Macarons are difficult to make. Everything in the ingredient list is there for a reason. The proportions are well thought out. There is a science behind it. That being said. It's pretty easy to screw up macarons. I finally did : )! I've made 3 successful batches (beginner's luck maybe?,) and 1 batch that died on my while baking because I wanted to reduce the sugar, and did not use almond meal.... They made wonderful cookies, it was actually a really really delicious creamy, soft, light and airy, and flavorful green tea latte cookie... so hey, if your macarons don't turn out well, at least the cookie it becomes (if it does become one) will be absolutely amazing. : )! Here are some of my tips and stages in my macaron making process. Hope this helps !
- Make sure there are no lumps in your dry ingredients. To do this, use a food processor and give it a few grinds. This will also make your almond meal a little bit more fine, and combine the ingredients more evenly.
- In my failed attempt, I blanched my own almonds (took 30 minutes to peel! : ( ) I think this did contribute to the fact that I didn't have enough almonds in the dry mixture..= failure... so if you do use my recipe or a recipe similar to it, be sure to figure out what kind of almonds the person uses. I usually use "Almond Meal" from Trader Joe's. Those almonds weren't blanched so you will get brown speckles in your cookie.
- Whipping your egg whites: whip until soft peaks form before adding in the sugar. See how there's a peak there that's kind of fallen? That's an indication that you're in the soft peak stage. Then beat until the egg whites + sugar are shiny and stiff. Add the specified amount of sugar, don't skimp!
- This is what stiff should look like... see the peaks? They don't flop when I take them out. This is when you know they are beaten well, and are ready for the dry mixture.
- When you add the dry to the egg whites, fold gently and as little times as possible. I like my macarons to have a small dome, I personally think it's cute that way, but I don't think that's how it's supposed to be made. Do not fold completely. There are websites that will tell you to fold and beat out all the egg whites... I tried that.. the result, no foot. I mean, let's think about it. The purpose of making a meringue is so that it adds a light and airy texture to the cookie, if you beat out and deflate the egg whites there will be no ingredients in it to make it rise. I think this is how you would get the "cake" like consistency a lot of places have.
-No need for a heavy duty stand mixer. I love to get into my egg whites as much as possible. I work in small amounts so a stand mixer has never really been needed. My $7 mixer has been one of my most used kitchen tools ever, and it gives me wonderful results... however, I am dreaming of getting a kitchen aid when I get my own apt. Hopefully this dream will come true soon. ; P
- Piping: make sure you have everything ready before you make macarons.. i.e.. your piping bag is made and your pans are lined with silpat. When you pipe, start in the center and have your pipping bag perpendicular to the tray. Squeeze so that a circle forms and stop at the desired size. Doing this will make a more mound-like macaron, something I like in this cookie (some like it flat.) When you're ready to move on to the next cookie, release pressure and lift slowly off to an angle.-Be sure to pipe the same sized cookie! These cookies are very fickle in the oven. They have a small window of time in which they are perfect.. as opposed to..being undercooked (collapse of foot, cracked tops) or burnt ( caramelized sugar, hard cookie)
- Rap your tray on the ground a few times, and if your peaks are there, dip your finger in a little bit of cold water and push the peaks down.
- Drying is overrated... I think. : ) Some say you have to dry these for like an hour to get a shiny shell. If you look at my chocolate macarons, those dried for maybe 15 minutes, and were shiny already. It's all about how much sugar you put in your egg whites, the more, the shinier. When I make macarons, I get too excited/antsy. I can't wait to eat them, so I just plop them into the oven as soon as possible!!!!
- Let your macarons cool on the sheets. It doesn't take long to cool, but it has to set up before it can be removed. If you remove them immediately, they will break.Misc. Notes:
- I think macarons taste better the next day, when the flavors really start to develop, especially after you fill them.
-Using a scale to weigh out everything is the best way to be consistent. I say in my recipe 1 egg white.. but an egg white from Costco will be different than an egg white from CVS, you can use your own judgment and add in extra meringue powder if the egg is small, but be careful not to add in so much powder of your cookies will collapse. I usually use extra-large eggs.
- The only place u can reduce the sugar content will be your filling.. not your cookie!
- Aging egg whites also seem to be overrated. I have not done so, but I've gotten results for aging my whites for like.. um.. 30 minutes? Just be sure that your egg whites are properly brought to room temperature. A trick I learned is to drop your whole egg into tepid water for 15 minutes, then separate them. You should always check to see if your egg whites are in fact room temperature, they are a big component of these cookies!
I hope to show some successful attempts at my macarons soon.... *crosses fingers*.. I was quite discouraged after my last attempt.... I'd love to try matcha (again,) earl grey, pistachio (again,) and plain with strawberry filling..hmm the possibilities are endless!
~ Happy Macarons Making! ~
Click here for a link to my Pistachio Macarons
Click here for a link to my Chocolate Macarons
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