Passover’s approaching, and I’m on my annual hunt for a few yummy, flourless desserts.
And I decided that this year it was finally time to tackle the one.
The one I’ve been avoiding for too long now.
The one I even TOOK A CLASS FOR. And had yet to make.
Yes, it was time.
I am in love with French macaroons (a.k.a. “macarons”) – as my Instagram will verify:
But they’ve always been somewhat of a mystery to me. I was convinced that I could never execute “the perfect” macaroon, and even after taking a great class (which helped, for sure), I’ve avoided making them. Fear of failure and all.
And I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone here – most people I know are intimidated by these little confections, and I totally get it. There are so many books, videos and blog posts out there, promising the “perfect” recipe. It can be overwhelming. And, depending on the recipe, often really complicated.
So here’s the thing – I decided that it would be better to sacrifice a little perfection to create a recipe that was delicious, of course – but ultimately doable. If there were too many complicated steps I knew that I would be unlikely to ever make them a second time – and you might not make them at all.
Which would be a shame. Because they’re so damn good. So I took a deep breath, dug out the recipe and began.
All told I wound up making three – yes, three – batches. For the first batch I faithfully adhered to the recipe I received at the Dessert Truck class.
I piped the cookies way too big (and subsequently under baked them), so I “had” to make a second batch. This time I simplified the process slightly, as I was now a bit more confident. Great results, but still a bit too fussy for my liking. So I took a chance on a third batch and streamlined it even further.
Bam!
I’m sure that these are not “perfect-perfect”. They browned a little at the edges and there were (gasp!) air pockets across the tops. But they were absolutely delicious.
Even better, they can be made and filled way in advance, making them a great do-ahead dessert for your Passover meal.
Or a Wednesday.
Or right now.
Bon appetit!
on weighing ingredients
my favorite baking tips and tricks
heavily adapted from The Dessert Truck (see Notes, below)
1 c. (125 g.) almond flour
1 c. (125 g.) confectioner’s sugar
2 large egg whites (50 g.), at room temperature
1/2 c. (110 g.) granulated sugar
2 large egg whites (50 g.), at room temperature
Filling: the sky’s the limit here. I used my fave vanilla buttercream, but you can fill with whatever your heart desires – raspberry jam, lemon curd, dulche de leche and of course ganache.
Pre-heat your oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
In your food processor, blend the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar for one minute. Pour mixture into a large bowl.
Place 2 egg whites in the bowl of your mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the whites at low speed till the surface is covered in uniform tiny bubbles; there should be no “hole” in the center (read more here on how to properly beat egg whites). Increase speed to medium and slowly add the granulated sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added increase the speed to medium-high. When you start to see “tracks”, bump up the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula mix the remaining 2 egg whites into the almond-flour mixture. Once well mixed, fold in the meringue. The mixture will be very thick and viscous.
Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a plain tip – I used an Ateco #5, which has a 1/2″ opening.
Pipe 1 1/2″ discs, spaced about 1″ apart, onto your prepared sheets. Rap the bottoms of the sheets against your counter to release any trapped air and let the macaroons sit out to dry (this will take anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the humidity).
Bake the macaroons (one sheet at a time) until the tops are very firm and dry, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Using a small spatula, carefully remove the macaroons from your baking sheets. Pair them up by size and turn half of them upside down. Using a pastry bag fitted with the same tip, pipe a little filling onto the flat sides of the cookies and sandwich them with their “mates”.
Store in an airtight container for one day, in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Notes:
1. The Dessert Truck recipe instructs you to whisk the egg whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water. This is because the whites whip up best when warm. I’ve found that as long as the egg whites are brought completely to room temperature they whip up beautifully.
2. Do not skip the “drying'” phase once you pipe out the macaroons. This forms a skin over the tops of the cookies – the batter puffs up beneath the skin while baking, resulting in that signature “foot” at the base. When the tops and sides are firm and dry (and the surface of the macaroon is no longer shiny), they’re ready to bake.
