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For my Senior Summit Project I will be learning how to make French Macarons.  I have always loved to cook and bake.  As a kid I loved making brownies from a boxed mix and eventually graduated to making brownies from scratch.  I enjoy making simple baked good:  banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter and jelly bars.  But I aften admire the more complex baked goods I see on TV.  The Food Network is the default TV channel in my house and I am always in awe watching chefs intricately decorate sugar cookies or cakes or pastries.  More recently, I have become obsess with the The Great British Baking Show.  I know it's weird, but I find it inspiring:  here are these home cooks who can whip up eclairs and Chelsea buns and multi-tiered cakes covered in fondant. So, I am going to learn how to make French macarons. This will be a stretch for me because while I have baking experience I have never attempted a recipe that is this intricate to make. For me, success will look like making a batch of perfected formed and baked macarons with flavors that I have developed. I would like to learn from some basic recipes and then make the cookie my own.

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January 11, 2020

So I gathered all my ingredients and was ready to go!  I even took my the eggs and butter so they would be room temperature!  The first thing I had to do was beat the egg whites until stiff and then add the food coloring.  The food coloring just makes the cookies look pretty; it doesn't add any flavor.  Then, I need to sift the almond flour and powdered sugar.  I thought this would be easy, but apparently my almond flour was pretty gritty and my sieve was pretty fine.  So, I ended up putting them in the food processor to chop them finer.  Then, I had to mix the flour mixture with the egg whites.  From what I have researched, this is a tricky and important part.  Some recipes say you need to fold the batter 65 -- 75 times.  I didn't count.  I just went until everything looked fully incorporated.  Done with the hard part, right ?  Nope.  I discovered that I really need to work on my piping skills.  The next step is to pipe the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet in 1 1/12 circles.  Then, the cookies need to set and dry for about 30 minutes until they aren't tacky to the touch.  After the resting time, I baked them for 25-30 minutes.  I was excited to see "the feet" of the cookie grow, but eventually they started to spread.  So, in sum, I need to work on 1. Making sure I am mixing the batter enough
2. Piping the batter in the correct amount and size.
3. Not over baking.

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This is the recipe I used for my first attempt in making macarons. I followed it (mostly) as written.

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Published , Updated by Beth Le Manach
Oh the French macaron....the world's most finicky cookie! Let's face it, these cookies are hard! They can seriously drive you crazy! I too have had my battles. But this foolproof French Macron Recipe will come to your rescue!
The trick with these cookies is patience and to follow the steps exactly!

In fact, before you set out, it might be easier to watch my French macaron recipe video below then give it a go.

HOW-TO MAKE A FOOLPROOF MACARON

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more recipe videos! (it's free!)

There's nothing quite like seeing the success of smooth macaron tops, with bottoms that don't stick to the pan, complete with feet, come out of the oven!

And believe me it took several tries, and endless revisions, to get it right! Yes, I too have "been there!" did I mention these cookies can drive you crazy?!

Are French Macarons Really That Hard to Make?

In a word, YES. There's just so much that can go wrong! Between the under-mixing and the over-mixing issues, the baking time, the cracks, the lack of feet....and the list goes on!

As a result, I set out to see if I could create a foolproof French macaron recipe. A recipe that may take some practice, but in the end would cause less problems and less hassle for us all. And friends, here it is!

And as the old adage states, if first you don't succeed....yep, try, try, again! BUT FIRST, check out my Top 10 Troubleshooting tips!

DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE FRENCH MACRONS WITH ALMOND FLOUR?

Yes. Almond flour or Almond Meal is the same thing and I find it's the perfect nut for creating the right chewiness in the cookie.

Some people have had success with cashew flour and pistachio flour, but I can't say it worked for me. I ended up with horrible cracks, whereas with the almond flour it's smooth sailing!

Bob's Red Mill brand is my favorite brand of Almond Flour that I highly recommend.

A few other tips for a foolproof French Macaron before you begin.

TIP#1: DON'T USE COLD EGGS

Be sure to start with with room temperature eggs. If you forgot to take your eggs out just set them in some warm water for 5-10 minutes.

TIP#2: BE GENEROUS WITH THE FOOD COLORING

I prefer the gel food coloring, I think it's easier to control how many drops you put in. But the color tends to fade with baking so add a shade or two darker of coloring past the desired shade, when they bake it will fade.

TIP #3: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOLDING

You'll gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites with a rubber spatula. This is usually where it can all go wrong. Getting the sense of when to stop is really a thing that just comes with practice.

Under mix and your macaroons will be lumpy and cracked when the bake with no feet, over mix and your macaroons will be flat and won't have feet, the mark of a well-made macaron.

SO HOW MANY STROKES DOES IT TAKE?

In my experience 65-75 turns of your spatula when folding, is about the right amount of time.

But again, it can be tricky, depends on how strong you are, Ha! So it can take a few tries to get it right. But when you do, the trumpets will blare and you will feel SO accomplished!

To assure that your buttercream do not separate make sure your raspberries are at room temperature! If they are fresh out of the fridge, the juice won't combine with the butter at all!

More French Dessert Recipes!

Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a rating and review below
TIP:

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Published , Updated by Beth Le Manach Oh the French macaron....the world's most finicky cookie! Let's face it, these cookies are hard! They can seriously drive you crazy! I too have had my battles. But this foolproof French Macron Recipe will come to your rescue!