Macarons
Introduction
Macarons are a French pastry made from ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites. They are delicate, crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside. Macarons can be made in a variety of flavours and colours and are often sandwiched together with a filling such as ganache, buttercream, or jam.
Ingredients
– 115g ground almonds
– 115g icing sugar
– 55g egg whites
– 25g caster sugar
– food colouring (optional)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C.
2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
3. Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar into a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
5. Gradually add the caster sugar to the egg whites, whisking until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
6. Fold the egg white mixture into the ground almond mixture until it is fully incorporated.
7. If using food colouring, add it now and mix until desired colour is achieved.
8. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.
9. Pipe small rounds onto the prepared baking tray, leaving space between each one to allow for expansion.
10. Bang the tray on the work surface a few times to remove any air bubbles.
11. Leave the macarons to rest for 30 minutes.
12. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are firm to the touch and the feet are cooked through.
13. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray.
14. Once cool, sandwich the macarons together with your chosen filling.
Potential changes & improvements
– For a different flavour, replace the ground almonds with another type of nut such as hazelnuts or pistachios.
– Macarons can also be made without food colouring, or with natural colourings such as ground turmeric or beetroot powder.
– If you want a more intense flavour, you could add a few drops of extract such as almond, vanilla, or lemon.
What other food it works well with
Macarons go well with a cup of tea or coffee, or as part of a dessert platter alongside other sweet treats such as cakes, cookies, or fruit.
Common Mistakes
One common mistake when making macarons is over-mixing the batter, which will result in flat, cracked cookies. Another mistake is under-baking them, which will make them too soft and difficult to remove from the baking parchment.
Nutritional Information
Allergens
Macarons contain nuts, egg, and gluten.