Description
This classic French Macarons recipe guides you through making delicate, crisp, and chewy almond meringue cookies perfect for sandwiching with your favorite fillings. The recipe features detailed instructions for preparing the macaron batter, piping perfect rounds, and baking to achieve the signature ruffled feet. Customize with your choice of extracts and food coloring to create irresistibly beautiful and delicious treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 100g egg whites (about 3–4 large egg whites)
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, almond, coconut, etc., optional)
- 80g superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 1–2 drops gel food coloring (optional)
- 125g almond flour
- 125g confectioners’ sugar
Filling
- Desired macaron filling (buttercream, ganache, jam, or other favorite fillings)
Instructions
- Prepare Egg Whites: Wipe a large glass or metal mixing bowl with lemon juice or vinegar. Add egg whites, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before using.
- Prep Baking Sheets: Line 3 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
- Beat Egg Whites: Add cream of tartar and extract (if using) to egg whites. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add superfine sugar in thirds, beating on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in gel food coloring gently if using.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift almond flour and confectioners’ sugar together to remove lumps. Use a spoon to help push through any larger pieces.
- Fold Batter: Slowly fold the beaten egg whites into the almond flour mixture in three additions. Continue folding until the batter reaches a honey-like consistency. Use the figure 8 test—batter should take 10 seconds to flatten.
- Piping: Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe 1.5 to 2-inch rounds spaced 1-2 inches apart onto prepared sheets. Tap the baking sheets on the counter to release air bubbles and pop any bubbles with a toothpick.
- Dry Macarons: Let piped shells sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes until dry and no longer tacky on top to form a skin.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Bake: Bake for 13 minutes, checking doneness by gently touching the shells—if they don’t wobble, they are done. Add a minute or two if needed.
- Cool: Cool shells on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Fill and Assemble: Spread or pipe your choice of fillings onto one shell and sandwich with another.
- Rest (Optional): For best flavor, refrigerate assembled macarons for 12–24 hours and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Storage: Store leftover macarons covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use precise gram measurements for best results, especially for the almond flour and sugars.
- Egg whites aged in the fridge for 24 hours improve meringue stability.
- Handle batter gently to avoid overmixing or undermixing—consistency is key.
- Experiment with flavors and colors by using different extracts and gel food colorings.
- Fillings can include buttercream, ganache, jam, or curd for variety.
- Allowing shells to dry properly before baking helps develop the iconic feet.
- Macarons improve in texture and flavor after resting in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich macaron (about 12g)
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 3mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
