There are quite a few steps, and it’s good to know your game plan before you start.
Pipe batter* into circles that are 3/4-inch across (diameter) and 1 inch apart. I piped these shells with a diameter of about 1 1/2 inches, so they’re about the size of a standard macaron.
Do not use egg whites from a carton.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g
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Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
If you try this recipe for French macarons, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Trim off the corner to allow your batter or filling to flow easily (without squeezing too hard).
Below are some of the issues I’ve run into when baking macarons. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip).
Add in a squirt of gel food coloring if desired.
While the macarons are drying, place the oven thermometer in the center rack of the oven. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
The first difference is that the Italian method whisks egg whites with a hot sugar syrup to create a stiff meringue. Try this French meringue buttercream filling made with egg yolks.
This brings any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which can be popped with a toothpick or a scribe.
This can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.
Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes or until they form a skin.
They should be mostly dry to the touch and look matte once they’re ready to be baked!
French macarons are considered easier to make, while Swiss and Italian macarons are considered more challenging but are more structurally sound.
French macarons also require less equipment.
Keep in mind that macaron shells soften once they’re filled and have time to mature in the fridge, so don’t be disheartened if they seem a bit firm once they’ve cooled.
Potential Fixes: Mix your batter less, bake your macarons for less time, brush the bottoms with milk, or fill them and see if the maturation process softens them.
There’s nothing worse than baking up a tray of macaron shells only to see they’ve browned!
This is caused by over-baking or hot spots in your oven.
Potential Fixes: Turn down your oven temperature by 5-10 degrees F, bake them for slightly less long, bake the macarons with a pan above them to protect them from the heat, or bake the macarons with two pans.
This can be caused by an uneven baking tray or mat, an oven that bakes unevenly, or uneven piping.
Potential Fixes: Make sure you’re using a good quality pan and silpat mat, test your oven for hot spots, make sure you aren’t baking convection, or take your time when piping and use a template to ensure your macarons are consistent in size and shape.
While we put tons of energy into the shell of a macaron, almost all the flavor in a macaron comes from its filling.
The shell gives macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines their flavor.
You can use just about any type of frosting or ganache to fill macarons.
I have a big sweet tooth, so I usually prefer using milk or white chocolate ganache or American buttercream.
If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend filling them with my dark chocolate ganache, hybrid buttercream, or Swiss meringue frosting.
You can also pipe a frosting or ganache ring on your macarons and fill it with jam or other fillings to create unique flavors.
This recipe makes about 48 macaron shells, which can be used to make 24 macarons.
Both under-whipped and over-whipped meringue can result in cracked shells. If the shell wiggles, is sticky, or wet, the macarons need to bake longer. Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below. Double-sift the almond flour and confectioners' sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
It all depends on the recipe, your specific ingredients and environment, and even the amount of batter you are making. Be sure to do this gently. To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. Pop the air bubbles with a toothpick. Letting them rest overnight while they are filled softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
While I love Italian macarons, I like to keep things simple and usually stick with the French method.
Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets.
Once the batter drops back into the bowl, it should take about 10–15 seconds for the ribbon that formed to "disappear" back into the rest of the batter. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. Hold the bag vertically, and pipe 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) circles. Continue until all the meringue is fully incorporated and no dry bits of almond flour remain on the bottom of the bowl.
Once the mixture is done whipping, the outside of the mixing bowl will be cool to the touch.