genevieve.malarkey This weekend I made lavender macarons with vanilla buttercream. I was inspired by a packet of culinary French lavender I bought at the store, and because anything lavender-flavored is delicious (ice cream, anyone?), I knew these would be perfect in a macaron.
Well, let me tell you that they did not turn out perfect like my last batch did – they have hollow domes for shells, the meringue took forever to become the right consistency, and the honey vanilla buttercream I attempted to make for the filling separated and curdled in a hot second. So no, I am not a perfect macaron artiste, but I love making them (and eating them), they fill me with joy and fanciness, and even if their domes are occasionally hollow, they still taste delicious.
I’ve shared before that it has taken me a few years to get the hang of making the macaron– that finicky, delicious confection of French treats. Oh how I love them. And back when I wrote that post, I said I would follow up with a more informative guide on the finer points of macaron making. I’ve noticed in most recipes that they don’t go into detail on the exact consistency the meringue should be, why aging egg whites can make a difference, and what the heck the macaronage technique is. The process for making macarons is as mysterious as the French people who invented them, I suppose. But no longer- today you can benefit from my struggle over several years of trial and error (and lots of research) and learn the essential details you should know before making macarons.
So let’s dive into the important tips and tricks that will make all the difference in optimal vs. deflated/hollow/footless/burnt macaron-making. Here are my biggest pointers after several years of experience:
– Age your whites. On the ingredients list of most recipes you will see that the egg whites should be aged at least 24 hours. There is some controversy over this, as I’ve seen some bloggers say it is absolutely unnecessary. But the reason it is generally recommended (especially as an amateur baker) is because by aging the whites in your fridge for a day or more, you are allowing the proteins of the egg whites to relax, thereby making a firmer meringue that will whip up easier. My opinion is that if it won’t hurt your chances of making a good macaron, and indeed can only help your chances for a successful outcome, you should probably do as you are told.
I believe this is where I went wrong this last time, as I wanted to see if it really was that important. I did not age my egg whites, and the result was a very liquidy, stubborn meringue that took forever to stand up, and then developed hollow shells once baked. Many problems are a result of a poor meringue, and I believe this is the trickiest part of the whole process.
– The meringue is KEY (see photo below). This is where macarons get their reputation for being so finicky. The meringue can not be under whipped, as that will make it too moist and result in the aforementioned hollow shells. Nor can it be over whipped, as that will cause the ‘feet’ of the macaron to rise too quickly and be, yes, hollow. The best way I have found to make my macaron meringue is by first whipping the egg whites until frothy, then gradually adding the granulated sugar. Once all the sugar is incorporated, you can crank up the mixer and let the meringue whip up until peaks are stiff and glossy… But watch it carefully, as it will start to separate if it is over whipped, and then you’ll have to start over (…three days from now once you’ve aged more egg whites). A trick I learned from Dana of Dana’s Bakery is to hold the bowl upside down over your head when you think it is done- if the meringue does not slide out at all (e.g. defies gravity and stays put inside the bowl), then it’s done.
French or Italian meringue? I really can’t answer this one as I have never tried the Italian method of meringue. I do know it can be more consistent in turning out a good meringue, but involves boiling sugar, a candy thermometer, precise temperatures, etc., and that amount of complication is a bit much for me. Ergo, I have always used the simpler French method of whipping sugar and egg whites. But if you really want to go into more detail on the two methods of meringue for macarons, I shall happily appease you.
Processing your almond flour isn’t technically necessary. If you can tell that your almond flour is pretty coarse, then by all means, process it with your powdered sugar. I’ve done it both ways, and find that as long as you sift both ingredients through a tight sifter, your shells will turn out smooth enough. Again, it can’t hurt to do this, but it’s also an added step (and more dishes to wash) than is totally necessary.
Macaronage is a real term, and this technique is imperative to getting the right consistency. The French made this confection so fancy that they created a term for exactly how to fold the batter in order to achieve the correct consistency (more on that in my next point). It is rather difficult to explain through words, and since I am a visual person, here is a little video for you to study, which helped me a lot. Remember to rotate the bowl every time you fold in the batter, and punch down the batter with your spatula as you fold, in order to deflate some of the air in your meringue (to avoid those hollow shells).