3. Once you’re confident in your macaroon skills, you can experiment with tinting and flavoring the batter. Dry ingredients (such as cocoa powder) should be added to the flour/sugar mixture, while liquids (such as food coloring or flavorings such as rose water) should be added toward the end of the final mixing process.
4. For piping the macaroon batter as well as the filling, you can use a heavy-duty gallon-size ziploc bag instead of a pastry bag. Simply fill the bag and snip a 1/2″ opening in one corner (read here on how to fill a ziploc bag).
This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2013/03/21/you-say-macarons/
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Hi! I'm Sheri!
Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!
They look so lovely! I took a class too, it really is overwhelming looking around online… too many tips! Mine weren’t as lovely as yours so I was forced to eat them all myself instead of gifting them 🙂 Aw shucks.
My tasty but less pretty attempt
Okay – yours were lovely! And if Passover doesn’t come soon I’m in danger of eating all of mine too! 🙂
I recently just had my first macaroon and it was delish! Happy Friday friend!
Thanks! To you too! What flavor (I’m thinking of attempting coffee next…)? xo
These look beautiful, Sheri. Although, at this point, I’m not surprised. I can’t wait to read your first book and enjoy all of the delicious photos.
I’ve saved Joanne Chang’s recipe from Fine Cooking but I think I’m still too intimidated to try it. Up next on my baking list is your recipe for Chocolate Chip Bars with a Salty Pretzel Crust (https://sherisilver.com/2012/12/12/raise-bar/). Don’t tell my IFG!
Aw Drew – thank you so much! Don’t be intimidated! I think my tips help take all the guesswork out and it was much easier than I thought it would be. Though it’s hard to argue against a pretzel crust. 😉
HA! HA! I found out! Yes!
You lucky girl you!
I am truly impressed, Sheri! I’ve made these myself and although they were totally delicious, they were hideous to look at (nevermind I made them in blue for a birthday shower). I think a step-by-step from someone who’s been “in the field” like you is just what I need to try it again. Kudos!
Thanks my friend – from someone who has accomplished with a doughnut pan what you have, this is a huge compliment! xoxo
Beautiful!! I wish I had the time to make them. But one little correction, confectioners sugar is not kosher for Passover because it contains cornstarch.
Good point Amy – I should have mentioned this. We “bend” on this one in my family…. 😉
Oh my gosh, yours turned out looking amazing. Not wonky like some people I know…
Thanks (you should have seen the first 2 batches)!
I have tried so many different recipes and this is by far the best! I still haven’t perfected mine but I loved how your recipe is to the point. I’ve been trying to get my macarons right for a while so I will for sure be using this recipe again.
Thanks!!!
Oh wow – I’m thrilled! I have had my share of fails too – they’re so finicky! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I’m not sure if the batter is correct, it is very grainy. That’s the way the flour came. I tried to regrind it but not much happened & it didn’t take the color.
I’m so sorry to hear that – I’ve made this recipe several times and have heard from readers that it’s a good one – maybe a problem with the flour?? If it was clumpy it might have affected the batter………..
Thanks for responding so quickly. I just put them in the oven, let see how they turn out. Just wondering where did you purchase your flour?
Fingers crossed! I bought Bob’s Red Mill at my local supermarket. I find they are the most consistent quality.
Ok so just pulled out of oven , they look good, just the color & the grainy look that is not making happy. Will try another flour that doesn’t say “meal” on it. Thanks!
I think you’ll have better results with “almond flour”, as opposed to “meal” – let me know!
Almond meal is different from almond flour. Think corn meal texture – not smooth at all. Definitely need flour for this recipe… which is terrific, by the way – I filled mine with nutella!
I tried this recipe twice and botched them both! I’ve used two other recipes and made many beautiful macarons…
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that – I do my best to make sure that I only put recipes up that have been tested and tweaked and tested and tweaked multiple times before posting! Would love to know what recipes you’ve had success with!
I am going to try these, my son is getting married and his fiance loves these, I hope to color them to match the wedding party. Wish me luck
Good luck! Take a look at my more recent Oreo macarons post for some tips I’ve picked up since this one!