Master the French Macaron
January 26th, 2011 | 265 Comments
Ahh, the macaron. So beautiful, and fragile, like a Faberge Egg. And so elusive, it is.
Or is it?
The day I learned how to make them, the chef gave me a demonstration, and then I made them on my own. They came out well. No drama. And since they were on our daily petit fours plate, I had to make them every day. Sometimes it was pouring rain outside, and the kitchen was swamp-humid. Sometimes it was the thick of summer, and the temperatures rivaled Death Valley. But still, I made them. Once in a while they didn’t work, but most of the time they did. And on those few occasions they didn’t behave, I wasn’t phased. I just made them again.
For me, the trick to it all was that no one told me how impossible they were, how one false breath could mean failure — one extra stroke of the spatula, and you might as well pack it in. To me, it was just another recipe, and I didn’t have any baggage about it before I even broke out the almond flour. No one psyched me out.
Now, as I read all the talk around the blogosphere, I think that’s exactly what’s happening. The macaron fear has spread far and wide. And there’s no reason for it. Especially when the base recipe has just 4 ingredients. You sift the dry stuff, whip a few egg whites, fold it all together, and pipe it on a sheet tray.
I really, really want everyone to master the macaron, to be swimming in as many as they want. Once you understand the basic recipe, you can modify it to any flavor you can think of. All it takes is a batch or two of practice, and then it’s locked in forever. Like riding a bicycle.
So I started working on a post. I was testing, then testing some more. Before I knew it, the whole project grew, becoming more than just a quickie tutorial. I wanted to include as much helpful stuff as possible — the basic recipe, some troubleshooting tips, how to make flavor variations, and a few fillings to get started. It became longer — a primer, of sorts. And so I put it all together into one fat pdf format that you can download, totally FREE. I hope you find it helpful.
In Master the Macaron, I cover:
- The almond macaron — the master recipe
- Vanilla Buttercream Filling for the Almond Macaron
- Troubleshooting
- Chocolate Macaron with Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Coffee Macaron with Nutella Filling
- Lemon Macaron with Lemon Curd Filling
- Coconut Macaron with White Chocolate Raspberry Filling
I hope you enjoy this primer, and have success with your macaron-making. Please let me know what you think. We’d even love to see some pictures if you give it a go. And pass it on!
Get your FREE copy of Master the Macaron:
Tags: confection, Cookies, french macaron, french macaroon, how-to, tutorial
265 Responses to “Master the French Macaron”
Post a Comment
Your E-Mail will be kept private. * = required fields.
ABOUT ME
I had a career going in advertising when one day I got the crazy idea to start over and become a pastry chef. Now I'll show you what I learned working in fine dining restaurants all over NYC right here with step-by-step photos. So grab your rolling pin and join in.
-
AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS
-
SPONSORS
[…] You can make these!” She referred to a tutorial by Irina Kogan at Pastry Pal called Master the Macaron. I was sold, downloaded the tutorial and followed the step-by-step instructions. And the macarons […]
Irina… I would give you a hug if I could. What an awesome tutorial! Thank you for the wonderful gift of teaching me to make French Macarons. I made the basic recipe yesterday and they were perfect.
I’ve written about my experience on my blog: Try It You Might Like It
Gorgeous! I cannot fault your tutorial that every recipe is almond based and I am allergic to nuts. Your thorough tips and method explanations will be useful anyway! Thank you!!
Irina, thank you so much for your amazing tutorial. I made my first macarons today and they were a complete success. You can read all about them. Thank you!! http://jumpingoffthecliff-sirey.blogspot.com/2011/03/macaronsif-i-canyou-can-too.html
[…] Add 3 tablespoons of the blueberry powder to the dry ingredients for the Basic Almond Macaron recipe from Pastry Pal. Continue preparing the macarons using the instructions in the Master the French Macaron guide. […]
Irina, I noticed the site http://www.thekitchn.com is posting about Macarons so I put a link back to here on their comments section. You did such a wonderful job on this that I wanted others to see too..
