Originally hailing from Italy, the term “macaron” evokes a chewy texture reminiscent of al dente pasta.
French Macarons
Chef Sally Schwartz
24-48
45 minutes
12 minutes
French
Desert / Confectionery
If you want to create your own spring-themed macarons, gather almond flour, icing sugar, liquified egg whites, and some colored food gel. The key to making them is starting with an Italian meringue, which involves heating sugar and water and then mixing it with whipped egg whites. Once you’ve piped the batter and let it dry, bake them until they achieve their classic shell. For the filling, whip up a dark chocolate ganache using heavy cream and high-quality chocolate. Treat yourself to these delightful, colorful confections as a sweet tribute to the season!
Ingredients
Cookie Shells
- 300 g almond flour
- 300 g icing sugar (fine confectioners sugar)
- 110 g liquefied egg whites
- 22 g pastel food color gel
- 300 g caster sugar
- 75 g mineral water
- 110 g liquefied egg whites
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 8 oz Heavy Cream
- 8 oz Couture Dark Chocolate
Tools
- Stand Mixer
- Digital Scale
- Digital Thermometer
- Oven Thermometer
- Mixing Bowls as needed
- Silpat or Parchment Paper
- Piping Bags
- Small Stainless Steel Pot
- Pastry Brush
- Hand Whisk
Directions
Cookie Shells
- In a large mixing bowl, place almond flour, icing sugar, 110 g of liquefied egg whites & super red color get but do not blend-set bowl aside.
- In small stainless steel pot, blend caster sugar with water, brush sugar crystals down with wet pastry brush if needed.
- Place 100 g of liquefied egg whites in stand mixer bowl.
- Once sugar syrup reaches 115’ C bring the egg whites to soft peaks.
- When sugar syrup reaches 118’ C slowly pour syrup into soft peak egg whites.
- Increase speed to high and whisk until bowl reaches room temperature.
- In 3 increments, fold the Italian meringue into the dry ingredients.
- Place plastic wrap on top of batter in order to prevent batter drying out.
- Fill piping bag and cut opening to ½ inch. Pipe onto Silpat (or parchment paper.)
- Allow piped cookies to dry until a shell has developed (approximately 1 hour).
- Bake at 350’ F (in a still oven) for approximately 12 minutes (rotate pan at 6 minutes).
- You will see the “feet” form during baking.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Gently remove the cookies by peeling back on the Silpat or parchment paper.
- Fill with piped ganache.
- Enjoy immediately or freeze overnight for an authentic al dente bite.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate into large bowl.
- Bring heavy cream to a slow boil.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir with rubber spatula until mixed thoroughly.
- Fill clean piping bag with ganache for filling sandwich cookies.
- Put in freezer for 10 minutes to firm up before piping.
- When 10 minutes is up, cut 1/8” hole in end of piping bag.