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”
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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.
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Hi! Thank you so much for having this blog! It has helped me a lot! You are a genius! x
P.S. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’ll let you know how it turns out! I live in Chile and have a bakery store i like trying new recipes thank you.
They came out perfect!! thank you so much.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I’ll be trying it out very soon.
Hi! I signed up using email but the pdf nor this recipe link comes up for me. I can’t wait to view this recipe and I’m dying to!!! 😉 Is the recipe posted here, or how can I view/get the recipe? Thanx!!
I am using the Italian recipe for Macarons and have been reasonably successful, however, I am finding that although they taste perfect, and have feet a lot of them for some reason when removed from the oven have gone slightly lopsided on one side resulting in not a complete looking foot. Can you explain please?
Susan—When I pipe them on parchment, they tend to come out a little lopsided for me. They’re perfect on a non-stick Silpat. It may also have to do with the airflow of your oven. If it has a fan, or heat is distributed unevenly, one side may rise faster than the other.
A million Thank-yous for mastering the macaroon! am de-mystified finally!
Mine came out very rounded on top….what is the secret to the flatter tops, so you can
make level sandwiches? Thank you!
Sherri — Sounds like the egg whites where whipped well, and when you folded them in, the batter didn’t deflate much. When they baked, they rose up and away. Next time, try folding the batter for a few more turns. When you pipe, the macaroons should spread a bit flatter.
Hi,
Thank you so much for your recipe.
I have my own recipe as well, but the other day I tried yours once, and it failed.
I figure there are so many conditions to be fixed, like weather, oven..stuff like that.
So I stick to my previous recipe(French meringue), which i succeed like 2 times (out of 10) before.
I still learned a lot from your troubleshooting chapter.
However, there’s one problem that I couldnt figure out.
My macarons looked perfect, with beautiful shells and pied, but they had an air pocket( hollow) underneath the shell.
it looked like this( I searched from google)
http://0rz.tw/rM77M
Here’s my recipe and my steps, I wonder if you know how to fix the problem.
egg white 65g
almond powder 75g
powdered sugar 95g
granulated sugar 65g
matcha (green tea) powder 1.5t
1. I beat the egg whites till stiff, and then mix it with powder.
2. I use hair dryer to help the macaron dry, after 10-15min i put them into the oven.
3. the temp was 175 C /165 C preheated, after I put them in the temp start to drop to 160 C/160 C
4. after the pied is settled, i sometimes open the oven to cool down the up fire a bit(so it might drop under 160 C
5. I baked them for total 16 mins, till I was sure that the bottom is well-cooked.
I checked almost all the forums but still couldnt find a great explanation…
Thanks a lot :))
Hello, I have a quick question regarding the measurement of the ingredients. The basic recipe requires 2 tablespoons of sugar, but it also says 30g. After a quick check with other recipes, 30g is more accurate, but 2 tablespoons of sugar weighs about 25g. I don’t have a kitchen scale, so is there anyway to make this as precise as possible without a scale? Same for the flour and the powder sugar?
Thanks.
I have been looking for a recipe for french macaroons and am so pleased to have found you! Not only some great recipes but the most incredible resource full of ideas, technique, beautifully photographed and tutored every step of the way, very well done Irina, thank you!
Hi Lily,
Without a scale, there is no way to make it EXACTLY the same every time. Sometimes stuff even sticks to the bowl, which takes away a few grams right there. Having said that, I think a few grams difference one way or another will not effect the recipe, nor most others.
Hello,
I love the macaron guide and your website is wonderful! I’ve been using your guide and have tried several batches with the same results. The insides of the cookies are hollow with each batch. Is this a common error and If so do you a tip to correct this problem?
Hi Irina, I requested a copy of your Master The Macaron. But have not received an email to activate my subscriptio n.
I downloaded and just finished reading your Macaron Primer. It’s awesome. I tried my first last night (before I had it) and they came out pretty good. I was happy with the results. I loved that you explained the additions of flavors….can’t wait to try that!
Thanks
Tracy Valure
Hi, thank you so much! You are so generous! 🙂 🙂
Hi Keri, It could be a little over beating. Try folding the ingredients in with less turns. If that doesn’t help, try turning your oven down by 25%. Don’t try doing both at once, or else you won’t figure out what the sticking point is. Let me know what happens.
Ines — My first instinct is that your oven might be set too high. The macarons might rise up very quickly before they get a chance to bake through inside and then leave a hollow shape. Try turning down the temperature right in the beginning to 150-160C and bake for about 15 minutes. Let me know what happens…
I read your macaron primer and used it for my first ever attempt. It was a HUGE help, thank you! I would like to make a pistachio macaron, however my local grocer only carries roasted/salted pistachios. Am I out of luck, or can I use a salted pistachio to make my pistachio flour?
Hi, thank you for the recipe. The steps are well laid out I can’t wait to start baking. However I feel that the amount of sugar in this recipe is too sweet for me. Is there a way to reduce sugar content or would this affect the macaroons? Thanks
Hi Anh,
I suggest you try the recipe as is first to get a sense of what all the ingredients are doing, then next time you make it, reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons. If the recipe works, then you’re ok. If they’re still a little too sweet, try reducing the sugar by 2 tablespoons again and see how that is, etc. The sugar does play an important role, so it will likely effect the recipe to an extent.
