WHAT ARE MACARONS
Macarons are small, soft cookies made of almond meal and sandwiched between a filling, usually a buttercream, jam, or ganache. The flavor of the macarons comes from the filling, and not the actual cookie itself. The texture is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. In short, it’s a taste of heaven.
There is a difference between a macaron and a macaroon. While they both have similarities, such as they are both delicious, both are gluten-free, and both have egg whites as the main ingredients, they are in fact very different in taste.
Macaroons are made of shredded coconut, egg whites, and sugar. They are very dense cookies as well. Macarons are light and crispy as the almond flour and egg whites are folded into a meringue.
THE ORIGINS OF MACARONS
It is believed the original macaron is of Italian origin, dating back to the 8th century. It was brought to France when Queen Catherine de’ Medici of Italy married King Henry II of France. The Queen’s pastry chef followed her and bought the cookie to France. It was originally called Priest’s Bellybuttons.
It was later served at several Royal weddings and was exclusive to the Royals. Things changed during The French Revolution when two sisters, Marguerite and Marie-Elisabeth sought asylum in eastern France. The sisters started making macarons and began selling them as they were experts in baking. The macarons quickly became known as “Macarons de Nancy” and quickly spread.
THE MODERN MACARONS
The macarons back then did not look like what we see today. In the early 20th century, a famous tea salon in Paris named Laduree of Paris started selling a variety of flavors such as matcha, salted caramel, pistachio, chocolate, and raspberry. The rest, as they say, is history.
Nowadays, you can find an assortment of flavors at many bakeries. Recently, macarons ice cream was created, using ice cream to sandwich the cookies, which I have to say, is a delightful treat.
ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND SWISS
This easy Basic Macaron recipe utilizes the Swiss method, which I find produces a more stable macaron. The methods are very different, producing a different texture. The difference is how each macaron is prepared.
The French method produces a smooth texture. While the ingredients are the same, the French method involves whipping egg whites and sugar until it forms a stiff peak. This is then mixed with the almond flour and powdered sugar. While this is the quickest and easiest to learn, it may not be as forgiving.
The Italian method is the most complicated and starts off by making a syrup sugar first at a specific temperature. While the egg whites are whipping, the sugar syrup is then added to the meringue.
The Swiss method utilizes a bain-marie or water bath to melt the sugar and egg whites. You do not have to get it to a certain temperature. The mixture is then finished in the mixer and whipped into a meringue. This is my preferred method as it produces a crispy outside and chewy inside. I find it to be the most stable of all the three.
TIPS FOR MAKING MACARONS
This easy Basic Macaron recipe is simple to follow. While there is a learning curve, it does get easier the more you make them. Follow the below tips and you will get a close to perfect if not perfect macaron each time.
- Measure your Ingredients – Use a kitchen scale to measure your almond flour and egg whites. Meringues are finicky, so any amount over can alter the end product.
- Avoid Grease – Grease will kill any meringue so I highly recommend wiping your equipment—everything with vinegar. This also includes the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Sift your ingredients – It’s very important to sift the almond flour. I usually put this in my food processor and pulse a few times.
- Egg Whites – Always use room temperature egg whites and always use a kitchen scale. Also, make sure there are absolutely zero egg yolks mixed in the egg whites. Also, beat the egg whites until there are stiff peaks.
- Use Gel Food Coloring – Use gel instead of liquid food coloring as the liquid will affect the consistency of the meringue. This is a great set I own.
- Fold in Meringue – Do not mix in the meringue but fold in gently. Also, do not overfold. When the meringue is flowing like slow lava, stop. It should not be too thick but not too runny.
- Use a Template – This will be your best friend. I use this template to ensure that all the macarons are the same shape. You want to fill just a bit inside the circle, not at the lines as they will spread. I have also used parchment paper but you will need to draw circles onto the parchment paper as a guide.
- Tap Your Pan – Avoid air bubbles by tapping your pan while they rest.
- Rest your Macarons – Resting them for at least 30 minutes so they can form a crust. Don’t skip this part.
- Don’t Overbake – All oven temperatures are set differently so it may take a few times to figure out how long to bake. My easy Basic Macaron recipe should take between 8-12 minutes depending on your oven. If your macaron turns brown, it means the oven temperature is too hot or you have overbaked. Your macarons, when baked properly, should develop little “feet” on the bottom.
