So light and tasty, you’ll want to eat them by the dozen!
I know, macarons have been all the rage for a few years, and here I am posting my first macaron recipe. Call me behind the times if you’d like. I don’t mind.
It’s taken me some time to venture into the land of macarons. I never was a fan of meringue cookies in my youth. My mom often bought them at a local bakery, but I found them to be boring and of an odd texture. Rather than being open-minded, I held onto this belief into my adult years. Imagine my shock last fall when I had some meringue cookies at the Green Room at Hotel du Pont and found them to be utterly delicious.
With a new adoration for these cookies, it seemed time to try my hand not only at meringues but also at their delightful sandwich creation, the macaron. If a cookie is yummy and then you add a filling to it, how can it not be doubly yummy? Especially when you use a filling of homemade buttercream!
For those who think these cookies may be daunting to make, I would encourage you to give them a try. As long as you follow a few key pointers:
- Line your trays with parchment paper
- Use a piping bag
- Don’t rush the recipe; follow times carefully
I will continue to make these cookies, as I’m excited to try different flavor combinations. I played this first macaron safe, keeping the cookie plain, but there are so many options out there. I’m also excited to work on my shaping. Although the cookies I photographed are nicely rounded, the same can’t be said for all of the batch. However, practice makes perfect. And practice also makes for more sweet treats!
Like this recipe? Give my Lemon Macarons a try!
- Macarons
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- Frosting
- 4 Tb. butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tb. seedless raspberry jam, room temperature
- Whisk egg whites in bowl of stand mixer until foamy.
- Add sugar and continue whisking until firm peaks are formed.
- Add salt, and whisk for 10 seconds.
- Sift powdered sugar into separate bowl.
- Add almond flour to powdered sugar, using fingers to break up clumps.*
- Whisk sugar and flour to combine.
- Add powdered sugar mixture to egg whites in 4 parts, folding between each.
- Draw 2” circles approximately 2 inches apart on parchment paper.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper (written side down).
- Using a small, plain nozzle, pipe cookie batter into circles.
- Bang trays on counter to remove air, and allow to sit for 30 minutes before baking.**
- Preheat oven to 300.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, rotating trays halfway through baking.
- Allow to cool on pans for 10 minutes.
- Cream butter in bowl of stand mixer, using paddle attachment.
- Turn mixer off, add powdered sugar and turn to low speed to combine.
- Add jam, and mix at speed 2 until combined.
- Remove cookies from parchment paper and match like-sized cookies.
- Transfer buttercream to pastry bag fitted with small, plain nozzle.
- Pipe a small amount of frosting to bottom of one cookie in each pair; top with other cookie.
- To allow frosting to set up, place finished macarons in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Typically the almond flour is sifted, but I found it difficult to sift. Rubbing with my fingers removed all lumps.
- The tops of the macarons should feel firm before baking.
