Transport yourself to the heart of Parisian patisseries and indulge in the timeless allure of the classic French macaron. These delicate and colorful treats, often mistaken as cookies, are a true testament to France's culinary artistry. With their crisp outer shell and tender, chewy interior, macarons have captured the hearts of dessert enthusiasts worldwide. In this article, we embark on a delectable journey to discover the best recipe for crafting these exquisite French confections in the comfort of your own kitchen. From selecting the finest ingredients to mastering the art of macaronage, we provide a comprehensive guide to ensure your macarons turn out picture-perfect and irresistibly delicious every time. So, prepare to embark on a culinary adventure as we delve into the secrets of creating the ultimate classic French macaron.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
MIX-AND-MATCH FRENCH MACARONS
Macarons are light-as-a-feather French cookies that can be assembled using any sweet fillings and bases that you please. Our best, step-by-step recipe for this sophisticated French dessert offers variations for vanilla bean, chocolate, peanut buttter, coconut, raspberry, and pistachio macarons.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes 35 macarons
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
- Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
- Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately.
FRENCH MACARONS
These cookies are a labor of love and we did a lot of research to perfect this recipe for you, after our own failures. Please follow as written and you will have a delicious and well-presented cookie. You may wish to experiment with different fillings. Enjoy!
Provided by Wendy
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 1h33m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add white sugar and continue to beat until peaks are stiff enough they stay in place when the bowl is turned upside down, about 5 minutes.
- Sift 1 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, almond flour, and salt together twice. Fold into the egg whites until batter is creamy and falls slowly off the lifted spatula, about 50 turns with a spatula. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Pipe batter onto the parchment paper, using a circular motion to make macarons 1 inch in diameter. Tap the baking sheet against the counter about 10 times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and continue baking until macarons are shiny and rise slightly to form "feet", about 9 minutes more. Peel off the parchment paper and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Beat butter, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until creamy and thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer filling to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Pipe a small amount of filling onto the center of 1 macaron; top with another macaron and press gently to sandwich the filling between the two.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 124.6 calories, Carbohydrate 16.1 g, Cholesterol 10.2 mg, Fat 6.4 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1.6 g, SaturatedFat 2.6 g, Sodium 40.8 mg, Sugar 14.9 g
BASIC FRENCH MACARONS
Want to learn how to make macarons? We've taken the guesswork out of making these patisserie beauties, so you can prepare them at home. Our foolproof macarons recipe calls for making your own almond flour (it's so much easier than it seems), then adding just four other ingredients: powdered sugar, egg whites, white sugar, and any filling you please.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Time 2h
Yield Makes 20 to 25 sandwich cookies
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.
- Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.
- Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.
- The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add flavoring and food coloring, if desired, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.
- Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.
- With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
HOW TO MAKE MACARONS RECIPE BY TASTY
It's never a bad time for dessert. Cookies, cake, pie, you name it! But sometimes you need to change it up with something a little fancier: enter macarons. They may seem intimidating but with our easy-to-follow guide, they don't have to be. And you can customize them! Want a variety? Use different types of food coloring. Prefer a different flavored icing? Add some lavender extract for a floral feel. One bite, and you'll feel like you're in Paris yourself.
Provided by Jody Tixier
Categories Bakery Goods
Time 1h50m
Yield 30 macarons
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Make the macarons: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out).
- Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the food coloring and beat until just combined.
- Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up.
- Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Place 4 dots of the batter in each corner of a rimmed baking sheet, and place a piece of parchment paper over it, using the batter to help adhere the parchment to the baking sheet.
- Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch (3-cm) circles, spacing at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart.
- Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
- Bake the macarons for 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don't stick to the parchment paper.
- Transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
- Make the buttercream: In a large bowl, add the butter and beat with a mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat to combine, until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Add a dollop of buttercream to one macaron shell. Top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and buttercream.
- Place in an airtight container for 24 hours to "bloom".