That’s nice, thanks for doing that!
Irina, thank you so much for your excellent tutorial! You are such a kind person to share your knowledge with the rest! I stumbled upon your blog while I was looking for a Dobus torte recipe, and now I can`t stop reading it, it`s fantastic! Great photos as well! 🙂
Tanya, I’m thrilled to have pulled you in :). Glad you’re finding it useful.
Hi Irina, let me just say I LOVE your step-by-step tutorial. I think your tutorial will help me make perfect macaroons. You see I am not a bake. I try but my sweets almost always end up in the trash or in my poor husband’s tummy (he thinks everything I make is good :D) My son’s 1st birthday is coming up and I thought, let’s try making macaroons for the party. It can’t be that hard? It only contains 4-5 ingredients. So I tried; it failed, I tried again, and it failed; 5 times I tried and it failed. I gave up. I’m just not a baker…then I saw your blog and OMG. I found my motivation again. I also learned a lot from your tutorial and figure what I was doing wrong. I can’t wait to try again. I have 1 question though, when you say 3 large egg whites does that mean you take 3 large eggs, crack open and only take the white or enough egg whites to fill up 3 whole eggs? Thank you sooo much.
Tam, I wish you luck with your next batch! Take 3 large eggs, crack open, and take only the whites.
Very helpful. First tray didn’t have feet and were cracked, so I guess that’s because I didn’t let them dry out, because the second tray did have them. Gonna share them with my friends when school starts again.
Thank you!
Could someone tell me how can I download the pdf document?? I already send my email two times in order to subscribe me and I don’t receive anything. Thanks 🙂
Oh No, my macaron did not rise as it should, cannot even see the lacey skirt! In the end I baked them longer. The result – almond crunch!
So, instead of macarons I had almond biscuits instead.
Please advise.
Thank you
Maria — I’ll make sure you receive it.
Kaatie — I’d like to help you, but it’s hard to know what happened without some detail. From the sound of it, it could be the ingredient ratios were off?
Hi Irina thank you for your immediate reply.
I used 100g almondmeal (I toasted & ground whole almonds, sifted)
100g castor sugar (I blend until fine)
3 egg white
2 Tsp castor sugar
First I sifted almondmeal & fine sugar together. Looks like I got most of them through except a Tablespoon which I discarded.
Then I whisk egg whites. When I see bubbles formed, I add the 2 Tsp sugar.
Continue beating until I see a tailing formed at the end of the beater when i lift the beater.
As I stir in 1/2 the almond mixture, the egg white becomes a bit ‘watery’.
I brought the whole lot over to the almond mix to combine all.
I then pipe onto parchment paper. Left aside for more than 3 hours & baked.
See any mistake there?
Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you.
Katie — Yes, the ground castor sugar is the problem. The recipe really works best with commercially made confectioner’s sugar, sometimes called 10X because it’s been ground 10 times to produce the fine texture. There is usually some amount of corn starch mixed in there as well. It’s hard to reproduce this sugar at home, and the recipe won’t be the same without it. I don’t know where you live, or if it’s available, but I usually buy Domino brand. Also, you wrote 100 g castor sugar, but my recipe says 175 g. And for the last bit of sugar, you wrote 2 teaspoons, but it should be 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
Thank you Irina, I will buy confectioner sugar and try again.
Will let you know the outcome.
Good bye
Thanks Irina!I just finished reading your tutorial and I am beyond excited! I’ve been searching high and low for a simple, straight forward recipe and yours did the trick! Going to the grocery store today to start my new project!
Ahh.. Macarons. My 12 year old food enthusiast daughter made these! I have to say, if a 12 year old can make it, anyone can. They turned out divine; twirling their lacy dresses. 😉 She loves the tutorial, and I loved the outcome. Thank you!
