French Macarons with Chocolate Buttercream Filling

French Macarons only have four ingredients- almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, egg whites and granulated sugar- so theoretically they should be quite easy to make, right?

Well, not quite so. After many attempts, my Macarons came out with cracked tops, shells that stuck like glue to the parchment paper, and tops with ‘mosaic’ designs that resembled a California highway system.

After quite a bit of practice, I think I’ve finally achieved the perfect Macaron- a delicacy with a slightly crisp exterior and moist interior, with those those tell-tale little ‘feet’ on the bottom!

Which recipe should you use?

There are many Macarons recipes, but the one I like the most is the basic recipe by Jill Collona, in her cookbook Mad about Macarons. She features many appetizing flavors and sizes with her Macarons that’ll keep you busy for months!

Should I use a Silicon Baking Mat or parchment paper?

Initially, I preferred using a silicon baking mat since the Macarons hold their round shape nicely on the mat after piping. However, I now prefer piping the batter onto parchment paper which seems to conduct the heat better during baking. You can draw a template with circles on it to help you pipe your ‘macs’, or just ‘wing it’ once you’ve got some experience under your belt.

Draw a template with circles 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cms) in diameter. Place your parchment paper on top of the template, then remove template before baking.

What about those Egg Whites?

Egg whites should be aged between 2-4 days before making your Macarons. Store them in a glass container covered with plastic wrap on top, punched with a few holes. This will help to dry out the moisture a little in the egg whites, giving your meringue a bit more body.

If you decide not to age your egg whites, that’s OK too- your ‘macs’ will still turn out alright!

Know your oven!

This is perhaps the most important part of making Macarons. If your oven is just a few degrees too hot, your Macarons may crack on top! I started out baking my Macarons at 350 F (175 C) but found my ‘macs’ were cracked. I then reduced my oven to 330 F (165 C) and no more cracks!

Also, your cooking times will vary depending on your oven. I started by baking my Macarons for 10 minutes, but they turned out to be under-cooked and I had to scrape them off the parchment paper. I find that baking for 11-12 minutes works best for me, but you’ll need to experiment a bit to get the perfect timing.

Let’s Get Started

I highly recommend using a digital scale for this recipe in order to get the precise measurements. However, I have also provided measurements in cups.

First, place the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar in a food processor and process for 30-40 seconds, then sift together to create a super-fine texture.

Whip the egg whites on high until soft peaks form, then add the granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form- add any gel dye at this point, if required. Scrape egg whites on top of the almond flour mixture.

Using a silicon spatula, fold the egg whites into the almond flour mixture: scrape the spatula around the edge of the bowl, then sweep into the middle of the batter in a spiral motion. Occasionally bring the spatula up from the center bottom of the bowl and flip it over onto itself. Continue until the egg whites are fully incorporated into the dry mixture, but the batter is still grainy in texture.

Fold the egg whites into the batter, but it should still be a bit grainy in texture

Now use a pastry scraper to press on top of the batter as you turn the bowl. Continue until the batter is smooth and shiny and falls into a wide ribbon when the scraper is lifted. The batter is now ready to transfer to a piping bag.

Batter should fall into a wide ribbon

Pipe the batter into circles about 1 1/4 inches ( 3.2 cms) in diameter, using either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. When finished, rap the baking tray lightly several times on the table to remove air bubbles. Let set for 30-60 minutes until a skin forms on top of the Macarons and they turn dull in color. Bake for 11-13 minutes, then let cool before removing the ‘macs’ from the tray (you may need to use a sharp knife to gently ‘coach’ them off).

After the Macarons have cooled, pipe the Chocolate Buttercream onto one shell, leaving a small margin around the outer edge, then place the other shell on top. Some recipes say to place them in the fridge for 24 hours before eating, to allow time for the flavors to infuse. Sometimes I can’t resist eating them straight away!