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  • The completed macarons

    The completed macarons

  • Step 5: Baking

    Step 5: Baking

  • Step 6: Finishing

    Step 6: Finishing

  • The ingredients needed to make macarons

    The ingredients needed to make macarons

  • Step 1: Dry Ingredients

    Step 1: Dry Ingredients

  • Step 2: Meringue

    Step 2: Meringue

  • Step 3: Macaronnage

    Step 3: Macaronnage

  • Step 4: Piping

    Step 4: Piping

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Stephanie Nguyen
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

Macarons are notorious for being complicated, but if you follow these simple step-by-step instructions, you will be on your way to a little taste of Paris right in your own kitchen. It is important to age your egg whites for two to three days in an airtight container in your fridge before beginning, and to use a scale to measure ingredients.

Ingredients
Yield: 40 cookies
7 oz powdered sugar
4 oz almond flour or meal
4 oz egg whites (about 4 large eggs), aged and at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
3 ½ oz granulated sugar
Gel food coloring (optional)

Step 1: Dry ingredients
Using a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar and almond flour together. Use a fine sieve to sift the mixture into a large bowl. Set aside. You want your mixture to be a uniform, fine powder to avoid any big lumps in your batter.

Step 2: Meringue
To make the meringue, which will add lightness and airiness to your macarons, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer with a wire whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until small foam bubbles form. Slowly add the granulated sugar while the mixer is still running, gradually increasing your mixer’s speed to high until you have firm, glossy peaks. To test, stop your mixer and lift up the whisk to see if the peak stays firm or falls soft. When the meringue is almost firm, this is a good time to add any food coloring you wish. Be sure to use only a small amount of gel food coloring, as you don’t want to alter the delicate consistency of the meringue.

Step 3: Macaronnage
The process of folding the meringue with the dry ingredients is called macaronnage. Add half of your flour/sugar mixture to your meringue. Using a large silicone spatula, gently fold together the ingredients. Add the last half of your dry ingredients and fold until well-incorporated; be sure to scrape down the bottom and sides. The batter should flow off the spatula like a thick milkshake when lifted.

Step 4: Piping
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a ½-inch round tip, and fill the bag ¾ of the way full with batter. Pipe 1-inch circles about ½ inch apart – try to pipe them with flat tops, as opposed to pointy tips. “Rap” the sheets by carefully tapping the baking sheets on the countertop to get rid of trapped air bubbles – this will cause the circles to spread a bit, but also help them even out. If you still have little points on the tops of the macarons, you can wet your finger with water and gently pat the point flat. Leave these sheets sitting on an even surface at room temperature for 30 minutes or so for the macarons to develop a thin crust. They are ready to be baked when the batter does not stick to your finger when lightly touched.

Step 5: Baking
Preheat the oven to 335 degrees. Put one empty baking sheet upside down in a middle rack, and place another baking sheet with the macarons on top of it. This “double tray” method should help regulate heat so the macarons bake evenly. Bake one tray at a time – if you have a convection oven, bake for 9-11 minutes. If you have a nonconvection oven with hot spots, rotate the tray 180 degrees once at the 5-minute mark to ensure even baking. The macarons are done when they appear crisp and firm. They should have risen a bit due to developing feet, but should not have taken on much color.

Step 6: Finishing
Let macarons cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling. Use your favorite buttercream, jam or cookie butter (as pictured). *If you want flavored macarons, it is advised to use the filling as the flavoring as opposed to flavoring the shells.

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