Everything I've Learned about Macarons


I've dreamt of French patisseries filled with croissants, mille-feuille, and, of course, macarons. I don't think I am going to France any time soon, but I have always thought I was pretty good at baking. That is, before my many failed attempts at macarons. For such a small cookie, they offer an unnecessary amount of work. And there is a steep learning curve; so many things can go wrong: hollow shells, no feet, flat shells. Macarons are impressive, delicious, and beautiful. Though everyone wants a batch on their table at their tea party, no one wants to pay the often $2+ price tag or fail at making them. Let me help save you from both of these fates and teach you everything I have learned making macarons professionally the past few months.


1. There are a lot of recipes out there, but to know that the recipe is decent, the amount of powdered sugar is double the amount of almond flour. Some recipes work more than others, but this one is my go-to, though I do have a few alterations that I'll get into. I also find that weighing the ingredients makes for better cookies. These are all about precision!

2. After you find a recipe, the next step is to NOT preheat the oven. Trust me, this is going to remind you later to not put your macarons immediately in the oven.

3. Prep your pans with parchment cut to fit your pans almost exactly. Underneath the parchment, place a macaron template (you can print them out here) for the size of cookie you want. This will help make the shells the same size. Remember to pull these out from under before you bake the cookies, though.

4. Always use almond flour, not almond meal. Though it is possible to use almond meal, it is easier, especially for beginners, to use the more finely milled almond flour. Remember, finely milled.

5. Make sure your egg whites are room temperature. They will not beat properly if they are cold. Believe me, cold egg whites will only lead to wasted ingredients and bad macarons.




6. To make sure the meringue is beat enough, hold the bowl over your head. If it moves at all, beat it longer. After whipped, this is the time to add flavors and color.

7. Use only gel food coloring if you color them at all. Cheap food coloring will deflate your egg whites because they are water based.

8. Add the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture to the meringue in three stages, folding each addition in completely before the next. Do not worry about being gentle at this point. You want to smash the bottom layer of meringue into the flour. You really do want to fold out the air!

9. Most recipes say your batter is mixed enough when it resembles lava. My question is who knows exactly what lava looks like and how it moves? The way I check my macaronage is by taking some batter on my rubber spatula and letting it fall. If I can make a figure 8 with the batter (one solid stream), then it is ready. You will also be able to see the shape of the 8 sitting on top of the batter and slowly spread back into the batter.

10. Pipe your macarons out in a disposable bag. Usually, cloth pastry bags are small and are used for icings, i.e. buttercream. The residual butter may cause your batter to become too runny.

10 and a half. Don't let your batter sit in the bag like the recipe linked says. It's a waste of time.

11. After piping and tapping the macarons, take a toothpick and pop any bubbles you see on the surface.

12. Now preheat the oven.

13. Let the macarons sit out for at least 30 minutes, more if it is a particularly humid day. This makes sure that the macarons rise or develop a foot (the frill edge). They are ready to go into the oven when you can touch the tops without any of the batter sticking to your finger.

14. When the macarons are hard enough for you to touch the tops and the shells pull from the parchment at the edges, your macarons are ready. Don't worry if you overcook them a bit; your macarons will soften when you fill them.

15. Fill your macarons and let sit in the fridge for a few hours to "bloom." Never leave macarons out in the open air--humidity is your enemy.

These are all of things that I wish I had known when I started baking macarons, and it is when I follow all of these tips that I succeed. And trust me, I have failed many times. I think my success rate is finally higher than my failure rate, but I find that I make them best when I know I'm getting paid and fear bad reviews ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Don't let the rain deflate your meringue,
Christina


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