French Macarons
In the early to mid two-thousands cupcake bakeries where all the rage, when the “crumbs” dried up, French macarons took over as the popular bite sized dessert in town. The cookies are beautiful and high maintenance; two delicate and ruffled (that’s called the “foot”) meringue cookies sandwiched with buttercream, jam or ganache. (They are also gluten free). For a few years my sister lived in Los Angeles and when my mom would return from a visit she would always bring me a box from ‘lette bakery. At the time the only French macs I could find where one hour away in the Trader Joe’s freezer section.
Since I couldn’t find this little indulgence in my area, I set out to make my own macarons. I attempted these cookies many times over the years. I host a Christmas cookie swap most years and back in 2011 I made my first batch, I over mixed the batter and it oozed out of the piping bag. Other times, I burned a batch and I even had my shells turn out hollow. I became frustrated that this infamous cookie was practically impossible for me to make.
In the spring of 2019 I decided to try again and put all I had learned from my failures into another attempt for my daughters birthday party. I expected to see a mess when I opened the oven, but instead was greeted by a successful batch of cookies. I was ecstatic that I had finally accomplished making this temperamental cookie. My daughter, Abigail’s favorite color is blue, so I was inspired by my collection of Tiffany jewelry boxes. This particular birthday cookie had Tiffany blue shells and white buttercream filling reminiscent of the satin white ribbon. After solving this puzzle I became obsessed with making many more batches to make sure I hadn’t just had a fluke. Not every batch is perfect, but I certainly have better consistency with my results.
I know many professional bakers will say you must weigh the ingredients to be successful, but my scale needed new batteries and I always aim to simplify the process. I do not weigh my ingredients yet they still become delicious desserts. Most home cooks, like myself want a reliable method that doesn’t take up too much time.
French macarons can be made in a variety of flavors and colors; match the tastes with the changing seasons. I make pumpkin spice in the fall, citrus in the winter, strawberry for spring and stone fruit during summertime. There are many more options, these are just a few of my fave classic combinations. Be creative and enjoy the process.
French Macarons–
Ingredients:
Shells:
3 egg whites (you may use egg whites from a fresh carton)
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup almond flour
Gel food coloring; your color of choice
Filling:
1/4 cup butter; softened
1/4 cup coffee creamer powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk
Jam or curd to match flavor profile; optional (I place a small dollop of curd in the center of the buttercream when making a fruit flavor. For the fruity pebbles; I add 1/4 cup crushed cereal to the frosting and a sprinkle of the crushed cereal onto the top of the shells after piping.)
Directions:
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat .
Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar three times. (Throw out any large pieces that are remaining in the sifter) Set aside.
In a clean bowl (I use my KitchenAid), beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy then increase the speed to medium. Slowly add the sugar (one Tbsp at a time) and continue to beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in gel food coloring, if desired. (I do this after the sugar has been added and before stiff peaks have been reached so I don’t deflate the meringue.)
Add the almond flour mixture to the whipped egg whites, and gently fold it with a spatula until batter is just combined. Making French macarons is all about the technique. This is the most important step of all. (You do not want to over or under mix!) Run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. (Kinda like a letter “J” motion) You should get a smooth, shiny batter that flows in a ribbon from the spatula. (ideally you should be able to “draw” a figure 8 with the batter as it runs off the spatula.) Perfect macaronage!
Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip (I use Ateco 804). Pipe 1 1/4 inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. When piping, hold the bag vertically and gently apply pressure until the circle is almost filled. (The batter will spread a little) Stop applying pressure and pull the bag up while moving along to finish piping the rest of the cookies. (I use a template I got in a cooking class so I can make sure they are all the same size. You can easily find a template online though). I would pip no bigger than 1.5” for standard size shells.
Firmly tap/smack the baking sheets on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and ensure smooth shell tops. (I do this 5 times)
If you want to add a topping to the shells now is the time to do so. (Sprinkles are a popular choice.)
Let the macarons sit out on the counter for at least 20-40 minutes, depending on humidity. When you lightly touch the macarons, the batter should not stick to your finger, it’s then ready to go into the oven. You don’t want to rush this step because if the “film” doesn’t form, your shells will crack. While waiting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes. (My oven cooks quickly– I’ve seen cook times vary from 10-20 minutes) It will take longer for larger macarons. The macarons are ready when they slip off the sheet easily. (Do not cook more than one baking sheet at a time and definitely don’t open the oven door!)
Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make filling; beat the butter and then add remaining ingredients and beat until combined and smoothed. Pipe the frosting onto half of the shells then gently place another shell on top and slightly twist to press the frosting down a bit.
Let the Macs rest in the fridge for 24 hours so the flavors can meld and the shells can soften and absorb any flavors you may have added.
*Store the French Macarons in the fridge for a few days or you may even freeze. Allow the cookies to thaw for ten minutes when ready to consume.
I know French Macarons take patience and time, but once you succeed you will want to keep making a variety of colors and flavors. Kitchen adventures are fun because you learn so much along the way. It took me years to get this method down and this recipe is the results of many failures. Even a lack of success can end in a tasty outcome.
Thanks for reading! Be good + well.