Macarons
French Macarons are elegant, gluten-free almond meringue sandwich cookies with a crisp shell and a tender interior. Make sure you allow time for the shells to rest before baking.
Servings: 18 macarons
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour (75g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (113g)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large egg whites (65g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup jam (see below for other filling suggestions)
Instructions
- Get ready. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit neatly in a baking sheet. Use a permanent marker to trace 1 1/4-inch circles spaced 1 inch apart. Place the parchment paper, marker-side down, on the baking sheet.
- Grind and sift the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Pulse until extra fine, 10 to 15 (1-second) pulses. Sift through a mesh sieve into a mixing bowl, and discard any large pieces that remain in the sieve.
- Make the meringue. Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high, and add the granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Pour in the almond extract, and continue to whip on medium-high speed until the meringue has a satin sheen and stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Make the batter(Macaronage). Add about half of the dry ingredients to the meringue. Use a large silicone spatula to gently fold the mixture until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold to combine. Continue gently mixing, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, to loosen the batter, until it has lost about half its volume, is shiny, and flows off the spatula in a smooth ribbon. You should be able to make a figure eight in the batter without it breaking, and the figure eight should slowly melt back into the batter.
- Prepare to pipe the macaron shells. Glue the parchment paper to the baking sheet using a small dab of batter in each corner. Scrape the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (1cm) round piping tip. Twist the bag to close.
- Pipe the shells: Holding the bag perpendicular (straight up and down) with the tip about 1/2-inch above the center of one of the traced circles, apply steady pressure to the bag until the macaron batter fills the circle. Stop squeezing the bag, lift, and quickly twirl the tip to break the flow of the batter cleanly. Continue filling in the rest of the circles. Tap the baking sheet firmly on a towel-lined work surface a few times to pop any large air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any large bubbles below the surface and fill in the depressions left by the popped bubbles.
- Dry the macaron shells. Let the macarons stand uncovered at room temperature for about 45 minutes, or until the surfaces are matte and have formed a thin skin. This may take longer if you live in a humid area. You should be able to gently poke them without the batter sticking to your finger.
- Get ready to bake. While the macarons dry, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Bake the macaron shells. Bake the macarons in the preheated oven for 12 to 16 minutes. The macarons should be dry on the surface, with a ruffled foot around the base. If you gently wiggle a macaron, it should stay put on the parchment and not jiggle. If you used more than one baking sheet, bake them one at a time.
- Cool the shells. Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet, then carefully peel them from the parchment paper.
- Fill the macarons. Transfer the jam to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip. Pipe a generous teaspoon of jam on the flat side of half of the cooled shells, then sandwich them with the remaining shells.
- Age and serve. Carefully pack the macarons into a container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Serve chilled. The macarons will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
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- To Color the Macaron Shells: Macarons don’t take on extra liquid well, so use a gel food coloring, which is more concentrated anyway. Because the final consistency of the batter is so vital to the success of your macarons, add the food coloring while making the meringue, instead of at the end of mixing. After adding all of the granulated sugar to the whipped egg whites, continue to beat the meringue until soft peaks form. Add the food coloring one drop at a time, beating on low speed, until you achieve the desired hue. Then, continue beating the meringue on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Remember the color will darken slightly in the oven.
- Berry macarons: Freeze-dried raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry powder will add a fruity flavor and a bit of color to your macarons. Add 1 tablespoon of freeze-dried berry powder to the dry ingredients. Adding freeze-dried berry powder will cause macarons to brown faster in the oven. Lower the temperature to 275°F and bake for 16 to 20 minutes.
- Chocolate macarons: Cocoa powder gives the shells a rich, chocolate flavor. Reduce the powdered sugar to 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100g) and add 2 tablespoons (12g) unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. Different brands of cocoa vary significantly in fat content. A cocoa powder high in fat can cause macarons to have a wrinkly appearance.
- Espresso macarons: For coffee-flavored macarons, add 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients.
- Cinnamon macarons: For cinnamon-flavored macaron shells, add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
- Cardamom macarons: For cardamom-flavored macaron shells, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom to the dry ingredients.
- Rose water macarons: For rose flavored macarons, add 1/2 teaspoon rose water in place of the almond extract. For a stronger rose flavor, make a white chocolate ganache using the ganache instructions below and add 1 teaspoon rose water.
- Orange blossom macarons: For orange blossom-flavored macarons, add 3/4 teaspoon orange blossom water in place of the almond extract. For a stronger orange blossom flavor, make a white chocolate ganache using the ganache instructions below and add 1 teaspoon orange blossom water.
- Jam: Use your favorite jam as an easy filling for homemade macarons. Use a thicker jam that holds its shape when piped onto the macarons. If the jam is too runny, you can thicken it on the stove. Add the jam to a small saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let it cool completely before filling the macarons. The jam will thicken as it cools.
- Chocolate ganache: Another classic macaron filling is rich, chocolate ganache, which works well to tone down the sweetness of the macaron shells. To make chocolate ganache, finely chop 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring. Then stir with a spatula until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth and shiny. Let it cool completely before piping onto the macarons.
- Espresso chocolate ganache: Use the above instructions for chocolate ganache, adding 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder to the heavy cream.
- Lemon curd: Lemon curd makes a bright and zingy filling for macarons. You could also try another citrus curd, such as orange, grapefruit, or lime.
- Nut creams: Not to be confused with nut butters like peanut butter or almond butter, nut creams are very smooth, fine spreads that contain both finely ground nuts, as well as sugar and sometimes milk powder. The result is a super creamy and delicately sweetened spread with the lush texture of a pastry cream. Use almond, pistachio, or chocolate-hazelnut creams as easy, readymade macaron fillings.
Nutrition
Calories: 91.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.9g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 2.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 14.1g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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