Macaron Recipe

Date 11/27/2021

The Perfect Macaron
The unique combination of crispy, chewy, and creamy textures make macarons both delicious and irresistible!

What is small, round, and comes in every color of the rainbow? What is a matter of national pride for an ancient nation in the heart of Europe? What is a cookie that is so beloved by Star Wars characters that they will use the force to steal them?

Why, The macaron of course! If you have ever thought that baking macarons was out-of-reach or too difficult, then you are in luck. Keep reading to learn how to make the easiest and tastiest macaron ever!

Watch this short video demonstration before you begin to give you a winning start in baking macarons.

If you need extra support, visit our Troubleshoot and FAQs sections to learn from others' challenges.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ cups almond flour
3 tbsp meringue powder
¼ tsp cream of tartar
½ cup granulated sugar

Wet Ingredients

Food coloring, if desired
1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg whites from three large eggs
(at room temperature)
Your favorite jelly or jam
(at room temperature)

Instructions

Cookies:

Step 1:

Measure your almond flour and powdered sugar to perfection.

Step 2:

Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into a bowl and whisk together until the texture is smooth. You may also blend these dry ingredients in a food processor if desired.

Step 3:

Add the room temperature egg whites into a very clean bowl.
Note: you can wipe the bowl clean with lemon or vinegar.

Step 4:

Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and 3 tbsp of meringue powder. Once they begin to foam, add the cream of tartar and then very slowly add the granulated sugar to the mixture.

Step 5:

Add vanilla extract then begin to mix the egg white mixture by hand. Continue to beat by hand until stiff peaks form.

Slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time, while continuing to mix by hand and carefully folding into egg whites. For colorful macarons, add food coloring.

Step 6:

The final mixture should have a consistency similar to flowing lava, and be able to fall into a figure eight without breaking.

Spoon the final mixture into a piping bag with a medium round piping tip and you're ready to start piping.

Step 7:

Pipe 1‐inch cookie dollops onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Note: the paper should be “glued down” with dabs of batter in each corner of the pan.

Step 8:

Tap the cookie sheet on the countertop several times to release any air bubbles.

Next, allow the unbaked macarons to sit for about 40 minutes at room temperature before placing in the oven. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F.

Step 9:

Bake at 300°F for 12-17 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet after 7 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.

Step 10:

Using a small spoon, place a dollop of jam or jelly onto a cookie shell - the flat side. Form a sandwich with another similar cookie shell and repeat until you have used all of the cookie shells.

Pro Tips

Check out these tips for helpful hints on how to improve your baking skill and macaron technique.

The Science of a Macaron

Non-bakers may think of baking as following a set of steps but professionals see baking as understanding how to combine flavors, ingredients, and techniques. They go beyond following steps to gaining an understanding of how flavors mix and how to cook with different ingredients.

Watch this video to see how macaron ingredients interact with each other and are impacted by techniques and temperatures.

Sifting

It's important to sift your sugar and almond flour so there are no large chunks visible.

Big chunks will show up when you bake the macaron shells and cause an uneven or bumpy texture.

The Meringue

For best results, age your egg whites. This means you should crack and separate the eggs, put the egg whites in a clean bowl, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them sit in the fridge for a few days.

Meringue powder is our “secret” ingredient. Adding 1 teaspoon of meringue powder per egg white allows the egg whites to thicken properly.

Whip the egg whites until soft peaks are detected. Be careful not to overdo it.

The Macaronage

If you want color in your macarons, add food coloring after the egg whites reach the soft peak stage and continue to beat them.

Fold until batter falls from spatula in a continuous ribbon. If the batter is too firm then no feet will develop and if the batter is too loose then it may spread too far and crack.

Piping

The piping bag should be perpendicular to the pan. Pipe close to pan: turn the bag, push, then pull up quickly. Repeat. This technique requires a lot of practice to get right so be patient with yourself.

Place the template under your parchment paper to guide your piping. Be sure to gently pull out the template before placing the pan in the oven.

You can also download a free macaron piping template HERE

Baking the Shells

When the shells are dry and the tops are slightly tacky they are ready to bake.

When you can gently move the macaron shells from side to side without seeing batter wobble they are done.

Use a small thin spatula to remove macarons from the baking sheet or place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to make removing the macoron shells from the pan easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is it pronounced?

\ ,mä‐kƏ‐' rōn | mac·a·ron | ma·kr·aan

Are Macarons from France?

While many people associate the macaron with the country France, the cookies were born in Italy and found their way to France in the 1530s – via a cook of Catherine di Medici.

What is meringue powder and why use it when making macarons?

Meringue powder is basically made of dried egg whites and is added to aged egg whites to help stabilize them during the whipping process.

Do you need to age the egg whites?

Aging egg whites makes them more liquid and easier to whip, but some bakers find this step unnecessary.

Why do you need to rest the macaron shells before baking?

Resting the macaron allows them to dry out and the surface to harden so that when they bake the air escapes from the bottom of the cookie and creates feet. If this doesn't happen, air escapes from the top of the macaron and causes cracks.

I don't have parchment paper or a silicone mat, can I use wax paper?

Though three substances prevent sticking, only parchment paper or a silicone mat is suitable for baking macarons. Not all wax papers are designed to be used in an oven so they could melt or even worse, catch fire. Also, wax is not strong enough to prevent the macarons from sticking to it.

In what episode of The Mandalorian does Baby Yoda eat macarons?

Baby Yoda ate in the Season 2 episode "The Siege".

Troubleshoot

Why did my macarons crack?

Resting before baking allows the surface of the macaron to harden so that air escapes through the bottom of the cookie. If the macarons aren't rested long enough then the skin won't develop and be thick enough to prevent air from bursting through the top of the cookie, which causes cracking on the surface.

Why is my filling hollow?

Hollow macarons could be the result of poor mixing technique which includes: not beating enough air out of the macarons, not folding correctly, overmixing the batter, or overbeating the egg whites. Also, the almond meal may have been too grainy and tore through the meringue.

Why didn't my macarons develop “*feet”?

Macarons don't develop feet when the batter is overmixed, if the egg whites aren't beaten enough, or if the macarons aren't rested long enough. Be sure to mix egg whites to the soft peak stage and rest your macarons for at least 30-40 minutes to avoid this problem.

*Feet are the little ruffled edges around the edge of a baked macaron. If you do not have feet or your feet are big and bubbly, it might mean that your batter was too wet during the mixing process.