French macarons have become my signature pastry in recent years (sorry cupcakes!) These tedious to make and delicate sweets bring smiles to everyone who tastes. They are perfect for tea, parties or just because. Since I’m not able to make these in mass production and share with all of you, I’ve decided to share the recipe! I like to use the Italian meringue method for more consistent results.
Ingredients (Note the most accurate way is to use a scale, trust me!)
- 90 grams of egg whites (split into two bowls)
- 26 grams of granulated sugar
- 112 grams of almond flour (finely ground almonds)
- 112 grams of powdered sugar
- 112 grams granulated sugar (for the syrup)
- 37 grams of water (for the syrup)
- Gel or liquid food coloring
Prep
You’ll need two aluminum cookie sheets, one lined with parchment paper. Next set up your piping bag with a pastry tip about 1/2inch wide (or large ziplock bag with a corner cut out as a sub). Stack the cookie sheets to prevent the macarons from burning.
Method
Put the almond flour & powdered sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to combine, then sift. Doing so gets all the lumps out and makes the batter smoother.
Whip half of the egg whites (45grams) with a stand or hand mixer on medium to low speed. When they reach soft peaks, add the 26 grams of granulated sugar.
In the meantime, heat the water and 112grams of granulated sugar in saucepan on high till you reach 230F on a thermometer. When the syrup is ready, slowly pour it into the whipped egg whites while the mixer is on high. Whip on high until the bottom of the bowl is cool to touch. Add your food coloring of choice and mix on low until blended. The meringue should look thick and satiny!
Put the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the other 45grams of egg whites. With a spatula, carefully fold the ingredients together. It’s very important not to over mix! The complete batter should be thick and smooth like lava.
Fill the pastry or zip lock bag and carefully pipe quarter-size circles on the parchment paper. Be sure to leave about an inch in between each macaron. Once finished, let the macarons rest on the counter for 30 minutes until dry to the touch.
Preheat the oven to 320F and bake for 10 minutes. Watch closely! They’re done when shells are hard and don’t sides don’t move or jiggle when lifting.
Once they’ve cooled, you can put whatever filling your heart desires inside! I like to use a swiss meringue buttercream like this Martha Stewart recipe (you only need about a cup) and add a little bit of rose water.
Tips
Separate the egg whites a couple days ahead and leave the whites (covered) on the counter to age. The meringue will be so much better!
Be very careful folding the ingredients. To test for over or under mixing, take a spoonful and drop it on top of the batter. It should disappear in 30 seconds.
Tape down the parchment paper corners with a little bit of batter to prevent movement.
Need troubleshoot or have questions about macarons??? They can be easy to make once you’ve had a little practice so don’t give up! Leave a comment or shoot me an email if you need help!
