Description
Delightful easy macaron recipe for beginners brings French pastry magic to home kitchens with simple steps. Bakers can master these elegant cookies through careful technique and precise measurements.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (75 g) almond flour (finely ground, sifted)
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or any desired flavor)
- 12 tbsps milk (as needed for consistency)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Meticulously sift almond flour and powdered sugar through a fine-mesh strainer twice to create a uniform, silky powder without lumps.
- Meringue Formation: Sanitize a mixing bowl with vinegar, whip egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, increasing mixer speed to create glossy, stiff peaks. Optional: incorporate gel food coloring.
- Batter Development: Delicately fold dry ingredients into the meringue using a precise spatula technique. Assess batter consistency by dropping small amounts that flow like molten lava and dissolve within 10-15 seconds.
- Piping and Resting: Prepare a piping bag with a circular tip, creating uniform circles on parchment-lined baking sheets. Tap the sheet firmly to eliminate air bubbles and allow macarons to develop a delicate skin at room temperature.
- Baking Process: Preheat oven to 300F. Bake macarons, rotating the sheet midway to ensure even coloration. Look for characteristic ruffled feet and set surfaces. Cool completely on the baking sheet, allowing shells to detach naturally.
- Filling Creation: Cream softened butter until smooth, gradually integrating powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and minimal milk to create a luxurious buttercream.
- Assembly and Storage: Match macaron shells by size and symmetry. Pipe buttercream onto one shell’s flat surface, gently pressing a matching shell on top. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 24-48 hours to enhance flavor complexity. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Precision Sifting: Use a clean, dry sifter to prevent moisture contamination and ensure ultra-fine, clump-free dry ingredients.
- Egg White Mastery: Separate eggs when cold, then let whites reach room temperature for maximum volume and stable meringue structure.
- Batter Consistency Check: Aim for a “figure-8” test where batter ribbons slowly dissolve within 10-15 seconds, indicating perfect macronage technique.
- Resting Magic: Allow piped macarons to develop a delicate skin at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, which creates signature smooth shells and prevents cracking during baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg