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Loading...These iconic French sandwich cookies feature crisp almond meringue shells with delicate ruffled feet, sandwiched around a silky dark chocolate ganache. Despite their tricky reputation, careful weighing of ingredients and a few simple techniques yield bakery-quality results at home.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time50 mins
Servings20
Yield20 sandwich cookies
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 140 kcalCalories
- 8 gFat
- 3.5 gSaturated Fat
- 16 gCarbs
- 1 gFiber
- 14 gSugar
- 3 gProtein
- 35 mgSodium
- 80 mgPotassium
- 20 mgCalcium
- 1 mgIron
- 0 mgVitamin C
- 30 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the macaron shells
- 100 g blanched almond flour, finely ground
- 100 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g aged egg whites (about 3 large eggs)
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon gel food coloring (pink, purple, or brown), optional
For the chocolate ganache filling
- 120 g dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent), finely chopped
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice into a large bowl, discarding any large almond pieces for a silky-smooth shell.
- In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the aged egg whites with cream of tartar and salt on medium speed until foamy. Gradually sprinkle in the granulated sugar, then increase speed and whip to stiff, glossy peaks that hold a firm tip; beat in food coloring at the end if using.
- Fold the almond-sugar mixture into the meringue in three additions using a rubber spatula. Press the batter firmly against the bowl sides to deflate some air, stopping when it flows like thick lava and a ribbon of batter disappears back into the bowl within 10 to 15 seconds.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe 4 cm rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 cm apart. Rap each sheet firmly on the counter five or six times to pop air bubbles and settle the shells.
- Let the piped shells rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes until a dry skin forms; a fingertip touched lightly to the surface should come away clean. Meanwhile, position racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F).
- Bake two sheets at a time for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the shells lift cleanly from the parchment with no sticking. Cool completely on the sheets before peeling off.
- While the shells cool, make the ganache: heat the cream in a small saucepan until just simmering, then pour it over the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk gently from the center outward until glossy and smooth. Stir in the butter, salt, and vanilla. Cool at room temperature until thick enough to pipe, about 45 minutes.
- Match cooled shells into similar-sized pairs. Pipe a generous teaspoon of ganache onto the flat side of one shell, then press a second shell on top with a gentle twist to spread the filling evenly to the edges.
- Refrigerate the assembled macarons in an airtight container for 24 to 48 hours before serving to allow the shells to soften and the flavors to meld. Bring to room temperature 15 minutes before eating.
Cook’s Notes
- Weigh all ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale; macaron batter is extremely sensitive to ingredient ratios and humidity.
- Aging egg whites at room temperature for 24 hours (or heating them gently) reduces moisture and produces a more stable meringue with better feet.
- Do not open the oven during the first 12 minutes of baking, or the sudden temperature drop can cause shells to collapse or lose their feet.
- If your shells crack on top, the batter may be overmixed, the oven too hot, or the piped rounds were not rested long enough to form a skin.
- For other classic flavors, swap the chocolate ganache for pistachio paste buttercream, raspberry jam, salted caramel, or coffee ganache.
