Stay Calm and Make Macarons

This spring, I mastered the art of making macarons and although they probably aren’t up to Ladurée standards, my macaron recipe is perfect for the every day girl (like moi).

And there is nothing more impressive than showing up to a party or potluck with a plate of beautiful macarons that you effortlessly put together, as if it were nothing.

So today I present to you my very own macaron recipe!

Ingredients:

– 2/3 cup almond flour (also called almond meal)

– 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

– 3 egg whites

– 5 tablespoons granulated sugar

– 1 teaspoon vanilla

– Food coloring of your choice

Buttercream filling:

– 1 cup powdered sugar

– 4 tablespoons softened butter

– Flavoring of your choice

– Food coloring to match the macaron cookies

– 1 tablespoon milk

(Today I made rose flavored macarons, so I added rose water to the buttercream filling and I made both the batter and the filling a pale pink color, using red food coloring. )

Directions:

Step 1: Get rid of all misconceptions that making macarons is hard, because it really isn’t! Macarons are magic, and will almost always turn out good even if they don’t look that pretty your first couple of tries.

Step 2: First blend the almond flour and powdered sugar together in the food processor. Make sure to blend until it is a fine texture. It also helps to sift the flour mixture once or twice. Set aside the mixture in a separate bowl after you’ve done this.

Step 3: Have everything ready before you start on the egg whites. Put your 5 tablespoons of sugar in a little bowl, have your vanilla and food coloring next to it. Doing this eliminates panicking.

Step 4: Start to beat your egg whites. When they are in the first stage of fluffiness, add food coloring. Then, add the sugar a spoonful at a time.

Don’t worry if your food coloring seems too dark or bright at first. It will lighten as you beat the eggs, and when you bake the macarons.

Step 5: Beat the eggs until they are stiff, but not too stiff. They should make little peaks and have a glossy texture.

Step 6: Fold in flour mixture. Add it little by little, and fold. Watch this video to help with your technique.

Step 7: Before you’ve added all your flour, add the vanilla. It’s helpful to do this when your batter becomes thicker because the vanilla will make it a runnier and it will be easier to add the rest of your flour mixture.

Step 8: Once your batter is complete, use a pastry bag to make little circles onto parchment paper.

Step 9: Let the macarons sit for at least a half hour before baking. This is the perfect time to clean up your mess, or write a blog post!

Step 10: Bake at 300˚ F for 9-10 minutes. This could change depending on your oven, but what you’re really going for is a crunchy exterior with a soft interior. The macarons should be light and easy to crush, with a ruffle around the bottom which is called the pied (French for foot).

Step 11: Let the macarons cool for about 10 minutes while you make the filling. Be careful when peeling them off of the parchment paper, they will sometimes stick and are very easy to crush if you use too much force.