- Rotate the Pan – Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pans in the oven in case you have an oven that heats one side more than the other.
- Let Macaron Cool – Let your macarons cool completely before removing them from the pan. When you do remove, use a small offset spatula to remove, wiping between each usage to prevent sticking.
- Storing – Macarons are at their best when eaten immediately, but if you don’t, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Do not store them flat down, but store them on their sides.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
For this recipe, you will need the following. Use paper towels to wipe everything down with vinegar to eliminate any grease residue.
- A stand mixer
- Large bowls
- Piping Bags
- Piping Tips
- Silicon Macaron Mat
- Food Processor ( you can also sift the almond flour using a sifter)
- Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
THE RECIPE
This easy Basic Macaron recipe uses the Swiss Method for a more stable macaron. You can use this to make any flavor macaron by adding in the color you want. For this recipe, I am making Ube Macaron. An ube buttercream will be used to fill the center.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
For the Almond Mixture
- 225g almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 225g powdered sugar
- 100g egg whites
- 4-6 drops gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
For the Meringue
- 225g granulated sugar
- 85g egg whites
For the Ube Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon whipping cream
Steps to Make the Macaron Shells
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 325°.
Step 2:
In a food processor, mix the powdered sugar and almond meal together and blend for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3:
Add the 100g egg whites and food coloring. For the Ube macaron recipe, I am using purple gel coloring. Add more than you think as the meringue will lighten the color a bit.
Step 4:
Fill a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup water and turn on high heat to boil. While that is heating, put the granulated sugar and 85g of egg whites in a bowl of a KitchenAid mixer. Once the water boils, turn the heat down a medium-low heat. Place the metal bowl on the saucepan, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until the sugar dissolves. You are looking to heat up the egg whites until they are warm, but not hot. You want to dissolve the sugar but be careful not to cook the whites. Move the bowl around the pan a few times to prevent burning.
Step 5:
When sugar is dissolved, whip the egg whites and sugar with the wire whisk attachment until medium peaks form and until cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes. You will not get high peaks with this.
Step 6:
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the meringue into the almond mixture. Be careful not to overwork. When the mixture is flowing like lava, stop.
Stop when your meringue flows like lava or when you can draw a number eight
Step 7:
Using a pastry bag with a plain tip, pipe rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Once piped, let the rounds sit for 30 minutes to develop a crust. See video to pipe to ensure you don’t get a tip on the top of the cookie.
Pipe ube meringue onto a silicon baking mat
Step 8:
Bake macarons for 8-12 minutes, careful not to let them get browned. My oven takes 11 minutes to bake. All ovens are calibrated differently, so if needed, take them out sooner. You can always pop back in the oven to finish baking.
Step 9:
Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, remove from the baking sheet using a small offset spatula. Clean the spatula each time to remove anything sticky. Match up sizes, then fill with buttercream filling.
Steps to Make the Ube Buttercream
Step 1:
Place butter in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on a medium-low setting for 2-3 minutes to cream.
Step 2:
Sift half of the powdered sugar into the bowl of mixer. Beat on medium-low until incorporated.
Step 3:
Finish sifting the remaining powdered sugar into the bowl and return the mixer to medium-low setting, add the vanilla extract, ube extract, and milk. Beat for about 5 minutes until light and creamy.
To Assemble Macarons
Using a piping bag with the same tip used to pipe cookies—-pipe 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling onto half of the cookies—you want to use just enough filling that it spreads to the edge when topped but doesn’t squish out much when bitten.
Option: Add a dollop of ube spread to the inside and place the other half of macaron on top.
✅ Quick Tips: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.
Ube Macarons
Ingredients
For the Almond Mixture
For the Meringue
For the Ube Buttercream
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 1565kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 77g119%
- Saturated Fat 33g165%
- Trans Fat 2g
- Cholesterol 130mg44%
- Sodium 89mg4%
- Potassium 112mg4%
- Total Carbohydrate 215g72%
- Dietary Fiber 6g24%
- Sugars 202g
- Protein 18g36%
- Calcium 142 mg
- Iron 2 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