Anna, that’s awesome. Twelve year olds have the added benefit not being afraid to jump into things, like us adults, especially me :). Her success is truly a vote of confidence for everyone. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Irina.
Can I reduce the quantity of confectioners sugar – wanted a less sweet macs. Would this affect the outcome of the macs? If I did do that, should I increase the ground almond portion?
Hi Roziana, I’d recommend experimenting by taking out about a tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar each time you make a batch. As soon as they no longer work to your satisfaction, then you know you’ve hit the limit. I see different ratios of sugar, to almond flour, to egg whites for mac recipes on the internet that vary slightly, so there is a little wiggle room.
You can add in a tablespoon of almond flour for the confectioner’s sugar to replace the dry ingredient, but it’s really not a perfect substitution. The recipe will probably fall out of proportion sooner rather than later, so play with the ratios in very small increments. Hope that helps.
I love your primer – so easy to follow and inspiring! Can you give me any advice on what equipment I would need if I wanted to make these commercially? Thankyou for any help you can offer.
Thanks for your feedback, Irina.
Which means if I were to half a recipe i.e. the original calls for 4 egg whites and I want to do it with only 2 egg whites, I should not half the other ingredients but need to play it by ear and experiment?
I find that the quality of confectioners sugar that I use also affects the outcome – 3 days ago, I managed to get some with happy feet…today, same recipe but none at all. Yet I followed the recipe to a ‘T’…sigh sigh sigh…
I have downloaded your tutorial…and can’t wait to read that and follow through.
regards,
Susan—I guess the question is, what size batches do you want to make? We made macarons for 400 guests each night, and we used:
a standing kitchen aid mixer (to whip egg whites)
very large stainless steel bowls
A “tamis”, which is a large sifter
rubber spatula for folding
large sheet pans (with ovens that fit them)
large Sil-Pat sheets
large disposable piping bags, and
plain pastry tip
You’ll also need refrigerator space to house them, and containers to store them.
Roziana— If you want to make half, I would start by halving everything, and then adjusting the ratios from there. Does that make sense? You will definitely need to play it by ear a little, yes.
Irina, it does. And thank you very much…will share how my next batch of macs turn out…
rgds,
Ana
Irina, Great tutorial! Through your tutorial I was able to achieve a crunchy outer shell and a soft chewy texture and most of all I got feet! The only thing was missing was getting the macaron to develop that shiny shell, do you have any suggestion as to why my shells come out dull? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
perfect perfect perfect macaroons, finally! you were right, the last piped batch was too flat, so i think i’d fill up the piping bag bit by bit, always emptying out the last little bit before filling up again.
Clara—Pretty good idea, though I guess I’m too impatient :).
Hi Betty—That’s a tough one. I’d guess it could have something to do with how coarse the almond flour is. The finer the batter, the shinier they can be, I’d guess, since they aren’t as bumpy and grainy in the end. If anyone has another idea on that, feel free to chime in. Sounds like you’ve just about got the hang of them, though.
I passed my ground almonds through a thin metal sieve with a scraper, then sifted them again to make sure they’re as fine as possible. it could help you achieve some more shine!
I tried to get the pdf and keep getting an error message that says my email address is not in an appropriate format. Has anyone else had this problem?
I just took a macaron class and am excited to make them at home-hope to incorporate your wisdom as well!
hi, I have a question about humidity. I live in Puerto Rico and I’ve been building the courage to make this but I haven’t because of the high humidity. Do you have some tricks or pointers you could tell me? Thanks!
Frances, don’t let that stop you. When I worked in restaurants, the kitchen was often very hot and steamy, even over 100 degrees, and the macaroons still came out. There’s not much you can do about it. If you’re in an air conditioned space, that will help a lot. And don’t get discouraged if they don’t come out perfectly. You always get another chance :).
Hi – Is there a secret to achieving a more shiny result after baking? My macarons turn out wonderful, but I feel I should decorate them to offset the dull finish. I’ve seen other macarons that have a more shiny finish – could it be a different way of preparing the meringue?
