Vanilla Macarons

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🥘 Ingredients

egg whites (at room temperature)
180 g
ground almonds
170 g
powdered sugar
300 g
powdered sugar (sifted)
500 g
salt
pinch
sugar
160 g
unsalted butter (at room temperature)
225 g
vanilla bean paste
2 tsp
whole milk
2-3 Tbsp

🍳 Cookware

oven
oven
stand mixer
stand mixer
805
oven
oven
oven
oven
freezer
stand mixer
866
fridge
fridge

1

Preheat oven to 300˚f / 150˚c, and position the oven rack in the centre of the oven .
2

Using a round cookie cutter or the base of a large piping tip (something about 1.5 inches in diameter), draw a "template" for your macarons on a piece of parchment paper, leaving about 3/4" between each circle.
3

Combine ground almonds and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.

ground almonds: 170 g, powdered sugar: 300 g
4

Sift the mixture twice, to ensure there are no large lumps and that the mixture is properly aerated.
5

Set aside.
6

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites (at room temperature) on medium speed until foamy.

egg whites (at room temperature): 180 g
7

Gradually add sugar , increase the mixer speed, and whip on high until the meringue starts to firm up.

sugar: 160 g
8

Add pink gel food colour a few drops at a time, until the desired colour is reached. Add vanilla bean paste and mix until incorporated.

vanilla bean paste: 1 tsp
9

Continue to whip until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
10

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer .
11

Add half of the ground almonds and powdered sugar mixture, and fold into the meringue.
12

You want to deflate the meringue just a little at this stage, to combine the meringue and ground almond mixture.
13

Add the remaining ground almond mixture, and stir lightly to combine. Now comes the important part - mixing the batter to the correct consistency.
14

Fold the mixture in a series of 'turns', deflating the batter by spreading it against the side of the bowl.
15

Turn the bowl slightly and repeat the movement - scooping the batter from the bottom of the bowl, and spreading it against the side.
16

Continuously check the consistency of the batter - you want it to flow like lava when you lift the spatula from the bowl, and you should be able to 'draw' a figure 8 with it, without the batter breaking.
17

This step can take some practice until you know what it should feel and look like.
18

If in doubt you are better to under mix them than over mix them - the process of putting the batter into the bag and piping out will help mix a little too.
19

Fit a large pastry bag with a medium sized round tip, such as an ateco 805 .
20

Place the macaron template on a sheet pan, and place a second piece of parchment over it.
21

Holding the piping bag at a 90˚ angle to the surface, pipe out the batter into blobs the size of the circles drawn on the template.
22

Finish off each piped circle with a little "flick" of your wrist to minimise the batter forming a point (it will still form a small one, but we can get rid of this with banging).
23

Remove the template from under the macarons.
24

Hold the baking sheet in two hands, and carefully but firmly, evenly bang it against the bench.
25

Repeat this a few more times - this will get rid of any air bubbles, remove points on the top, and help them to spread out slightly.
26

Repeat the piping and banging process until you have used up all of the batter - I usually make three sheet pans worth.
27

Sprinkle the tops of the macarons with hundreds and thousands sprinkles.
28

Allow the macarons to dry at room temperature for approximately ⏱️ 30 minutes , or until they form a skin that you can touch without your finger sticking to them.
29

This time will drastically vary depending on the humidity.
30

About ⏱️ 15 minutes before you are going to bake the macarons, place a spare sheet pan in the oven to preheat - this is going to be used to place under the pan with the macarons on it, to double up, which should help with even baking.
31

Bake the macarons one sheet at a time - place the sheet with the macarons on the preheated sheet, and place in the oven .
32

Bake for approximately ⏱️ 18 minutes , rotating the pan once during the cooking process, and checking for doneness after ⏱️ 15 minutes . The macarons should develop a foot (the ruffled part on the bottom of the macaron), and bake without browning.
33

To see if they are done - press down lightly on a shell.
34

If the foot gives way, it needs a little longer, if it is stable, then it is close to being done.
35

Test a macaron shell - if you can peel it away cleanly from the paper, they are done. If they are stable but cannot yet peel away cleanly, give them another minute or so. Again, this part takes a little trial and error depending on your oven .
36

If they seem done but do not peel away cleanly, do not worry - there is a little trick for that!
37

Remove from the oven , and allow to cool on the sheet pan for ⏱️ 10 minutes before peeling off the parchment paper and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat the baking with the remaining trays, using the same spare sheet pan to double up.
38

If your macs do not peel away cleanly, place them, on the parchment paper, into the freezer for ⏱️ 5-10 minutes , then peel away from the paper.
39

Store cooled macarons in an airtight container until ready to use.
40

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip unsalted butter (at room temperature) (2 sticks), vanilla bean paste and salt until pale and creamy.

unsalted butter (at room temperature): 225 g, vanilla bean paste: 1 tsp, salt: pinch
41

Sift in powdered sugar (sifted) (4 cups), and mix on medium speed until well combined.

powdered sugar (sifted): 500 g
42

If needed, add whole milk a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is light and fluffy, and a pipeable consistency. Add gel food colouring until the desired colour is reached.

whole milk: 2-3 Tbsp
43

Transfer to a bag fitted with a large french star tip (I used an ateco 866 ).
44

Pair each macaron shell with another of a similar size.
45

Pipe a circle of buttercream on one half, and then sandwich with the second shell.
46

Macarons taste best if you 'mature' them in the fridge overnight to let the flavours meld, but they are perfect eaten immediately too!
47

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge .