I have spent the last couple of weeks practicing and practicing the art of making French macarons. After a few dozen egg whites and a couple pounds of almond flour I am proud to say that I have found a recipe that works well. I’ve had to adapt it slightly but after many tests, it works! Hallelujah! There are only a few ingredients in macarons, so you think that they would be simple but just the opposite is true. There are so many things that can ruin macarons! For instance, it is better to use all metal bowls because the oils in other bowls can affect the egg whites. Also the humidity in the weather can stop them from properly drying out.
The two most popular macaron methods are the French meringue and the Italian meringue method. French meringue is made when egg whites are whipped with sugar until thick and glossy. Italian meringue is made when sugar is cooked to the softball stage and beaten into whipped whites. The Italian meringue is a little trickier but pays off, as it is also more stable. This tried and true method is adapted from Chef Kathryn Gordon and is publish in the Les Petits Macarons. (It’s in grams for more accuracy. It’s very important to be precise with macaron making!)
baking and recipe by ME Hammondphotography and assisting styling by Laura Sumrak styling by Brittany Jepsen
Click below for the full recipe:
165 g almond flourPinch of salt165 g powdered sugar58 g egg whites 158 g egg whites 238 g water125 g sugar10 g powdered egg whites
You will also need:Metal mixing bowlsCandy thermometer Silpat
- Measure out all of your ingredients first (remember to be precise!)
- Line sheet pan with silpat.
- Sift the together almond flour, powdered sugar, powdered egg whites and salt. Set aside.
- Combine water and sugar in a high quality and very clean saucepan. Mix thoroughly and place on stove at medium high heat. Stir slowly as the sugar begins to dissolve, to prevent crystalizing you may also want to brush down the sides of the pan with a little water. Once the sugar starts to boil, stop stirring and put the thermometer in the pot—cook to 234 degrees.
- The timing here is tricky, you need your egg whites to reach full volume around the same time as the sugar reaches 234 degrees.If the whites sit too long they will separate but if the sugar sits too long it will harden. Start whipping the egg whites 1 when the sugar reaches around 205 degrees. Whip the egg whites 1 until they form soft peaks.
- When both the sugar and whites are ready, slowly poor the sugar into the whites as they whip. To avoid too much splatter, poor down the side of the mixing bowl. This should start to look thick and glossy. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. You’ve just made an Italian meringue!
- Using a spatula, fold egg whites 2 and the meringue into the dry ingredients. The right consistency of the batter is very important, the wrong consistency will cause the macarons to crack. Keep folding until the batter is the consistency of hot lava. This should take about 50 folds.
- Pipe onto a silpat, leaving about 1 inch between each macaron as they will spread.
- Drop the pan on the counter a few times to get out air bubbles.
- The macarons will need to dry out now until they form a shell, it will take about 30 minutes. They should be dry enough that you can touch them without anything sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons dry, preheat your oven to 315 degrees F
- Bake for 12-14 minutes.
- Well done. Now enjoy your macarons!