Paula — Some people prepare an italian meringue instead of a french meringue, which requires some additional steps and cooking on the stovetop. This may give you a shinier result, though I find all the extra work to be a pain. Also, get your almond flour as fine as possible — it may help.
Thanks Irina. I tried an Italian meringue and the macarons turned out flat – the feet were on the outside of the macaron shell. Not sure if it was the merinque or leaving them sit too long. Is there such a thing as leaving them sit too long before baking?
Great information on the wonderful macarons. Many thanks. I have not tried these yet but with your information I will feel more confident. I will pass on to my neighbor who has made macarons. Love to spread the word.
I made them! They came out almost perfect! I need some more practice with the piping. I danced when I saw the feet and the skin dried fast. Thanks for the help!
Paula — Yeah, if they sat too long, they’d eventually dry up completely when all the moisture evaporated out. Could effect the feet, I guess.
i’ve already tried your recipe and methods on mastering the french macarons. it came out perfect. after sometime, i’m back again to bake french macarons since my kids are around this time. i was bragging around that i could perfectly bake them now. omg! i failed this time and felt so devastated upon seeing it. the macarons didn’t grow a “feet”. the shells were so dry and have its crack on top.
is there something to do with the weather? or do i have to dry the batter a little longer?
wanna hear from you soon. thank you so much
Diana — It could be the weather, but usually it has to do with how the egg whites were whipped. That’s the step that may cause problems. Cracked macarons happen to everyone every now and again, so don’t worry about it. Just try again!
Irina, thank you very much.
Your recipe and more of your advice really helped me.
I baked French macarons – is a miracle! And very pleased with the result.
I put my recipe here:http: //www.povarenok.ru/recipes/show/57544/
I wanted thank you for your blog!
A huge thank you for such wonderful recipes, great pictures, as well as elegant and precise style.
From your blog on the whole there is very warm and cozy feeling.
Thank you, thank you, thank you very much for your help!
Good luck with your work and in life.
Hi Marina — That is a great comment, thank you. I’m so glad the tutorial helped you. That is definitely my goal, and I love that reading my words makes you feel good! I hope you’ll stick around.
Hi Irina
I have sent my email add and hopefully I can receive ur PDF file. I have baked macaron twice with both were total failure, my first attempt – the macarons don’t have feet and the top became wrinkle.. but the taste is good. The second batch is worst, the batter became too watery and when I piped them in the tray they spread out and connected to each other. I was so frustrated with it. However both were tasty and was finished by my son which do not care how it look like as long as the taste is good.
The first batch I use grounded granulated sugar while the second I used icing sugar… I ground my own almond flour, sieved it twice. My meringue was stiff when I turn the bowl upside down its still hold position. I hope ur tutorial can help me with my macaron project. Thanks
Hi Irina
I have responded once but I do not know why it did not appear. Thanks for ur “Master the Macaron” file. Can’t wait to bake it this weekend.
I have baked it twice with total failure, the first batch has “bad wrinkle” on them while the second batch is so runny when I piped them in the tray it attached to each other and became one longgggg macaroon. I’s nearly in tears that day. Fortunately the taste is good, my son ate it all up.. as long as its taste good .. the feature is not important for him
One question – is confection sugar similar to icing sugar?
Thanks
Nysya—In the end, flavor is what counts right? You could always eat them with your eyes closed :).
Yes, confectioner’s sugar is the same as icing sugar. It should be very fine, and usually has a bit of cornstarch as an ingredient mixed in.
Irina.. my third attempt fail.. which I think due to the weather. It just rain few hrs before I started baking and the weather is cold. Waited for 2 hrs and no skin appear. I baked it and no feet appear. U can see it in my blog http://maniszarif.blogspot.com/2011/05/moody-macaron-quest-trial-no-3.html
Will try again on sunny days