French Macaroons have always been one of my favorite desserts, thus, I have always wanted to master the art of making them on my own. I have heard many horror stories about people trying to make them, and failing, so I did my research before taking the plunge! You will find LOTS of very specific advice online, but from this experience, I would say the #1 key is being PRECISE!!! This was my first attempt, and they were absolutely delicious and perfect! Let me give you fair warning though, you will make a MESS of your kitchen, and use more bowls than you thought possible, so don't make these if you are in a rush. If you are looking for a different flavor, just look it up online. For the most part, the cookie recipe is always the same, and you can make pretty much any flavor under the sun by using different fillings, so let your imagination go wild and make whatever kind floats your boat. On my list for next time is raspberry, coconut, and lavender. For starters let's go over what you'll need:
Tools:
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
For the Salted Caramel:
Tools:
- Baking Scale (measures in grams)
- Lots of bowls/cups/containers of various sizes for measuring
- Sieve, or sifter
- Electric Stand mixer
- Piping Bag
- Silpats, or parchment paper
- Template (Parchment paper with 1.5" circles 1-2 in apart)
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
- 100g room temperature egg whites
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 35g of superfine sugar
- 110g of Almond flour (sifted)
- 200g of Powdered Sugar
- 10g cocoa powder
For the Salted Caramel:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
Making the Cookies:
Step 3: Mix together your Almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder, and sift 1-2 times through so it is thoroughly incorporated, and set aside. Step 4: Pour your measured egg whites into the mixer and mix on low until foamy. Step 5: Then add in the cream of tartar and mix further on medium until soft peaks form. |
Step 8: Now, put the batter into a piping bag, and pipe onto the silpats into nice, even circles that fill the shape and size of the template below. Step 9: Once all of your cookies are piped onto the cookie trays, hit the trays down onto a hard surface 4-5 times so that it will release any air bubbles inside. |
Step 12: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and cook the cookies 1 tray at a time for 12 minutes, flipping the tray halfway through. Step 13: Let them rest and cool after cooking before filling. Then you will want to match up similar sizes, since they will all be slightly different; fill, and sandwich the cookie. ENJOY! |