Macarons

Ah, these French cookies have been taking over the internet for a few years now, and I don’t see any signs of it stopping! I mean, how adorable and classy are they!

They are very elegant to look at, and you best believe they are a little bit tricky to make. They are called “temperamental” as a joke in the food industry, as even a little bit of trouble can completely ruin these delicate little beasts.

So, they are typically are a French cookie/ pastry; meringue based with almond flour and sandwiched together with some sort of icing or jam or sauce. They have a slight chew to them with slightly crisp exteriors and chewy- soft on the inside. I feel like they encapsulate the idea of France and being French so articulately. They are just so elegant and PERFECT. Being meringue based, there are 2 widespread techniques to make them: French meringue method and Italian meringue method.

Okay… first: Meringue is a type of dessert or candy or even frosting (with the addition of butter) made with whipped egg whites and sugar. The way the French meringue works, and the method home bakers prefer is by whipping the egg whites in a stand mixer and adding sugar tbsp by tbsp to foamy whites and whip them up still stiff peaks are formed. Less work, easier to manage but the meringue isn’t AS stable or stiff as the Italian meringue. The Italian meringue starts of by making a sugar syrup. So essentially instead of adding raw sugar to the whites, we make a sugar syrup with sugar and water and cook it till it reaches 244’f. Whilst the sugar syrup is boiling we just start whipping our egg whites. Once the temperature hits, you slowly pour the syrup into your whites (whilst the whites are whipping) and then whip the whites till stiff- glossy peaks are formed. This method is used by kitchens and pastry chefs worldwide because it results in a much more promising, more beautiful, VERY STABLE and PERFECT macaron shells! With the perfect feet on each cookie. The meringue holds its shape A LOT better and even while piping it doesn’t lose its shape. It’s harder to mess it up, in short haha.

Now the “feet”. The feet on the macaron shells is what sets it apart from other cookies or meringue. This is also where most people fail to reach perfection. If you have made macarons before (even if you have not), you would notice that the recipe calls for you to let your cookies sit at room temperature after piping them on. This forms a skin on top. What this does is, and why it is so important is that because of the skin, a barrier for air is formed. As they bake, the air which is trapped inside and is looking for a way out is unable to come out from the top of the cookie and ends up coming out from the sides, giving your cookie “feet”. Interesting right?

I am not gonna lie there a a few techniques involved but practise is key. I remember the first time I was about to make these, I was so nervous! I had watched innumerble videos because I did not want to mess them up. Alllll of the videos warned me that the first time will never be perfect and that they will not come out the way you would want them to. They were basicslly telling me to try but beware of failure. But to my surprise… my first time making macarons was A TREMENDOUS HIT! They were perfect and I was beyond happy!!!!!

I only recently tried the Italian method and cannot even explain to you the difference!! I don’t think my macarons have EVER turned out this GORGEOUS AND PERFECT!!!! I will never go back to the French way. And so here I am sharing with you the Italian method, because it is A LOT better than the French ones. It is just one extra step but so much more promising and worth the effort. Lets bake:

INGREDIENTS:

Almond flour – 100 grams

Powdered sugar – 100 grams

Egg whites – 37 grams

Castor sugar – 100 grams

Water – 25 grams

Egg whites – 37 grams

PROCEDURE:

First and foremost have all your ingredients measured out and your tools ready. A cookie sheet lined with parchment, a piping bag, any food coloring if you want.

Sift your almond flour and powdered sugar and toss any big chunks of almonds away.

Add your 1st set of egg whites to this to form a paste. (If you want to add food coloring, add it in now to the paste.) Make sure it is evenly combined. Cover with parchment paper so that it doesn’t dry out.

In a pan, add your sugar and water and let boil.

As the sugar syrup is boiling, add your 2nd batch of egg whites to a stand mixer and start mixing on slow.

Once the sugar syrup touches 244’f / 118’c , remove from heat and slowly pour it into your egg whites ( while the egg whites are whisking).

Once all the sugar is in, increase the speed of your mixer.

Whip till it reaches stiff-glossy peaks.

Once it is ready. Take about 1/3 of the meringue and start folding it into the almond paste. Don’t rush this and be gentle. You are just loosening the paste a little for the rest of the meringue.

Add the remaining meringue and again just gently fold it in till it all comes together and is one. You do not want to over- or under- mix. (This is called “Macaronage” and is one of the most crucial steps.) Keep folding the meringue and when you lift your spatula and let your batter flow down, the batter should not break and flow like lava. If you try to form an “8” with the batter, it should form without breaking. If it breaks, just fold it a little more. Once there, just stop folding!

Once you reach that consistency, STOP mixing and transfer the batter to a piping bag.

Pipe your macarons on a lined sheet, leaving enough space between each one for them to grow a little. You want to pipe at 90′ angle and end each cookie with a twist to ensure there are no peaks.

Once you have piped all your cookies, either pat them down on the surface of your counter, or lift the tray and use your hands to pat from beneath. This does two things: 1) ensures that all the air bubbles are out and 2) flattens them down a little bit.

Now you want to leave the cookies out on room temperature and let them sit for about 30 minutes, or till the cookies are not wet when you gently touch them on top. (As previously stated, this ensures that the cookies get nice feet).

Once dry to touch, preheat your oven to 300’f.

Bake for about 15 minutes. They should have feet and should almost be baked from within.

Once baked, let them out of the oven and cool down on the tray.

Choose 2 shells which kind of fit together, and sandwich them with your choice of ganache, frosting or jam.

VOILA!!!!

(SOME EXTRA TIPS)

Keep your egg whites at room temperature before whipping, as they whip a lot better.

You can add a pinch of cream of tar tar of 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to the egg whites, to stabilise them even more.

Make sure to NOT over mix your macaron batter!!! Should have a lava like consistency.

Pipe using a tip if possible, to ensure they come out even.

Make them on a day when its not too humid, as the humidity can prevent your macaron batter from drying and forming a skin on top.

If possible, watch a few videos on how to make them, you will have a better understanding of the process.