Hi Rebekah, Give the roasted, salted pistchios a try. There will be a hint of salt in the flavor but it would be delicious. The salt may effect the recipe texture, but I still think it’s worth experimenting with. Let us know what happens.
Thank you!! My husband and I had a great time making these today! I think we’ll make this a Christmas Eve tradition. 🙂 Thanks! Happy Holidays!
My macarons doesn’t have their feet, and flat like a biscuits, do you think it is because of over mixing? Thank a lot for your blog it helps a lot! ! 🙂
Thanks so much for your little macaroon guide – you explained everything so clearly and backed everything up with excellent pictures. Especially liked your troubleshooting ‘if this happens, this is what you did wrong’. Thanks!
Thanks for the primer. It totally de-mystified the baking of macarons. I just have to practice at keeping them all the same size. But otherwise, they look and taste awesome!
Hello I finally master the fickle macaroon, the most difficult part for me was to manage for them to dry and create the shield (I have a bit of a humid kitchen), and my oven is kinda difficult to work around because its a normal oven so what I did was open it up a bit (with a wooden spoon) and this reduced the temp by 40°F and the excess heat created a perfect enviroment for them to dry up and create the shield to protect them, they are amazing and the feet look incredible so happy after (20 egg whites of failures lol). Yey!!! 🙂
Hello,
I used to fear making the French Macaron… but after a few tries w/ out ever giving up, I finally masterd it… Now I have finally perfected them w/ out being afraid .. like riding a bicycle, once you learn it, you will never forget and it just keeps getting better and better every time.. thanks for all the tip..
Download this booklet, it is a must!! Thank you so much for the great troubleshooting section (the pictures are particularly helpful!)
I made the coffee and nutella ones, and they were so good, but when I put them on the pan they didn’t spread at all. Would you happen to know why?
Shea, I’m guessing it’s because the egg whites were whipped quite firm, and when you folded them in, didn’t deflate them by much. I don’t consider this a big issue, as long as they were good :).
Please send the Macaroon download…it never arrived. Thanks so much for your blog and recipes!
This is fabulous! Thank you for sharing. i have had disastrous results when i tried making macrons the first and only time. Hope i get it right this time! Thanks again! 🙂
I love your this publication! We learned how to make macaroons in pastries class. Ours were a failure, and we never tried them again. I have been wanting to try them at home, but afraid they would not turn out. Thanks for the step by step pictures! I’m going to give these a try today!
Hi there! Thanks for sharing your knowledge on Macaroons. Very very handy. I was wondering what “2T” means in the recipe section….is that 2 Teaspoons or Tablespoons?
Hi Joy — That would be 2 tablespoons.
I made these last week and they turned out amazing! Do you have a place where your readers can post pictures? I would love to send you my results!
Hi there! Thanks so much for offering this primer. When you get a chance, can you send me a copy? I subscribed but i never received a copy of it in my inbox.
Hi Melissa, I don’t have a place to post pictures, but you can link to a place that has them if you like, here in the comments.
Hi! If you want you can check out my cookies on my blog…Mellibakes.com
I was very happy with the way the turn out, and I credit your wonderful booklet for helping me make a proper macaron!
Hi, I’ve got the copy from you, tkx a lot!
I haven’t tried your recipe but wondering what kind of texture does your macarons like?
i have another recipe and made it over and over again. it’s a bit crispy shell, then chewy, but i tasted another macaron i bought from a baker called jean paul havier, his shell is less crispy than mine and inside is a cake like texture, i wonder how to make this texture coz i found it more refine. tkx a lot!
Hi Irina , I’ve done your recipe a few times and always get dome shapes macarons and small feet, if I can call that a feet, because looks like tiny holes that separates the mat from the rest of the macaron. Also there is always an air pocket.The taste is perfect specially with nutella filling! Do you have any suggestion? Thank You
Hi!
Thank you so much for your primer! It was very satisfied. Wonderful explanation! I’d love to have the second right now on my screen!!
I’ll try soon your french macarons. I can’t wait..
If you want you can check my blog: http://danzaenlacocina.blogspot.com.es/
I post a recipe per day!
Hello there. I was delighted to find your webite and have been anxiously awaiting to recieve a copy of your booklet but sadly nothing has arrived. would you be so kind as to resend. I have attempted to re-enter my information but I recieve a notice saying that I am already registered
can i half the recipe of the almond macarons because it makes so much, i only need half the amount.
Your documentation is superb!! Follow closely and I got. Just need to lower my oven temperature slightly and baked slightly longer. Thank you very much and now my friends are calling me for samplings. 🙂
This was/is so helpful! I greatly appreciate all the pictures of what to do, what they’re suppose to look like and not look like! Thank you.
I have tried and failed with a few other macaron recipes, so I was nervous trying a brand new one. However, these came out PERFECTLY!!!! The guide was beautiful and helpful and I literally danced around the kitchen when all of my macarons came out with feet and sans cracks. Awesome help! Thank you!!