make community connections with her baking, forming ties with other vendors and makers, and selling their wares at the front of her shop. She also holds workshops where four to six people come in and get hands on experience making macarons. “I believe in supporting local business and have connections with other local vendors at markets,” she said. “I connect with customers and love making meaningful custom orders to help them celebrate their special occasions.” Mary Ann's Macarons at 1295 12 Street is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.  Go here to see everything MaryAnne’s Macarons has to offer and to make online purchases. https://www.maryannsmacarons.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR27mYlrHm92GMWQNBvoPcrVFgebM0wyU-CEdhGgGHqLbwhJdKh_6rdIbQg_aem_BxQVW_VbI1EVcSe-vNRSWw To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie mailto:sainslie@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. 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