Your batter should be like “lava” and form a continuous ribbon when it drizzles from your spatula. I’m sorry….what?? Let me explain. Scrape your spatula down to the bottom of the bowl, and lift up a big scoop of batter. As it drizzles back into the bottom of the bowl, does the batter stay connected in a long ribbon, or does it break up and make separate droplets as it falls? If the latter, you need to keep folding. If the former, you are on the right track! If you have a nice ribbon of batter, try the “figure 8” test next. Take another scoop of the batter, and draw the number 8 with the ribbon of batter that falls from your spatula; if you can draw an 8 without your batter breaking up (e.g. stays in that long connected ribbon of batter), then you’re achieved macaron consistency! STOP FOLDING, as over-folding will cause problems too. This is shown in the above mentioned video as well.
Slam those cookie sheets several times, and take a toothpick to any remaining obvious bubbles. After you’ve piped your little circles of heaven, you need to get any air bubbles caused by the piping process out of the shells. Pick up the cookie sheet with both hands, lift into the air about a foot or two above your baking surface, and DROP THE COOKIE SHEET. Yes, it will be loud. Do it again. And do it a third time. Observe how there are little bubbles that rose to the surface of your shell and burst- that’s what you want! If you see any remaining air bubbles that didn’t burst, you can slam your cookie sheet a few more times, or you can take a toothpick and individually pop those stubborn bubbles. Air bubble = hollow shells = bad.
Blow a fan on the macarons while they sit. I learned this trick because I live in Florida and it’s humid as all Hell, and it would take FOREVER for my shells to dry out enough to bake. Even if you don’t live in a warm climate, I think this trick is a good idea as it speeds up the drying process, because who has an hour to waste babysitting little macaron shells? I bought a table top fan specifically for this purpose, and I place it a few feet away from my cookiesheets and blow air on the ‘low’ setting. This will cut your drying time in half, and you will achieve that dry outer shell that you can gently swipe your finger over without disrupting the batter at all, and your shells are ready to bake!
Cook low and slow… and crack the oven, and rotate the pans. If you thought the temperamental parts of the process were over, think again. You still have to babysit your shells as they bake, I’m afraid (but don’t worry- it’s worth it). The recipe I currently use for macarons has me baking them at 280 degrees F, and it seems to work well. After about two minutes of baking, you must crack the oven door open for a spell to let out any humidity that built up in the oven, and then at halfway through baking, you must rotate the pans- swap racks if using more than one rack, and also rotate the pans 180 degrees on their new racks.
Now pour a glass of wine and say a little prayer all those tricks worked.
Let cool on your cookie sheet on top of a cooling rack before attempting to remove from their silicone mat. Do not be impatient like me, and try to pry the still-hot shells from their sheets before they have cooled. They will break apart, turn to warm sugary goo, deflate, etc. You must allow the cookie sheet to cool on a cooling rack before attempting to remove the shells. Once cooled, they should easily come off of the parchment paper or silicone mats (whichever you used), and not stick. If they are still stuck to the sheets after cooling, they are probably under-baked.
Make your filling before you make the macarons– Maybe I should have listed this point first. Either way, once you’re finished with the cookies you will be exhausted and you won’t want to have a giant bowl of buttercream to make. I like to prepare my filling before I even start on the shells, as I am usually anxious to put everything together once they come out of the oven and have cooled off. And yes, your brain will be a bit tired after all that attention to detail, and you won’t want to dive into another recipe and worry about getting it right after all that. So make your filling beforehand and let it chill in the fridge for a bit until you’re ready for it. Buttercream is the typical filling (in any flavor under the rainbow), but you can also use a delicious jam or curd for something different (and easier, as they both come in jars. Ha!).
I know what you’re thinking- all of these tricks just for a tiny cookie that I will eat in two bites?? But don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed by these tips- as with anything, making these little beauties takes practice and patience. They are not the easy chocolate chip cookies you can throw together in a few spare minutes. But I can promise you that once you make the batch that gets it all right- frilled feet, fully-risen meringue, uniform size, lovely color, delicious filling- you will feel like you’ve just achieved something great (and you have)!
What’s your experience with macarons- have you ever tried to make them before? And how did it go? Or are you just a connoisseur of sorts, tasting them at each opportunity but not attempting to create them in your own kitchen? Whatever your skill level, macarons are a fun confection to attempt at home. Remember: even if they don’t turn out technically perfect, they will still be delicious! My last batch had the dreaded hollow domes, but you know what? They still tasted like the French macarons I know and love. I still felt like I was fancy.
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À la prochaine-
geneviève
