Macarons 101
As I sit here typing this post I'm hitting the keys just a bit lighter than I normally do. It's because my right hand, no, my entire right arm actually feels like it's about to fall off. You see, yesterday I made macarons and they were probably the most physically and mentally taxing thing I have ever made in my entire life. And this is coming from someone who's made haleem and biryani. But trust me, don't let what I'm saying discourage you. Part of the reason they were so difficult to make for me is because I don't have an electric stand or hand mixer. That means I spent just over 1 hour and 15 minutes yesterday transforming liquidy little egg whites into a glossy, stiff peaked meringue. This process happened by whisking. A lot of whisking. Now that my macarons are resting in the fridge ready to be eaten I can say it was worth it. Well, kind of. I certainly won't be making macarons again until I buy a hand mixer but the satisfaction of making them entirely from scratch and having them turn out so well on the first try was more than worth it. I think the reason they turned out so well the first time around was partly because of the fact that God must have felt really bad for me watching me turn those egg whites into meringue by hand and partly because I researched these little cookies to no end and followed directions like there was no tomorrow.
I had put of making macarons for months because of all of the stuff I had read and heard about the level of difficultly and precision that they require. Those people certainly weren't lying but I've learned from the process that if you pay close attention to the details, and I mean really, really close attention then you'll come out with pretty decent macarons on the first try. Let me begin by listing the quantity of ingredients I used and then I'll get to the directions.
Ingredients
100 grams of almond flour
180 grams of powdered sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 of a cup granulated sugar
Process
Begin by weighing your ingredients. It's really important that you use weight measurement rather than cups for the almond flour and powdered sugar because it gives you a more accurate idea of the quantity as opposed to a measuring cup.
Next, strain your almond flour and powdered sugar. Make sure you discard any lumpy pieces. Note that whatever you throw away doesn't need to be replaced so you should weigh your ingredients before you sift them. You want the flour to be incredibly fine because other wise you will get lumpy tops on your macarons. I sifted the mixture twice but you can sift it up to five times to ensure that it's as smooth as possible.
Now it's time to make your meringue. If you have a hand or stand mixer this part will be relatively painless. If you don't, it's going to take some blood, sweat and tears. Make sure to use a glass or stainless steel bowl to mix your egg whites in. You have to ensure that your bowl is very, very clean. Any trace of grease will make it impossible for your egg whites to fluff up to their full capacity. After mixing until your eggs get foamy begin adding your granulated sugar in small increments. Don't add the sugar until the eggs are foamy because it will take twice as long for the meringue to form.
You will know that your meringue is ready when you can hold the bowl over your head and the egg whites don't fall out of the bowl. Don't over mix however, because you don't wan the meringue to crack and become hard. This could take anywhere from 10 minutes if you have a mixture to more than one hour if you don't.
At this point you can add food coloring to the meringue mixture. Add much more color than you think you'll need because the color will fade a lot while the macarons are baking. I wish I had known this earlier because maybe then my macarons would have been light pink I had intended them to be rather than the weird light brown they turned out.
Here comes the trickiest part. You have to mix your almond mixture into your meringue. This part makes or breaks the macron. If you over-mix, you'll have runny cookies that don't have feet (the little ridges at the bottom macarons are so well known for). If you under mix you'll end up with lumpy, cracked cookies. I was most nervous about this part. I would recommend mixing with a rubber spatula. I mixed until everything was incorporated but not runny. When I say mix, I mean gently fold the two mixtures together. This isn't the time to go at your mixture. Start around the edges and gently fold towards the middle. Make sure to scrape down the sides as you go.
Now you're ready to pipe your macarons onto your baking sheet. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper before you pipe them. You really want to use parchment paper rather than anything else. It works better than almost any other material. At this point you should also pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
When you pipe your macarons, you don't want to pipe them too close together because they do spread a little bit. I would say about an inch apart is a safe bet. After you've piped them slam them down on your counter a few times until all of the air bubbles have popped. Then leave them out on the counter for around 20 minutes until the macarons develop a sort of skin on top. You'll know they're ready when you touch them and they're not sticky. If you don't do this then your macarons won't develop feet.
