French Macarons
Delicate almond meringue shells piped, rested, and baked until a ruffled 'foot' forms, then sandwiched with ganache — the modern filled version was created by Pierre Desfontaines at Paris's Laduree in the early 1900s, though the almond-meringue base traces back further to Italian sweets.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Tree Nut, Egg, Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites, aged at room temperature overnight
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Gel food coloring (optional)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz chocolate, chopped, for ganache
Steps
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice, discarding any coarse bits.
- Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add the granulated sugar, beating to stiff, glossy peaks. Add food coloring if using.
- Fold the almond flour mixture into the meringue in stages, using a macaronage technique, until the batter flows in a slow, thick ribbon.
- Pipe small rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, then tap the sheets firmly to release air bubbles.
- Let the piped shells rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, until a dry skin forms on top.
- Bake at 300F for 14-16 minutes, until the shells have risen with a distinct 'foot' and don't wobble when touched.
- Let cool completely, then make the ganache by pouring hot cream over the chopped chocolate and stirring until smooth.
- Sandwich pairs of shells with the ganache and let sit for a day for the best texture.