“What, like it’s hard?”
My 12 year old made these vanilla macarons filled with Nutella, lemon curd, or raspberry jam.
Macarons — these tender, little cookies have come to define Parisian indulgence. Shops like Pierre Hermé and Ladurée sell them in an amazing range of flavors for two euros each. Here in California, they’re not as tender and flavorful — but they’re at least as expensive as those in France.
Fortunately, despite what you may have heard, macarons are not difficult to make. They don’t take very long, either. If you’re willing to forego the rainbow tints (which I highly recommend for your first few batches), you have a great chance of success.
The macarons you buy at bakeries are usually filled with flavored buttercream icing. I suggest you start a little simpler and then work your way up to more complicated flavors. The easiest filling of all is Nutella — ready made, ideal for spreading, and delicious. You can also use chocolate ganache, caramel, or fruit curd, all of which are fantastic.
Here’s the equipment you need:
Baking parchment
A piping bag and a large piping tube
A mixer with a whisk attachment
Two large cookie sheets, preferably aluminum
A baking scale, set to measure in grams
A sifter
Vanilla Macarons
144 grams egg whites (about 5 eggs)
72 grams granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
115 grams almond flour (Trader Joe’s or Bob’s Red Mill)
230 grams powdered sugar
First of all, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Put your piping tip into the bag and then drape the bag over the edge of a tall glass for easy filling. Stack the cookie sheets (you want them doubled to prevent your macaron bottoms from burning) and cut a piece of parchment to fit. You do not want the paper going up the sides of the cookie sheet at all. Instead, you want maximum contact of the paper to the bottom of the cookie sheet.
Next, get your egg whites going. It’s super crucial that your whites have zero bits of yolk in them and that your mixing bowl is absolutely grease-free. The slightest amount of fat can keep your egg whites from beating into the stiff peaks needed. I have a large Viking stand mixer, but any KitchenAid or even a hand-held mixer can work.
Combine the egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt and beat on medium for three minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for another three minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat again for another two to three minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for the maximum of one more minute.
You want stiff, white peaks. That means when you lift your whisk, the egg whites stand straight up like stalagmites. They shouldn’t flop over at all. Beat a little longer if they’re still too soft.
Meanwhile, sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice. Discard any bits of almond that are left in the sifter each time. Add the flour/sugar mixture to your stiff egg whites and mix with a silicone spatula.
This is the crucial step. If you were going to make an angel food cake, you’d want to be folding your flour into your egg whites, releasing as little of the beaten air from the whites as possible. You want the opposite here. “Macaronage” is the French term for this type of mixing. I know it seems weird to be getting rid of most of the air you’ve beaten into the whites, but what can I say? It works, and it’s the key to your success.
So, back to the crucial step. You want to mix the batter until it’s like lava — thick and slow flowing. If it’s too stiff, you haven’t mixed it enough. You don’t want to over-mix it, either, however, because there’s no rescuing it at that point. Stop every few seconds and watch how the batter moves after you lift your spatula. It should take about 20 seconds for any ribbon of batter falling off your spatula to reabsorb into the mass. (Thank you, BraveTart.)
It sounds harder than it is, I promise. Just mix until you’ve got some lava. Scoop the lava into your prepared piping bag. Pipe small circles of batter about an inch apart on your paper-covered cookie sheet. Some bakers recommend rapping the filled cookie sheet a couple of times on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Other bakers advise letting the batter rest for 30–60 minutes before baking. I usually bake mine immediately.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until a macaron lifts off the parchment easily. (Depending on your oven, they might need another minute or two. Under-baking will result in sticky macarons.) Let cool on the cookie sheet on your counter completely. If the macarons don’t lift off the parchment, put the pan in your freezer for a few minutes and then quickly peel them off the paper once you take them out again.
Some people draw circles on their parchment before baking to ensure that all the macarons are the same size. I don’t bother making super uniform-sized cookies; I just match up two that are the same size to make a sandwich. Now for the filling.
Like I said, Nutella is a winner here. Jam or fruit curd will work if you’re going to eat the cookies immediately; otherwise, it’s too wet and will make the macarons soggy. Salted caramel or dulce de leche — whether from a jar or homemade — work great. Here’s another winning filling that keeps well.
Chocolate Ganache
71 grams high-quality (Trader Joe’s or Lindt) dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Melt the chocolate over very low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and vanilla. Let cool until thick and spreadable.
Macarons are delicious when fresh, but their flavors meld and the texture improves even more after a night in the fridge. Cover your plate tightly with plastic wrap and enjoy at your leisure!