Makes 24
I highly recommend using a food scale for this recipe, and so all the measurements are given by weight. Food scales are inexpensive, and in baking, using one will greatly improve the quality and consistency of your bakes. You will also need 4 professional quality rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper, a piping bag, and a 1A round piping tip. If you wish to dye your macaron shells, you will need gel food coloring, such as Americolor gel. All of these supplies can be bought online on amazon, or you can get them in Salt Lake City at Orson Gygi.
If it is your first time making macarons, I recommend starting out making plain ones, without the optional cocoa powder, dried fruit powder, or food dye, until you get the hang of it.
5 ounces blanched almond flour (I get the best results from the Kirkland brand at Costco)
8 ounces powdered sugar
pinch salt
15 grams cocoa powder or pulverized freeze dried fruit (optional)
5 ounces egg whites
2.5 ounces granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gel food coloring (optional)
1/2 batch French buttercream
Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, salt, and (if using) cocoa powder or freeze dried fruit powder through a fine mesh strainer. Discard any large pieces of almond that can't pass through. Set aside.
Place egg whites, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire whip attachment. Begin on speed 4 and beat for 2 minutes. Increase speed to 6 and beat for 2 minutes. Increase speed to 8 and beat for 2 minutes. Increase speed to 10 and beat for 1 minute. (This creates a highly stable and dense meringue.)
Sift the almond flour mixture again over the egg whites. With a spatula, fold vigorously at first, until everything is combined. Then fold gently, lifting the spatula with each fold until the consistency is flowing thickly like lava. The proper consistency is the key to macaron success. If the batter is overmixed and too thin, or undermixed and too thick, they will not bake properly.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fit with a 1A round piping tip. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Stack each baking tray on a second baking tray to create a double insulated baking surface. (This helps the macarons form their "feet" properly.) Pipe 24 two-inch circles evenly spaced onto each lined tray. Rap the trays firmly on the counter to pop any air bubbles. Let the trays sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 320. Once the shells have rested, bake 1 tray at a time in the center of the oven, for 17 to 23 minutes, until, if you gently try to pick up one of the shells, it lifts cleanly off the parchment and does not separate from the foot. Let shells cool completely.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1A round tip with the French buttercream. Turn half the shells upside down and pipe a 1 inch mound of buttercream onto each one. Gently press the remaining macaron shells onto these to create filled macarons. Place all the filled macarons into an airtight container, seal, and let rest for 12 hours at room temperature before serving.
The resting time is vitally important for the correct macaron texture. Properly baked macaron shells will be hard and crisp when freshly baked. As the shells rest in a sealed container with the French buttercream, the moisture from the buttercream softens the shells to make that iconic macaron texture with a thin, crisp outer shell, a soft cake-like interior, and a creamy filling. Many people underbake their macaron shells because they don't realize that macaron shells should not be soft right away. This results in shells that are hollow when you bite in to them, because they weren't baked long enough to set the interior of the cookie. The interior then collapses as the cookie cools, leaving hollow shells.
I highly recommend using a food scale for this recipe, and so all the measurements are given by weight. Food scales are inexpensive, and in baking, using one will greatly improve the quality and consistency of your bakes. You will also need 4 professional quality rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper, a piping bag, and a 1A round piping tip. If you wish to dye your macaron shells, you will need gel food coloring, such as Americolor gel. All of these supplies can be bought online on amazon, or you can get them in Salt Lake City at Orson Gygi.
If it is your first time making macarons, I recommend starting out making plain ones, without the optional cocoa powder, dried fruit powder, or food dye, until you get the hang of it.
5 ounces blanched almond flour (I get the best results from the Kirkland brand at Costco)
8 ounces powdered sugar
pinch salt
15 grams cocoa powder or pulverized freeze dried fruit (optional)
5 ounces egg whites
2.5 ounces granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gel food coloring (optional)
1/2 batch French buttercream
Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, salt, and (if using) cocoa powder or freeze dried fruit powder through a fine mesh strainer. Discard any large pieces of almond that can't pass through. Set aside.
Place egg whites, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire whip attachment. Begin on speed 4 and beat for 2 minutes. Increase speed to 6 and beat for 2 minutes. Increase speed to 8 and beat for 2 minutes. Increase speed to 10 and beat for 1 minute. (This creates a highly stable and dense meringue.)
Sift the almond flour mixture again over the egg whites. With a spatula, fold vigorously at first, until everything is combined. Then fold gently, lifting the spatula with each fold until the consistency is flowing thickly like lava. The proper consistency is the key to macaron success. If the batter is overmixed and too thin, or undermixed and too thick, they will not bake properly.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fit with a 1A round piping tip. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Stack each baking tray on a second baking tray to create a double insulated baking surface. (This helps the macarons form their "feet" properly.) Pipe 24 two-inch circles evenly spaced onto each lined tray. Rap the trays firmly on the counter to pop any air bubbles. Let the trays sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 320. Once the shells have rested, bake 1 tray at a time in the center of the oven, for 17 to 23 minutes, until, if you gently try to pick up one of the shells, it lifts cleanly off the parchment and does not separate from the foot. Let shells cool completely.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1A round tip with the French buttercream. Turn half the shells upside down and pipe a 1 inch mound of buttercream onto each one. Gently press the remaining macaron shells onto these to create filled macarons. Place all the filled macarons into an airtight container, seal, and let rest for 12 hours at room temperature before serving.
The resting time is vitally important for the correct macaron texture. Properly baked macaron shells will be hard and crisp when freshly baked. As the shells rest in a sealed container with the French buttercream, the moisture from the buttercream softens the shells to make that iconic macaron texture with a thin, crisp outer shell, a soft cake-like interior, and a creamy filling. Many people underbake their macaron shells because they don't realize that macaron shells should not be soft right away. This results in shells that are hollow when you bite in to them, because they weren't baked long enough to set the interior of the cookie. The interior then collapses as the cookie cools, leaving hollow shells.
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