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 173 calories, Carbohydrate 21 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, Sugar 19 grams
MACARON (FRENCH MACAROON)
This is the quintessential macaron (NOT macaroon) recipe. I am a baker's apprentice, and after much trial and error, we (the baker and I) finally perfected the technique. We decided to share with you all. Pipe your choice of filling on a cookie and sandwich another cookie on top. These are like cloud cookie sandwiches and are delicious if done correctly. If you want to do it the super-easy way, just fill with your favorite flavor of frosting. Enjoy!
Provided by Liz
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 2h10m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until whites are foamy; beat in white sugar and continue beating until egg whites are glossy, fluffy, and hold soft peaks. Sift confectioners' sugar and ground almonds in a separate bowl and quickly fold the almond mixture into the egg whites, about 30 strokes.
- Spoon a small amount of batter into a plastic bag with a small corner cut off and pipe a test disk of batter, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, onto prepared baking sheet. If the disk of batter holds a peak instead of flattening immediately, gently fold the batter a few more times and retest.
- When batter is mixed enough to flatten immediately into an even disk, spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheet in rounds, leaving space between the disks. Let the piped cookies stand out at room temperature until they form a hard skin on top, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C).
- Bake cookies until set but not browned, about 10 minutes; let cookies cool completely before filling.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 189.5 calories, Carbohydrate 36.4 g, Fat 2.6 g, Protein 6.9 g, SaturatedFat 0.3 g, Sodium 22 mg, Sugar 31.9 g
BETH'S FOOLPROOF FRENCH MACARON RECIPE
Learn how to make a foolproof macaron using my 6 foolproof tips! A great cookie recipe for Valentines Day or Baby or bridal showers!
Provided by Beth Le Manach
Categories Desserts
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300F degrees
- Beat egg whites until foamy, then add salt, cream of tartar and white sugar for 8-10 mins.
- Whip until they form a peak that stands upright. Think Seattle Space needle.
- Then add the food coloring.
- Sift almond flour, and powdered sugar. What remains will be the larger lumps of almond pieces. Just discard those, or use them to snack on :) You want a really fine powder mixture to create a smooth and pretty on top to your cookie.
- Fold flour/sugar mixture into the egg white mixture. About 65-75 good strokes.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag.
- Pipe out 1 inch rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Tap the pan hard at least 2-3 times to release the air bubbles. This will prevent the tops of your macaroons from cracking.
- Let them sit out for 20-30 mins, or up to an hour if you want. This will allow them time to dry out a bit before hitting the hot oven. They should be "tacky" to the touch, but not stick to your fingertips. This is another important step to assuring your macarons develop feet! When they dry out they can't spread out in the oven, and are forced to rise up. That's what creates the feet!
- Bake for 20 mins. DO NOT UNDER BAKE, even if they look done! Otherwise they will stick to your tray.
- Meanwhile mix the buttercream. Whip butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Slowly add sugar. Then place sieve on top of a bowl the same size. Work raspberries through the sieve with a spatula, pushing them through, mashing them around until you extract their juice. You want 3 tablespoons of juice.
- Add juice to buttercream, and whip until combined. Transfer to a pastry bag, fitted with a small tip (about ¼ " in diameter)
- Reverse cookie shells on their backs, and pipe a small mound of filling on one of them. Top with the other shell et Voila!
- If not eating right away, keep refrigerated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 115 calories, Carbohydrate 17 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 8 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 5 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 33 milligrams sodium, Sugar 15 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams unsaturated fat
EASY MACARONS
The macaron, a French sandwich cookie, is an iconic bite-sized treat that many enjoy. This recipe details how to make it, offering tips and variations.
Provided by Clarice Lam
Categories Dessert
Time 2h
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the almond flour mixture and pour in 3 egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, fold and stir to make a paste. Set aside.
- Place the granulated sugar and water in a small pot and stir to combine. Wet your fingertips and wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pot.
- Heat on medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 238 F on a candy thermometer.
- While you are waiting for the syrup to reach temperature, place the remaining 4 egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until it reaches medium peaks. Turn off the mixer and wait for the sugar syrup to reach temperature.
- Once the sugar syrup has reached 238 F, turn the mixer back on medium speed to bring the egg whites back together and slowly drizzle the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl until fully incorporated in the egg whites.
