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Macarons

These hard to make dainty little cookies are very popular even among fussy kids. With very few ingredients, these cookies are delicious, light, crispy outside and chewy inside. Almond powder and egg white contribute to their melt in your mouth quality. Recipe requires older, room temperature egg whites for its stiff meringue. Almond powder needs to be extra fine and smooth for a perfectly smooth finish to the cookie. Measuring and sifting through a fine mesh sieve without pressing at the end is important. You can discard the last few particles.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine French
Servings 12
Calories 100 kcal

Equipment

  • 13x8 BakingTray (2)
  • Piping bag
  • Stand mixer
  • food processor

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup confectioners sugar
  • 2/3 Cup almond powder

Wet Ingredients:

  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup superfine sugar
  • 2 to 3 drops desired food color, gel color

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup butter cream, jam, ganache, or any desired filling ,your preference.

Instructions
 

  • preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Measure confectioner sugar and almond powder in a bowl by spooning into a measuring cup and leveling off with a knife. Whisk to combine.
  • Using fine mesh sieve, sift confectioner sugar and almond powder and discard impurities. Whiz the dry ingredients in a food processor and sieve again. Repeat the process one more time to get very refined dry ingredients.
  • In a stand mixer beat egg whites and salt until frothy. Start adding sugar and continue to beat until the meringue reaches soft peak stage. Add desired gel food color at this point. Continue to beat until meringue reaches stiff peak stage.
  • Transfer the stiff meringue on top of the dry ingredients. Start folding carefully to prevent deflating the egg whites. Folding is done by cutting the mixture vertically through, bringing the spatula across the bottom of the bowl and up the nearest side pressing gently. Fold until thoroughly incorporated. Do it by turning the bowl and scraping down the bowl until mixture is free of lumps. You will know that it is ready when it drizzles to form thin ribbons which do not break when you make a figure 8 with it.
  • Fit the pastry bag with round, #12 tip and fill the bag with the prepared batter.
  • Use some of the batter under each corner of the parchment paper to keep it in place in the baking tray.. Start piping uniform 1 ¼ inch circles on the prepared baking tray, 12 on each tray. Firmly tap the tray on the work surface to remove any bubbles. Let the cookies stand at room temperature for 2 hours or more for the shells to dry out.
  • Bake on a double baking tray to prevent burning. Bake for in a 300°F oven for 15 to 17 minutes turning half way through for even cooking. Bake one tray at a time and remove to a rack to cool completely.
  • Pipe filling onto the back of half the shells and use the other half to make a sandwiches.
  • They are best consumed within 24 hours at room temperature. Can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days in an air tight container. Can be frozen for longer, but better to freeze the shells without filling in an air tight container. When ready to use, remove from the freezer ahead of time and then assemble with desired filling to serve.