I love macarons – not to be confused with coconut macaroons. These cookies are soft, dense, and chewy with great almond flavor, and they’re addicting! If you interested in a challege, then this recipe is for you.
If you know me personally, then you know that I like things streamlined. Why include unnecessary steps which inevitably lead to more work?
With that said, this recipe is not foolproof – if you don’t whip the egg whites to the right consistency, grind the almond flour and confectioners sugar together, or if you over/under mix the batter, they will fail.
By the way, those beautiful “ruffles” in the middle are referred to as the “feet,” or “foot” (if you referring to one cookie). And you can’t really see the filling (because my husband doesn’t like a lot of it), but they’re filled with ganache.
Still interested in giving them a whirl? Lets get to it!
Macarons Adapted from here
3 egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
food coloring gel
Line an extra-large baking sheet, or two baking sheets (if you are lucky enough to have two ovens) with parchment. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grind the powdered sugar (be sure to add this first) and almond flour in the food processor for about 3 minutes. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar just until foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar (a little at a time) while continuously beating.
Next, add in gel food coloring (I like to do this so I can tell when all of my flour has been incorporated into the meringue). Beat until soft peaks form and the meringue is shiny. It should look a lot like shaving cream.
Dump the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture on top of the meringue and fold until the flour is incorporated, and just until the batter that falls from your rubber scraper almost ”melts” back into the rest of the batter.
Pour all of the batter into a piping bag and snip off the tip (about an inch) and pipe circles – I do this by piping straight down and releasing pressure when the circle is big enough.
Once all of the batter has been piped, rap the cookie sheet on the counter and place it in the oven for 15 minutes.*
When done, take the cookie sheet out and leave cookies on to cool completely. This will make removing the cookies easier.
When you’re cookies are cool, simply lift one corner of the parchment (and hold the top of your cookie in your other hand) and peel the paper from it – carefully. It kind of reminds me of removing a sticker from its backing.
Fill with your favorite frosting or ganache. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before eating (my preference), or eat cold straight from the frig – like my husband does.
*All of the cookies need to go in the oven immediately once piped, otherwise they’ll crack on the tops during baking.
See – ganache in the center! This is what (I think) a macaron should look like in the center - soft and cake-like. Yum!