- Turn the mixer on medium-high and continue whisking until the egg whites are inflated, smooth, shiny, flexible, and still a little warm, about 1 minute.
- If using food coloring, squeeze a few drops to reach your desired color into the meringue and whisk for another 5 seconds or until completely incorporated.
- Take a small amount of the meringue and fold it into the almond flour mixture to lighten it up.
- Fold about half of the remaining meringue into the almond mixture using broad strokes until few streaks are left.
- Fold the rest of the meringue into the batter until no streaks are left. Use as few strokes as possible to incorporate everything as overmixing can lead to flat macarons.
- The consistency is correct when the batter slowly drips off the spatula like lava and slowly settles flat, not leaving any peaks.
- Prepare a piping bag with a 1/3-inch circle piping tip and pour some of the macaron batter into the bag.
- Pipe 4 small dots of batter directly onto each corner of a 12 x 17-inch sheet tray, then place a piece of parchment on top. This will prevent the paper from lifting up in the oven.
- Hold the piping bag vertically (perpendicular to the work surface) about a half-inch from the parchment and gently squeeze to pipe a 1 1/2-inch circle without moving the piping bag. Repeat, making sure to leave space in between each macaron, until all the batter is gone.
- Gently tap the tray on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Let sit for about 30 minutes until the surface of the macaron is dry to the touch. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- Bake the macarons for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the shell is hard and the center is still chewy. Let cool completely.
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a small pot, add 1 1/2 cups sugar and the water and stir to combine. Wet your fingers to wipe any sugar crystals off the sides of the pot.
- Place over medium-high heat until the sugar syrup reaches 238 F. Do not stir the syrup while it is cooking-this will cause the sugar to crystalize.
- In the meantime, place the egg whites and salt into a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until the whites become frothy.
- Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until fully combined. Turn the speed up to high and continue to whisk until medium-stiff peaks. Turn off the mixer and wait for the sugar syrup to reach temperature.
- When the sugar syrup reaches 238 F, remove the pot from the heat and turn the mixer back on low speed. Slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl until fully incorporated.
- Turn the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until it has doubled in size and the bowl is no longer warm.
- Turn the speed back down to medium and slowly add the butter chunks until smooth and fluffy.
- Lower the speed and add the vanilla. Continue to mix until everything comes together into a beautiful silky smooth buttercream.
- Prepare a piping bag with 1/4-inch circle piping tip.
- Fill the piping bag with the buttercream.
- Flip half of the macaron shells upside down and pipe a circle of buttercream onto each shell.
- Place the other half of the macaron shells on top of the buttercream. Make sure to pair similar-sized discs together for more consistent macarons.
- The macarons can be served immediately, but many say they are actually better after freezing overnight.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 364 kcal, Carbohydrate 36 g, Cholesterol 49 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4 g, SaturatedFat 12 g, Sodium 86 mg, Sugar 33 g, Fat 24 g, ServingSize 14 macarons (14 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
FOOLPROOF MACARON RECIPE (STEP BY STEP!)
This foolproof french macaron recipe will give you perfectly smooth, chewy macarons every time. Follow our step by step guide for french macarons for a sweet French treat!
Provided by Sofi | Broma Bakery
Categories dessert
Time 2h
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Heat a small pot of water over medium-low heat until it steams. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites and roughly 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Place bowl over steaming pot, creating a double boiler.
- Whisk egg whites and sugar continuously until sugar melts completely and egg whites become white and frothy, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and place the bowl back onto the stand mixer.
- Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on high speed while slowly adding in the remaining granulated sugar. Add the food coloring (if using). Continue to whisk for another 3-4 minutes, until stiff meringue peaks form. Congratulations, you just made a Swiss meringue!
- Next, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt twice, then gently shake the mixture into the meringue bowl.
- Place the bowl back onto a stand mixer, still fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whisk for 5 seconds (just enough to combine the almond flour mixture with the egg whites).
- Stop the mixer and use a large spatula to hand-mix the batter for the remainder of your mixing. You'll want to gently fold the mixture with your spatula, scooping up the batter from the outside of the bowl and gently twisting it into the center in a circle-like manner. You'll know to stop mixing when you can make a figure-eight out of the dripping batter without the batter breaking. If you cannot yet make a figure-eight, repeat the process if necessary, and try the figure-eight again. The best way to describe the perfect consistency is like slow moving lava. It should give, but only slightly, like in slow-motion.
