I can’t remember the first time I had a macaron, but I do remember when I fell in love with them. It’s hard not to in Paris, where there is a charming patisserie on every corner filled with buttery, decadent pastries and macarons for miles. When I traveled to Paris in the winter of 2010 with my mother and sister Jocelin I made it a personal quest to explore the sweet side of Paris (side note: so excited for Ladurée to come to NYC!).
I have always wanted to make macarons at home, but was intimidated by countless mishap stories from friends that attempted to make this temperamental dessert. My macaron outlook brightened when I recently saw a step-by-step guide featuring Joanne Chang in Fine Cooking magazine. I decided it was finally time to tackle this dessert. Plus, I was really missing Paris…
Overall, macarons are not hard to make. They are actually very easy to make. There are no special or difficult techniques required. The ingredients are very basic. If you set aside some time for this project and pay attention to what you’re doing, you will be successful every time. My friend Mary, The Culinary Librarian, also has a lot of great tips for making macarons.
Below is a basic Almond Macaron recipe with Chocolate Ganache filling. Once you have this recipe down, you can get creative with different flavors and have some fun. If you’re confused about how to carry out a particular step of the recipe, Fine Cooking has great step-by-step videos that are easy to follow.
So don’t be scared, channel your inner Julia Child (or Joanne Chang in this case) and go for it!
French Macarons
Adapted from Joanne Chang’s recipe
Yields 20-30 sandwich cookies (depending on size of cookie)
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsps confectioners’ sugar
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsps almond flour (the finer the grade, the smoother the texture of the cookie)
4 large egg whites, separated in advance, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Directions
Line three flat baking sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners. Use a round shape, such as a small cookie cutter or round spoon, to trace circles with a pencil on the parchment paper, approximately 2 inches apart. This will guide you later, when you pipe the cookies on the trays. Flip the parchment paper over (pencil side down) and set aside.
Using a sieve, sift the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour into a large bowl and set aside. In a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a large bowl and a hand mixer), whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy and the wires of the beaters leave a trail, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 1 tbsp of the granulated sugar and continue to whip for another 30 to 45 seconds. Repeat three times with the remaining granulated sugar. Once all of the sugar is mixed in, continue whipping the whites until they turn glossy and stiff (when you lift the beaters from the bowl, the whites should hold a straight peak that doesn’t curl at the tip), 4 to 8 minutes more.
With a large rubber spatula, fold in half of the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once most of it has been incorporated, fold in the remaining mixture until just combined.
You can put two cookie sheets in the oven at a time, but I prefer to bake them one at a time. Put one of the cookie sheets in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 300°F (it’s ok to let the other sheet(s) sit at room temperature). Bake, rotating the sheets and swapping their positions after 8 minutes, until the meringues are very pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes total. Do not overbake! My cookies were a large tablespoon and baked perfectly for 19 minutes. Watch them carefully toward the end, as they will brown quickly.
Recipe adapted from Joanne Chang
Yields 1 1/4 cups
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat, swirling the pan a few times, until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan but the cream is not yet boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and let sit for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
For variations on these recipes, click here.
Ooh, look at that ganache! I see you must be employing your husband as photographer, like Julia Child did. Those are nice circles you’re drawing. I bet the macarons are delicious. Mmm, Paris–a patisserie on every corner. Yum.
Great job, Mar! They came out looking wonderful. Wish I could have had one… next time! I’m planning to get a scale over the summer and make some from all the macaron books I have and find my favorite recipe.
Can’t wait for Laduree to open!
I can’t WAIT to try this. I am so inspired!!
O my – I can now see why this confection is handled with such respect in Paris (& everywhere) – – they look delicious Mar…..
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