This step-by-step guide aims to teach you how to make perfect macarons every time. My tried and tested method is perfect for both beginners and more advanced bakers. Frequently Asked Questions What are macarons? After cooling, the shells are ready to fill and sandwich together. I have plenty of filling suggestions in the recipe notes below. I usually halve my recipe for vanilla buttercream. You can spread the frosting on the underside of half of your macarons with a knife or you can use a piping bag/tip. Just use the same round tip you used for the macaron batter. The sky is the limit when it comes to macaron fillings! The easiest filling is probably chocolate ganache, but any type of buttercream can be used. You can also experiment adding clotted cream and jam, fruit curd, cookie butter, Nutella etc. Flour Sifter – to sift together almond flour and powdered sugar. You can pulse together in a food processor if you do not have a sifter. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Macaroons, with or without chocolate, freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can prepare the coconut macaroon dough up to 3 days in advance; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Fine almond flour - made from blanched almonds, it is crucial you use high quality almond flour. The finer the flour, the smoother the macaron cookie will be. This is different from almond meal, which is typically much coarser. No other type of flour can be used for macarons. Egg Whites – For this recipe they do not need to be at room temperature or aged. But, aging the egg can help with the stability of the macarons if you’re new at making them. So, if you want, you can keep loosely covered egg whites in the fridge for a few days. It is very important when whipping egg whites that the bowl is very clean and does not have any oil or egg yolks in them as that will cause the egg whites to not whip up properly. Measure all your ingredientswith a Digital scale. This is non-negotiable, you absolutely can not make macarons using cups

Step Two: Sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour three times to get out any clumps that would cause air bubbles or lumpy macarons.

Once I returned home to London I was determined to master homemade macarons… And after much trial and error I think I have landed on the perfect macaron recipe using Swiss meringue. The short answer is no, they won’t whip up as well. Especially if you are new to making macarons use real eggs. But, that being said if you’ve got the basics down I’ve found boxed egg whites will work in a pinch and can actually be helpful if making a lot of macarons.

Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 13 minutes. All ovens are different and the actual temperature inside your oven may not match what the display reads. I highly recommendan oven thermometer. Macarons Are Done Baking When…After cooling, the shells are ready to fill and sandwich together. I have plenty of filling suggestions in the recipe notes below. You can spread filling with a knife or pipe it using the same round tip you used for the macaron batter. Extract/Flavoring: I keep these macarons plain. Without flavoring, they have a sweet almond flavor. However, if desired, feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite extract such as almond, vanilla, coconut, lemon, etc. Standing Mixer with a Whisk Attachment or Hand Held Mixer with Large Bowl – unfortunately it would be very difficult to make these without some type of mixer. Standing mixers are the easiest since you need to whip the egg whites for awhile, but you can also use a hand held mixer. Preliminary Note: I recommend pulsing the coconut in the food processor a few times to cut it down and break it up. Finer pieces of coconut make a tighter, more compact coconut macaroon that will hold its shape. Measure 4 and 3/4 cups after it’s been pulsed. If you do not have a food processor, spread the coconut onto a large cutting board and roughly chop it.

Even if you're using fine almond flour, always process and sieve your ingredients. Simply pulse the almond flour with the icing sugar a few times until you obtain a fine powder. Make sure not to over-process the almond flour, as it can start releasing oil when heated. Also, it's important to sieve the almond flour to remove any extra lumps. You can eat right away or, as some professionals prefer, cover and refrigerate them 12-24 hours so the macarons and flavors can mature. Bring to room temperature before serving. (I usually just serve them right away!)

Step Five: Add the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour to the egg whites. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whisk for 5 seconds.

If you have some leftover egg whites from making lemon curd or something, sure, you can keep them loosely covered in the fridge for a few days to age them before making some macs. But, much like resting the piped batter, it could help if you’re new to making macarons, but it’s not necessary. The piped macarons have a tip that does not reincorporate in the batter Macarons without feet are caused by a weak meringue and low baking temperature. Tips: Whip the meringue to stiff peaks and make sure to rest the macaron batter after piping. After that, use a higher temperature to assist the rise in the oven during baking. Increase the temperature by 25 degree intervals. Lopsided Shells Runny Batter: Your macaron batter will be runny if you overmixed it, deflating more air than intended. Macarons baked with runny batter will over-spread, aren’t likely to develop feet, nor will they have the intended chewy texture. This is why the macaronage step is crucial. Fold the batter together slowly and perform the figure 8 test a few times until you have the correct consistency.