Description
This classic French macaron recipe guides you through creating delicate, crisp-on-the-outside and chewy-on-the-inside almond meringue cookies filled with luscious French buttercream. Perfectly balanced and beautifully textured, these macarons are ideal for special occasions or indulgent everyday treats.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie
- 100 g egg whites (room temperature; about 3 large eggs)
- 140 g almond flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 90 g granulated sugar (just under 1/2 cup)
- 130 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (800 mg)
For the Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened; 226 g)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp water (30 mL)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour into a bowl to remove lumps and achieve a fine texture needed for smooth macarons.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a very clean bowl, add room temperature egg whites and begin whisking with an electric mixer. When foamy, add cream of tartar and then slowly add granulated sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. This meringue should be thick and marshmallowy.
- Add Flavor and Color: Gently fold in vanilla extract and any desired food coloring into the meringue until evenly combined.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Fold one-third of the dry mixture into the meringue carefully. Then fold in the remaining dry ingredients gently, ensuring the batter achieves a flowing lava consistency that falls in a figure eight without breaking.
- Pipe Macarons: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe one-inch dollops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, arranged with dabs of batter underneath to prevent slipping. Tap the tray on the counter several times to release air bubbles.
- Rest the Shells: Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature for about 40 minutes until a skin forms on the surface to ensure perfect feet development during baking.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake the macarons for 12-15 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through (after 7 minutes). Let cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.
- Prepare Sugar Syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over low stirring to dissolve sugar, then increase to medium-high and boil until syrup reaches 240°F (115°C).
- Whip Egg Yolks: While syrup heats, whisk egg yolks in a stand mixer until thick and foamy.
- Combine Syrup and Yolks: With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the egg yolks. Continue mixing until the mixture cools to room temperature and the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch.
- Add Butter and Flavor: Add softened butter one cube at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Then add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 5-6 minutes. Add food coloring if desired.
- Assemble Macarons: Pipe buttercream filling onto the back of half the macaron shells. Sandwich with the remaining halves. For best flavor and texture, age macarons in the refrigerator for 1-3 days before serving to allow the filling to soften the shells.
Notes
- The meringue must reach stiff peak stage for the macarons to develop properly. It should be thick and marshmallow-like, filling the whisk attachment.
- Always sift almond flour and powdered sugar multiple times and process briefly in a food processor to eliminate large particles to avoid marred shell surfaces.
- Use a kitchen scale for precise measurement of ingredients to ensure consistent results.
- Folding the batter takes practice; fold gently to maintain air but achieve the flowing lava consistency that forms a figure eight when poured.
- Pipe macarons with the piping bag held perpendicular to the baking sheet to maintain round, uniform shapes.
- Add any coloring only after the meringue reaches soft peaks stage for even color distribution.
- Stop piping by releasing pressure and pulling the bag upward in a circular motion to create smooth macarons.
- Let macarons rest and mature in the refrigerator for 2-3 days to improve texture and flavor.
- If shells become overly crisp after baking, brush the bottoms lightly with milk before assembling to soften.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 macarons
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 25 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
