French Macarons

French Style Macaron Shells

85 gm almond flour

150 gm powdered sugar

3 large egg whites at room temperature

65 gm granulated sugar

Assorted gel food colorings and fillings

Combine almond flour and powdered sugar and pulse in food processor 10-15 times.

Sift twice.

Beat egg whites to medium soft peaks, add the granulated sugar and beat in high until stiff peaks form.  Add food coloring, and mix.

Fold almond/sugar mixture into egg whites, then use macaronnage technique to loosen the batter so that it flows in a ribbon from the spatula and slowly flows to smooth surface. This is done by smearing the batter against the bowl with the spatula to delate the batter until it loosens and the ribbon from the spatula settles into the batter.

Using a pastry bag and 1/2 tip, pipe in on to a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.  You can create a template so all the macarons are the same size.

Rest the macarons uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until the surface feels dry when gently touched. While the macarons are resting, preheat your oven to 275-300 degrees F.

Bake 15-25 minutes, or until the macarons are firm to the touch.  It is better to overbake than under bake.

The Little French Bakery 2017

Allow the macaron to cool completely, then peel from the paper/Silpat.  Fill with flavored buttercream, jam or paste such as Nutella. Refrigerate 24-48 hours before serving.  This process is osmosis, and will make the shells chewy, keeping the crisp shell.  This is the process used by French patisseries and is very important.  Don’t plan on eating your macarons the same day you make them. (though it’s very tempting!)