“Good things come to those who wait” is a phrase that continuously comes to mind when trying to make macarons. They cannot be rushed and must rest often during the process. Who knew cookies needed to rest so much? I have made macarons before but with a different recipe. The other recipe worked really well and I used it many times including for Champagne Macarons.

Recently I have tried to make macarons had struggled. I went in search of a new recipe to test. This recipe, originally from Sallys Baking Addiction worked really well when I tried it so I thought I would share it.

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French Macarons

Ingredients:

  • 200g Powdered Sugar
  • 100g Almond Flour
  • 120g Egg Whites (Room temperature) (about 4 Eggs)
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
  • 40g Granulated Sugar
  • Flavoring
  • Food Coloring
  • Filling of Your Choice

Directions:

1.Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together. Place the powdered sugar and flour in a food processor and blend to make even finer. I have made macarons many times now and it is important that the flour is as fine as possible. If not, you macarons may come out looking bumpy.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites and salt together Until stiff peaks form. I start mine out on medium speed for 30-60  seconds before switching to high. Altogether I usually whip mine for 3 minutes. Gradually fold the granulated sugar a little bit at a time using a spatula, If you are adding coloring or flavoring, go ahead and gently add that into. DON’T over mix.

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3. Fold in dry ingredients with a spatula. Using the mixer for this part will ruin the fluffiness created by whipping the eggs in the first place. You do not want to over mix these.

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4. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

5. Pour the mixture into a piping bag. if you don’t have one, a ziplock bag with a small cut in the tip works well too.

6. Pipe batter into circles on silicone baking mat. I usually use my mat for making macarons, but I did try using just parchment the last time I made them. They came out well and they did have their signature feet, however I am not very good at piping circles free had so I prefer the baking mats little guided ridges.

7. Tap the tray on the counter a few times. It seems kinda silly, but this will get rid of any air bubbles. Allow the cookies to sit, uncooked, on the tray for at least 30 minutes. If you see any air bubbles in your cookies, pop them with toothpick.  The macaroons should me smooth and glossy still. After they sit, you should be able to touch them without it sticking to your finger, then they are ready for the oven. Depending on how long it takes your oven to preheat, preheat your oven to 320. Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature is right

8. Bake macarons for 10-12 minutes. I like to rotate the tray after 5-6 minutes so that I know they are cooking evenly. Try not to open the oven door too much while they bake.

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9. The macarons should have their classic feet. Allow them to cool completely before removing from the baking sheet. When it is time to remove them, slowly peel them off the mat. If they are sticking I  have found that popping the whole tray in the freezer for a few minutes helps them come off easy.

10. Fill that macarons with whatever filling you would like. I like to use a vanilla frosting recipe for most of mine. Store at room temperature.

french macarons