- Once your batter is the correct consistency, scoop it into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1 inch tip. Pipe silver dollar-sized circles onto prepared baking sheets, keeping about 1.5 inches between each meringue. Bang baking sheet on counter two times to remove any air bubbles. Sprinkle tops with a little sea salt as a garnish.
- Let the macarons air dry for 15 to 30 minutes or until dry to the touch. Just pop them into the prepared oven for 13 minutes, turning around halfway through, then allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheets.
- While the macarons are cooling, make the filling. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until fluffy and fully combined, about 2 minutes.
- Scoop mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip and set aside until ready to assemble the macarons.
- Once the macarons are completely cool to the touch, pipe the filling onto a macaron and sandwich with another macaron. Repeat with all macarons.
FRENCH MACARONS
This delicious macaron recipe from Food Network Kitchen is sure to impress. Share with guests, or keep this sweet French treat all to yourself!
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 2h30m
Yield 36 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F using the convection setting. Line 3 baking sheets with silicone mats. Measure the confectioners' sugar and almond flour by spooning them into measuring cups and leveling with a knife. Transfer to a bowl; whisk to combine.
- Sift the sugar-almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to pass through as much as possible. It will take a while, and up to 2 tablespoons of coarse almond flour may be left; just toss it.
- Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add the superfine sugar and beat until stiff and shiny, about 5 more minutes.
- Transfer the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Draw a rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until incorporated, giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold.
- Add the food coloring and extract (see below). Continue folding and turning, scraping down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thin flat ribbon, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Holding the bag vertically and close to the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/4-inch circles (24 per sheet). Firmly tap the baking sheets twice against the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the tops are no longer sticky to the touch, 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the humidity. Slip another baking sheet under the first batch (a double baking sheet protects the cookies from the heat).
- Bake the first batch until the cookies are shiny and rise 1/8 inch to form a "foot," about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat, using a double sheet for each batch. Peel the cookies off the mats and sandwich with a thin layer of filling (see below).
- Almond-Raspberry:
- Tint the batter with 2 drops neon pink gel food coloring; flavor with almond extract. Fill with seedless raspberry jam (you'll need about 3/4 cup).
- Mint-White Chocolate:
- Tint the batter with 2 drops mint green gel food coloring; flavor with mint extract. For the filling, microwave 3 ounces chopped white chocolate, 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon mint extract and 1 drop mint green gel food coloring.
- Blueberry Cheesecake:
- Tint the batter with 3 drops royal blue gel food coloring; flavor with vanilla extract. For the filling, mix 4 ounces softened cream cheese and 3 tablespoons blueberry jam.
- Lavender-Honey:
- Tint the batter with 2 drops violet gel food coloring; flavor with almond or vanilla extract. For the filling, mix 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon ground dried lavender.
- Pineapple:
- Tint the batter with 2 drops lemon yellow gel food coloring; flavor with vanilla extract. For the filling, press 3/4 cup pineapple jam through a sieve, discarding any large pieces.
Tips:
- Use the right ingredients. This means using high-quality almond flour, powdered sugar, egg whites, and food coloring. Do not substitute ingredients, as this will affect the outcome of your macarons.
- Follow the recipe carefully. Macarons are a delicate pastry, and it is important to follow the recipe exactly. This means measuring your ingredients correctly, beating the egg whites until they are stiff, and baking the macarons at the correct temperature and time.
- Be patient. Macarons take time to make, and it is important to be patient throughout the process. Do not rush the macarons, or they will not turn out properly.
- Practice makes perfect. The more you make macarons, the better you will become at it. So don't be discouraged if your first few batches don't turn out perfectly. Just keep practicing, and you will eventually get the hang of it.
Conclusion:
Macarons are a delicious and challenging pastry to make, but they are definitely worth the effort. By following the tips above, you can increase your chances of success. So what are you waiting for? Give macarons a try today!
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