Ingredients
Method
Prep Equipment & Ingredients
- Wipe your tools with some white vinegar to remove any oily residue. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and prepare your piping templates. Fit a large piping bag with a ½" (1.2 cm) round tip, and set it in a deli container or large cup. Fill a small pot with around 1" (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a simmer over medium-load heat.
Make the Meringue
- Weigh the egg whites into a heat-proof mixing bowl and record or remember the weight—you'll use the same weight for the remaining ingredients.
- Weigh the same amount of granulated sugar into the mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a small pot of simmering water. While whisking constantly, bring the mixture to 122–149°F (50–65°C) (see notes).
- Dry the bottom of the bowl. Whip using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, starting on low speed for about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium for another 4-5 minutes. Finally, increase the speed to medium-high until you reach stiff peaks. The meringue should be glossy, smooth, and thick, and when you lift the whisk out you should see sharp and pointy peaks that don't droop.
Sift Dry Ingredients
- Weigh the same amount each of powdered sugar and almond flour and sift into a separate bowl.
Macaronage & Piping
- Dump the dry ingredient into the bowl of meringue, and fold together until completely combined. Spread the batter over the sides of the bowl and scrape down. Repeat until the batter flows in thick lava-like ribbons off the spatula, you can draw a figure 8 without it breaking, and dropped batter combines with the batter in the bowl after about 10 seconds.
- Transfer the batter to the piping bag. Hold the piping tip straight up and down over the middle of a circle template, and apply even pressure until the batter reaches the edge or inner dashed circle. Stop applying pressure, give the bag a swirl and lift up to avoid a peak. When you're done filling a sheet, carefully remove the printed templates (if using) from underneath the mat or parchment.
Drying & Baking
- Let the macarons sit out uncovered until they form a dry skin. You should be able to carefully run a finger over the surface of a macaron without feeling any stickiness. Towards the end of drying, start preheating the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
- Bake one sheet at a time for around 15-20 minutes, turning halfway for even baking. When the macarons are done they'll be puffed up with distinct feet, and when you touch one gently with your finger it shouldn't wobble.
- Leave the macarons to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Filling & Maturing
- Find pairs of macarons that match in size, and arrange them side-by-side. Pipe filling on the bottom of a macaron until it reaches about ¼" (0.6 cm) from the edge. Place the matching macaron on top and gently press down until the filling just reaches the edge.
- Place the macarons carefully in an airtight container and leave in the fridge for 24 hours to mature. This gives the filling time to soak into the shells to make them perfectly chewy.
- When you're ready to serve the macarons, bring them up back up to room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Notes
- Serving size depends entirely on how many egg whites you use and how large you pipe your macarons. For reference, I get around 50 x 1¾" macarons when I use 3 large egg whites weighing around 100 grams, or around 40 x 2" macarons. Divide that in half for how many finished sandwiched macarons you can expect.
- If you don't have a thermometer, you can check the temperature of the egg white and sugar mixture by dipping a finger in. It should feel like too-hot bath water—not so hot it burns, but hot enough that it will feel uncomfortable after a few seconds.