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French Macarons

My tried and true base recipes for perfect, chewy, decadent macarons - accompanied with a full list of troubleshooting in recipe page above.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 28 assembled cookies (about 56 shells)
Author: Lori Vaughn

Ingredients

  • 100 grams fresh egg whites (not from a carton)
  • 75 grams granulated sugar
  • 125 grams fine almond flour, sifted (I like Bobs Red Mill or Kirkland brand)
  • 125 grams powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
  • gel food coloring (optional)
  • + Filling of choice (buttercream frosting, ganache, fresh fruit compote, etc.)

Instructions

  • Prepare supplies. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (about 1/4-1/2 inch round). Prepare a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
    TIP: I like to fit it into a drinking glass to make it easy to pour in the batter.
  • Using room temperature egg whites, separate egg whites from the yolks in a bowl and set aside. Ensure there is NO yolk in the whites.
  • In a large bowl, sift in just over 125 grams of almond flour. Take that almond flour and sift it again one more time until you get to 125 grams. Sifting a total of 2 times. Don’t try to force the flour through the sifter. Any coarse remains should be thrown out.
  • Sift in 125 grams powdered sugar with the almond flour. This can just be sifted once. Whisk the almond flour and powdered sugar together and set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer, mix egg whites on low. Once the egg whites become frothy (about 1 minute in), slowly add the granulated sugar while mixing. Add optional cream of tartar (ensures an extra stable meringue, but not mandatory). If you are using food coloring (ensure it’s gel, not liquid food coloring), you can add it now.
    TIP: If you are using a plastic bowl that was previously used to mix a baked good with butter or oil, wipe down with vinegar and then wash. The vinegar will help release the fat from the plastic. Meringues do not mix up as well with oil.
  • After a couple minutes the mixture will begin to turn into a stiffer meringue. Turn up the speed to medium. Continue to mix until the meringue has "stiff peaks". You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and everything remains in place. The whisk will have sharp peaks to it. If the peaks are wilting, those are loose peaks, and you need to mix for about one more minute.
  • Using a spatula, transfer the meringue to your bowl of almond flour and powdered sugar. Using the spatula, fold the two together. Stop folding when you can lift up your spatula and the batter can flow slowly into a figure 8 and the shape slowly melts back into the rest of the batter. This can happen very quickly, so when you are close, you may just be a few folds away. Do not over fold your batter. Doing so results in a flat macaron.
  • Transfer macaron batter to the prepared piping bag. Gently pipe circles on the lined baking sheet. Make sure your piping bag is vertical when piping, not at an angle. Gently pipe about 1.5 inch circles, or sized as desired.
    TIP: This needs to be piped right away and can not be prepped in advance to keep the meringue stable.
  • Firmly tap your baking sheet on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to release any additional air bubbles. Let the macarons sit to dry (typically about 30-45 minutes), or until the shells feel dry to the touch and loose some of their shine. While it rests, preheat the oven to 300 Fahrenheit.
  • Once macaron shells are dry, bake for about 14-16 minutes. Do not open up the oven until nearing the end. Shells are done when the bottoms loot set. You can test one by edging a knife underneath to ensure it's starting to just barely get golden. Let baked shells cool on the mat for about 15 minutes before trying to remove. Prematurely removing them can cause them to pull apart.
  • Sandwich the shells with a filling of choice and place in the fridge to rest for at least 24 hours. Macarons taste best after they have matured for at least 24 hours. Set out for about 15 minutes before serving to give them a chance to soften.
  • Store in fridge airtight for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You should get a nice soft, chewy macaron that is full of flavor and not too sweet. Enjoy! If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom.