Description
A simple and classic recipe for making delicate and smooth French macarons with a crisp shell and soft interior. These easy macarons are perfect for beginners and can be customized with your favorite food coloring and fillings.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites (room temperature)
Other
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prepare for baking the macarons.
- Prepare Dry Mixture: Pulse together the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until they are well combined. Then, sift this mixture into a large bowl to remove any lumps, ensuring a smooth macaron batter.
- Beat Egg Whites: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form, resulting in a stable meringue.
- Fold Mixture: Gently fold the almond flour mixture into the meringue until the batter is smooth and shiny. If desired, add food coloring during this step to tint your macarons.
- Pipe Macarons: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe small circles about 1.5 inches in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
- Remove Air Bubbles and Rest: Tap the baking sheets lightly on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles in the batter. Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to form a skin on top, which helps create the classic macaron feet during baking.
- Bake Macarons: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until the macarons are set and can be lifted easily off the parchment paper. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets before pairing and filling with buttercream, ganache, jam, or any filling of your choice.
Notes
- Use almond flour that is finely ground and not coarse to achieve a smooth batter.
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature for better meringue volume.
- Letting macarons rest before baking is crucial to develop the characteristic feet and prevent cracking.
- Customize color and flavor by adding food coloring and flavored extracts to the batter or filling.
- Filling options include buttercream, ganache, or fruit jam according to preference.
- Store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
