Description
This classic French Macaron recipe guides you through creating delicate, crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside cookies filled with a smooth vanilla buttercream. Perfect for elegant dessert platters, these colorful macarons are made with almond flour, whipped egg whites, and a light meringue, piped into perfect rounds and baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 150 grams sifted super-fine almond flour
- 180 grams powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Meringue
- 120 grams large egg whites (at room temperature, about 4 large eggs)
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 4 drops liquid-gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or your choice of filling
Instructions
- Prepare Piping Bag: Fit a piping bag with a large plain tip to shape the macaron shells uniformly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a bowl and gently mix to combine evenly, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Whip Egg Whites: Clean a glass or metal bowl with vinegar or lemon juice to eliminate grease. Add the room-temperature egg whites and salt, then whip until frothy.
- Make Meringue: Gradually add granulated sugar into the egg whites while whisking continuously, until stiff peaks form, creating a stable and glossy meringue base.
- Add Color and Flavor: Gently fold in the liquid-gel food coloring drops and vanilla extract until fully incorporated without deflating the meringue.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Carefully fold the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the meringue in three additions, preserving as much air as possible to maintain lightness.
- Adjust Batter Consistency: Deflate the batter gently using a spatula, mixing just until the batter flows smoothly but is not runny, which is critical for proper piping and structure.
- Pipe Macaron Shells: Transfer the batter into the prepared piping bag and pipe evenly sized rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat, spacing them adequately.
- Remove Air Bubbles and Rest: Tap the baking sheet firmly against the counter several times to release trapped air bubbles, then let the shells rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, until they form a dry skin on top.
- Bake the Macarons: Preheat the oven to 315°F (157°C). Bake the shells for 12 to 15 minutes until they develop their characteristic feet and are set but remain chewy inside.
- Cool and Assemble: Allow the shells to cool completely on the baking sheet. Pair shells of similar size, then pipe the vanilla buttercream or your choice of filling onto one shell and sandwich with the other.
Notes
- Allow the macaron shells to form a dry skin before baking to prevent cracking and to achieve smooth tops and well-formed feet.
- Ensure there is no grease on your mixing bowl or tools, as this can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
- Room temperature egg whites whip better and help achieve a stable meringue.
- Use a silicone mat or parchment paper that is flat and even to ensure consistent baking.
- Macarons are sensitive to humidity; avoid making them on very humid days for best results.
- Experiment with food coloring and fillings to customize flavors and appearance.
