I encourage you to set aside a weekend to try this recipe because they are both delicious and fun to make, but they do require time to cure the shells, cool, and assemble the cookies. Macarons make a beautiful addition to a holiday cookie tray, a Mother’s Day brunch, bridal or baby shower or even to decorate the top of a birthday cake!
What is a French Macaron?
French macarons are delicate, sweet meringue-based sandwich cookies with a smooth, crisp shell and chewy inside. The meringue is made up of egg whites and sugar whipped until it looks like billowy clouds, which gives the cookies height and a super chewy texture. The shell, what the unfilled cookies are called, is almost never flavored but often tinted with food coloring. Flavors are added to the filling. You can have fun matching the color of the shell to the flavors in the filling, like these soft pink macarons with strawberry filling. Once you learn how to make the shell, the color and flavor combinations are endless.
Macaron Ingredients
When making macarons, there are certain key ingredients you’ll need:
Use blanched almond meal or superfine almond meal made with blanched almonds. Blanched almond meal is made with skinless almonds, it is pale yellow, and has a super fine texture.Use fresh egg whites at room temperature to make the meringue.Powdered sugar sweetens the shells and granulated sugar is added to the meringue for stability (meaning it will stay light and fluffy) and sweetness.Use gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring in the batter so that its consistency doesn’t change. I think Americolor makes the best quality gel food coloring. Cream of tartar also helps the meringue stabilize.
The Tools You’ll Need
You’ll need a full day to make the macarons, so it’s important to work with the right tools for the best chance at a successful bake:
Use clean glass or metal bowls to make macarons. Plastic bowls can hold onto grease, which can ruin the macaron batter. When the egg whites are whipped, any fat clinging to the bowl will prevent the shells from rising as they bake. Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients. I’ve provided you with the measurements in grams. Weighing the ingredients will give you the most consistent and accurate amounts and will ensure success every single time!I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make the meringue. Although not impossible, it’s harder to make it with a handheld mixer.A pastry bag fitted with a round pastry tip will make piping the macarons easy. I use a #12 Wilton pastry tip. It’s the perfect size for piping without the batter leaking. If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a large zip top bag. Cut a bottom corner and place the pastry tip into it.
Tips and Tricks for Making Macarons
Follow these simple tips and tricks for the best macarons:
Don’t make macarons on a rainy day! A meringue’s worst enemy is moisture from humidity, rain, and even steam from your dishwasher.Flip the baking sheet upside down and bake the macarons on the bottom of the baking sheet (which is now the top). An upside-down baking sheet helps distribute heat coming from the bottom of the oven, preventing the macarons from baking too quickly.Before making the meringue, wipe the mixing bowl with a little distilled white vinegar to remove any residual fat on its surface.Use room temperature egg whites. Separate the eggs while they’re cold, then let the egg whites sit out on the counter. If you’re in a hurry, place the egg whites into a tightly sealed container and place it in a bowl of hot tap water. Your egg whites will be warm in 5 to 10 minutes.If the food coloring has been sitting in the pantry for some time, give it a good shake before using to reincorporate the dye and the liquid.
Macaron Variations
Color the shells with whatever color inspires you. Here are other filling flavors you can experiment with instead of strawberry:
Orange: Add a few drops of orange extract to the buttercream.Blackberry: Add a few tablespoons of blackberry jam to the buttercream.Cherry: Add a few drops of cherry extract to the buttercream.
Storage Instructions
Once assembled, the macarons should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last in there for up to a week!To freeze, place the macarons in a single layer on a large tray and freeze them for 1 hour, then transfer them to an airtight container. Layer them between parchment paper to make sure they don’t stick. They will keep in the freezer for one month.
More Macarons Recipes to Try
Lemon Macarons Raspberry Macarons Chocolate Macarons White Chocolate Peppermint Macarons
Instead of the blanched almond meal, you can use super-fine almond flour made with blanched almonds.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups (160g) powdered sugar 3 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder 1 tablespoon 2% milk
For the strawberry macaron shells
1 1/4 cups (100g) blanched almond meal 3/4 cup (80g) powdered sugar Distilled white vinegar for cleaning the bowl 2 or 3 (80g) large egg whites at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/3 cup (80g) sugar 1 drop pink gel food coloring
Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula with each addition of powdered sugar so that it incorporates evenly. Then, increase the speed to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. You shouldn’t need more than 1 tablespoon of milk. If you add more, the buttercream will be too thin. It should look light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set it aside. Add the cream of tartar first and continue whisking for 3 minutes. At this point, the egg whites will have gained a little bit of volume, look dull, and will not hold its shape. With the mixer still running, sprinkle in the sugar slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar has been added, increase to medium speed and continue whisking for about 2 minutes. The egg whites will have increased in volume, become white, and look thick. Stop the mixer and add the food coloring, then continue whisking for 3 minutes until the mixture looks glossy and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You will also notice some ridges in the middle near the whisk indicating it is ready. If the peak curls or falls over then continue whisking the meringue, about 1 to 2 minutes. If the meringue starts to look chunky or curdled, the egg whites have been overwhipped and you’ll have to start over. If the batter does not pass the figure 8 test, fold the batter with a rubber spatula twice and then check it again, and repeat until it passes! Fit a 12- to 18- inch pastry bag with a small round pastry tip—I use a small #12 Wilton round tip. Place the pastry bag into a tall cup with the pastry tip touching the bottom of the cup. Cuff the excess bag over the edge of the cup. Use a rubber spatula to gently scrape the batter into the piping bag. Twist the top of the pastry bag so that the batter doesn’t fall out of the bag while you’re holding it. If using parchment, pipe a small dot of batter in each corner of the baking sheet to help secure the paper. Pipe 1- to 1 1/2-inch circles 2 inches apart from each other on the prepared baking sheets. The pastry tip should point directly down, not at an angle, for evenly sized and perfectly round shells. If the tops have a pointy tip from the piping, gently smooth them out with an offset spatula or the back of a small spoon. You will get 30 to 32 circles, which will yield 15 or 16 macarons. Bake the shells, one baking sheet at a time, for 13 minutes. When the timer goes off, carefully open the oven door, and gently touch the top of a shell. The top of the shell should not move from the feet where it touches the pan. If it moves slightly, bake it for 1 minute more. Once they are completely cool, use your hands to peel the baking mat or parchment paper back from the shells slowly and gently. If they are completely cool, the shells should come off easily. Pipe a little less than a tablespoon-sized dollop of strawberry buttercream onto one of the paired shells. Sandwich the pair together. Repeat with all other macarons.