It's finally time to put you macarons in the oven. Set your timer for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes rotate your baking sheet in the oven. Let them bake for another 6 minutes. Keep your eye on them because you don't want them to get brown when they're in the oven.
Let them rest for at least 5 minutes before you try taking them off the baking sheet and let them cool before you fill them. Since this post is so long already I won't get into the filling details but know that your possibilities are endless when it comes to flavors!
I hope this post encourages you all to try making macarons on your own. Yes, they are incredibly difficult but if you follow the directions meticulously then you're sure to turn out with perfect macarons even on your first try!
If you try to make these then make sure to let me know how they turn out!
I had put of making macarons for months because of all of the stuff I had read and heard about the level of difficultly and precision that they require. Those people certainly weren't lying but I've learned from the process that if you pay close attention to the details, and I mean really, really close attention then you'll come out with pretty decent macarons on the first try. Let me begin by listing the quantity of ingredients I used and then I'll get to the directions.
Ingredients
100 grams of almond flour
180 grams of powdered sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 of a cup granulated sugar
Process
Begin by weighing your ingredients. It's really important that you use weight measurement rather than cups for the almond flour and powdered sugar because it gives you a more accurate idea of the quantity as opposed to a measuring cup.
Next, strain your almond flour and powdered sugar. Make sure you discard any lumpy pieces. Note that whatever you throw away doesn't need to be replaced so you should weigh your ingredients before you sift them. You want the flour to be incredibly fine because other wise you will get lumpy tops on your macarons. I sifted the mixture twice but you can sift it up to five times to ensure that it's as smooth as possible.
Now it's time to make your meringue. If you have a hand or stand mixer this part will be relatively painless. If you don't, it's going to take some blood, sweat and tears. Make sure to use a glass or stainless steel bowl to mix your egg whites in. You have to ensure that your bowl is very, very clean. Any trace of grease will make it impossible for your egg whites to fluff up to their full capacity. After mixing until your eggs get foamy begin adding your granulated sugar in small increments. Don't add the sugar until the eggs are foamy because it will take twice as long for the meringue to form.
You will know that your meringue is ready when you can hold the bowl over your head and the egg whites don't fall out of the bowl. Don't over mix however, because you don't wan the meringue to crack and become hard. This could take anywhere from 10 minutes if you have a mixture to more than one hour if you don't.
At this point you can add food coloring to the meringue mixture. Add much more color than you think you'll need because the color will fade a lot while the macarons are baking. I wish I had known this earlier because maybe then my macarons would have been light pink I had intended them to be rather than the weird light brown they turned out.
Here comes the trickiest part. You have to mix your almond mixture into your meringue. This part makes or breaks the macron. If you over-mix, you'll have runny cookies that don't have feet (the little ridges at the bottom macarons are so well known for). If you under mix you'll end up with lumpy, cracked cookies. I was most nervous about this part. I would recommend mixing with a rubber spatula. I mixed until everything was incorporated but not runny. When I say mix, I mean gently fold the two mixtures together. This isn't the time to go at your mixture. Start around the edges and gently fold towards the middle. Make sure to scrape down the sides as you go.
Now you're ready to pipe your macarons onto your baking sheet. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper before you pipe them. You really want to use parchment paper rather than anything else. It works better than almost any other material. At this point you should also pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
When you pipe your macarons, you don't want to pipe them too close together because they do spread a little bit. I would say about an inch apart is a safe bet. After you've piped them slam them down on your counter a few times until all of the air bubbles have popped. Then leave them out on the counter for around 20 minutes until the macarons develop a sort of skin on top. You'll know they're ready when you touch them and they're not sticky. If you don't do this then your macarons won't develop feet.
It's finally time to put you macarons in the oven. Set your timer for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes rotate your baking sheet in the oven. Let them bake for another 6 minutes. Keep your eye on them because you don't want them to get brown when they're in the oven.
Let them rest for at least 5 minutes before you try taking them off the baking sheet and let them cool before you fill them. Since this post is so long already I won't get into the filling details but know that your possibilities are endless when it comes to flavors!
I hope this post encourages you all to try making macarons on your own. Yes, they are incredibly difficult but if you follow the directions meticulously then you're sure to turn out with perfect macarons even on your first try!
If you try to make these then make sure to let me know how they turn out!
