Let’s talk macarons. As I mentioned in my last blog post, they’re something I have practiced and poured over for over 3 years now. I tried to make them one time prior to that, almost 6 years ago… and it wasn’t great. So, for three years, I left macaron making to the professionals.
It was a former coworker that asked me to make them again, and when I did, they were OK… so I kept trying. I’d made some for my hairdresser, my coworkers, friends’ birthdays - and 100 of them for my former landlord’s wedding! Now, I’ve become pretty well-versed in all things macarons through a ton of trial & error - recipes, ratios, flavors & fillings. I’m sharing all of my knowledge with you, so you can go into the challenge of macarons with confidence.
Supplies for Macaron Baking
Before you begin your foray into baking, you’ll need a few things - some you might already have at home, but some perhaps not. Here’s my go-to list of things to use. I’ve linked to places where you can purchase them online - but see if you can support your local mom & pop shops first!
Stand (or hand) mixer - I 100% recommend a stand mixer because it’s less work for you & your arm to make sure that every bit of egg white is whipped up. I have a 5 QT Kitchenaid. Make sure that whatever you use has a whisk attachment.
Silicone baking mat - Silpat is the most popular brand, but you can get the same quality with these Amazon Basics brand. They even have these cheat sheet ones with circle guides that I love, as it keeps my sizes pretty consistent.
Cookie sheets - You’ll just want a large, flat pan - one that can fit your baking mat so it lies completely flat. I personally like these from Target.
Piping bags, couplers & tips - You can get disposable bags, but go eco (& budget) friendly & buy some reusable ones! The only tip you really need is a round for macarons, but there are also tip sets that come with lots of different options, too.
Kitchen scale - Honestly, I’d recommend measuring this way instead of relying on cups & tablespoons because it’s far more accurate. With macarons, I’d argue that it’s a must. You can find decent ones between $10-20, like this one from Williams-Sonoma.
My Go-To Base Macaron Recipe
I’ve scoured the internet to try my fair share of macaron recipes, but the one from Laudrée, the must-try macarons from France, has become my go-to foolproof recipe. Honey Blonde has their own post on the Laudrée macarons. I tend to do one batch at a time following these measurements & typically yield 18-20 cookies (36-40 individual shells) -
90g almond flour
80g powdered sugar
70g granulated sugar
2 egg whites
A heaping pinch of cream of tartar
Your flavor of choice via extract (ie vanilla, almond) or powder (ie espresso) - more on this later
Should You Reserve Some Egg White?
Things to note about the recipe is that Honey Blonde calls for reserving a little bit of egg white to pour in when you’re combining your whipped meringue with your dry ingredients (called macaronage). I will only do this when I’ve added an extra dry ingredient for my shell flavor (ie espresso powder or matcha powder); that extra bit of wetness helps with those powders since they are so dry. I will not do this if I am relying on wet ingredients like extract or essences for my flavors (like almond or peppermint) as the mixture will become far too wet & won’t dry out. Keep that in mind as you explore on your own.
Macaron Best Practices
There are not many 'tricks’ to macaron making, just very precise measurements & a cool head. Here are three of the knowledgable bits I’ve picked up along the way that may also help you, too. For troubleshooting tips, I always look to this guide by Indulge With Mimi which is the best I’ve seen. She provides great explanations as to why your macaron didn’t turn out perfect - everything from not developing “feet” to lopsided shells.
The Figure 8 Technique
How do you know when you’ve married the meringue with the dry mix perfectly? Again, I’ll refer you to Indulge With Mimi who covers the Figure 8 technique in this video. The act of mixing the two together is called macaronage and it’s a step that greatly influences how your macarons will turn out. You want your batter to come together so that it moves like lava - slow, but together - not dripping wet or stiff.
You should be able to lift your spatula & make a figure 8 with the ribboning batter coming off the spatula. It shouldn’t disappear back into the batter right away, taking a moment before assimilating back. That’s when you know it’s ready, but I highly recommend watching that video a few times, as it’s helped me get my batter consistency perfect.
Know Your Oven
This is by far the most tedious element because every oven is different. I find that my best combination is 300ºF for 12-14 minutes. No oven is created equal, so you’ll need to do some testing to find your perfect combination. Using that guide from Indulge With Mimi that I linked above can also help with finding that sweet spot for oven heat & timing.
Let Your Macarons Dry
Once you pipe your macarons onto your baking mat (or parchment paper), you have to let the shells dry before they go into the oven. They should be dry to the touch, when you gently run a finger over them, nothing comes off onto your finger. Basically, you’re looking for a dry topcoat so that your macarons rise properly & form “feet”, which are those little ruffles & ridges that give the macaron their iconic look.
Usually you’re looking at anywhere from 20-40 minutes of drying time; but why such a wide window? How long macarons take to dry will largely depend on your kitchen - and even weather can affect them. In Washington State, up until we bought our first home, I didn’t live in homes with AC, so on a more humid, rainy day, the longer mine took to dry out. Now that we’ve got central heating & air, when it’s running, I’ve found that they take far less time to dry.
My Best Macaron Flavor Combinations
I’ve made tons of different flavors, but here are my top three & how to adapt them for the base recipe I mentioned above.
Coffee & Chocolate Ganache (pictured at the top) - I add in 2 teaspoons of espresso powder into my dry mix & will sprinkle a little on top as they’re drying. For the ganache filling, I use a 1:2 ratio dark chocolate to heavy whipping cream.
Lavender & Honey - I add in 1.5 teaspoons of ground, dried lavender to my dry mix. I like to add in a drop or two of purple gel food coloring (do NOT use liquid) at the end of whipping my meringue to color the shells. For my honey buttercream, I make a typical American buttercream & drop in honey by taste for the filling. Careful not to overdo it because both the powdered sugar & honey are sweet.
Mint & Chocolate Ganache (also pictured above) - I add in 1/4 of a teaspoon of mint extract at the very end when my meringue has reached stiff peaks; this is when I’ll also add a drop of green & the tiniest drop of blue gel food coloring for a minty color. This wetness may soften the peaks a little bit, but as long as you’re gentle, you’ll keep the same result. My ganache ratio for the filling remains the same as the coffee one above.
Well, that’s a wrap! Thanks for sticking with me for this long. I hope your macarons turn out amazing, but if you have any questions, you can always add a comment below & I will do my very best to respond quickly. Happy baking.
