Homemade French Macarons

Ingredients

• 170 gground almonds
• 300 gicing sugar
• 180 gegg whites, at room temperature
• 160 gcaster sugar
• A few dropspink gel food colouring
• 1 tspvanilla bean paste
• To finishhundreds and thousands sprinkles (nonpareils)
• 225 g (2 sticks)unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tspvanilla bean paste
• A pinchsalt
• 500 g (4 cups)icing sugar, sifted
• 30–45 ml (2–3 Tbsp), as neededwhole milk
• To tastepink gel food colouring

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the oven

   Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F) with a rack in the centre. Use a round cutter or the base of a large piping tip, about 1.5 inches across, to draw circles on parchment, leaving about ¾ inch between them.

2. 2

   Sift dry ingredients

   Mix the ground almonds and icing sugar in a large bowl. Sift the mixture twice to remove large lumps and aerate it, then set aside.

3. 3

   Whip the meringue

   With a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the caster sugar, raise the speed and whip on high until the meringue begins to firm. Add the pink gel colour a few drops at a time, then the vanilla, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

4. 4

   Fold in almonds

   Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in half of the almond and icing sugar mixture, deflating the meringue slightly as you combine them. Add the remaining dry mixture and stir gently to bring it together.

5. 5

   Check the batter

   Fold in turns, scooping from the bottom and spreading the batter against the side of the bowl to deflate it. Rotate the bowl and repeat, checking often: the batter should flow like lava from the spatula and fall in a figure eight without breaking. If unsure, stop a little early; piping will mix it further.

6. 6

   Pipe the shells

   Fit a large piping bag with a medium round tip, such as an Ateco #805. Set the template on a baking sheet and cover it with another sheet of parchment. Hold the bag at 90 degrees and pipe circles to match the template, finishing each with a small flick of the wrist. Remove the template.

7. 7

   Tap and decorate

   Hold the baking sheet with both hands and tap it firmly and evenly against the work surface several times to release air bubbles and smooth the tops. Repeat the piping and tapping with the remaining batter, then sprinkle the shells with hundreds and thousands.

8. 8

   Dry the shells

   Leave the piped macarons at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until a skin forms and a light touch does not make the batter stick. The time will vary considerably with humidity.

9. 9

   Bake the macarons

   About 15 minutes before baking, heat a spare baking sheet in the oven. Bake one tray at a time, placing the macaron sheet on top of the hot spare sheet. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for about 18 minutes, rotating once and checking from 15 minutes. The shells should develop feet without browning; a foot that gives way when pressed needs more time, while a stable one is nearly ready.

10. 10

    Cool the shells

    Test a shell: it should lift cleanly from the parchment. If it feels stable but will not release, bake for about another minute and check again. Let each tray cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then peel off the parchment and cool the shells completely on a wire rack before baking the remaining trays on the heated spare sheet. If cooled shells still do not release cleanly, put them on their parchment in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, then peel them off.

11. 11

    Make the buttercream

    With a paddle attachment, beat the butter, vanilla bean paste and salt until pale and creamy. Sift in the icing sugar and mix on medium until combined. Add milk a tablespoon at a time if needed, until the buttercream is fluffy and pipeable, then mix in pink gel colouring to taste. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large French star tip, such as an Ateco #866.

12. 12

    Fill the macarons

    Match shells in pairs by size. Pipe a circle of buttercream onto one shell from each pair and sandwich it with the other. They can be eaten straight away, though resting them overnight in the fridge helps the flavours meld; keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

What are French macarons?

French macarons are small sandwich biscuits made from almond-based meringue shells, usually filled with buttercream or another filling. This recipe follows the classic French-style method of folding ground almonds and icing sugar into whipped egg whites.

The shells rely on a smooth, well-aerated dry mixture and careful folding, while the vanilla buttercream gives them a creamy centre. Pink colouring and sprinkles make this version festive, but both can be adjusted.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 269 calories, 2g protein, 42g carbs, 11g fat.

The icing sugar and caster sugar supply most of the carbohydrates, while ground almonds and butter contribute most of the fat; egg whites and almonds provide some protein. Pair a macaron or two with fruit and a protein-rich snack if you want a more balanced snack plate.

The almond and sugar mixture

Fine almonds: Sifting the ground almonds with the icing sugar twice helps remove larger pieces that could leave the shells lumpy. It also distributes the ingredients evenly before they meet the meringue.

Measured additions: Adding the dry mixture in two batches makes it easier to fold without abruptly collapsing the whipped egg whites. Use a broad, deliberate motion rather than beating the mixture.

Getting the batter right

Stiff peaks: Whip the egg whites and sugar until the meringue holds firm peaks before adding the dry ingredients. Add the colouring gradually so you can stop when the shade is right.

Figure eight: Folding and spreading the batter against the bowl gradually deflates it. Stop when it falls from the spatula in a continuous ribbon that can form a figure eight; batter that runs too freely has likely been mixed too far.

Piping and resting

Even circles: Pipe straight down at a right angle and aim for the marked circles. Tapping the tray helps release trapped air and settle any small points left on the tops.

Dry skin: Allow about 30 minutes at room temperature, then check that the surfaces are no longer sticky to a light touch. Humid conditions can make this take longer, so use the surface cue rather than relying only on the clock.

Baking and checking doneness

Steady heat: The recipe bakes each tray over a preheated spare sheet pan, which is intended to help the shells bake evenly. Bake one tray at a time and rotate it once during the bake.

Release test: Look for feet and shells that have not browned, then press a foot lightly to see whether it feels stable. A shell that lifts cleanly from the parchment is ready; if it is stable but still sticks, give it a little more time and test again.

Buttercream and assembly

Fluffy filling: Beat the butter with vanilla and salt until creamy before adding the sifted icing sugar. Add milk a tablespoon at a time only as needed to reach a consistency that pipes cleanly.

Matched pairs: Pair shells of similar size so the filling sits evenly between them. A large French star tip gives the buttercream a ridged finish, but the recipe's key assembly step is simply piping a circle and sandwiching it.

Serving and timing

Allow enough time for the stages that depend on texture: the shells need to dry before baking, then cool fully before filling. The full recipe takes about 180 minutes, and the drying time can shift with the room's humidity.

The macarons are fine to eat straight after assembly. For the recommended overnight rest, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge so the filling and shells can sit together before serving.

Recipe notes & tips

• Bring the egg whites and butter to room temperature before starting.
• Sift the almond and icing sugar mixture twice to catch coarse lumps.
• Add food colouring a few drops at a time to control the shade.
• Use the batter's flow and figure-eight test to judge folding rather than mixing for a set time.
• Check the shells from 15 minutes and use both the stable-foot and clean-release tests.
• Cool the shells completely before filling so the buttercream stays in place.

Variations

• Change the colour: Use another gel colour or leave the shells plain.
• Skip the sprinkles: Leave off the nonpareils for a simple finish.
• Switch the filling: Use a different flavour of filling in place of the vanilla buttercream.
• Adjust the buttercream colour: Add pink gel gradually or choose another shade.
• Make smaller shells: Pipe smaller circles and check them carefully for doneness.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Coarse almond mixture: Sift the almonds and icing sugar twice to remove large lumps.
• Overmixed batter: Stop folding once it flows in a ribbon and forms a figure eight.
• Pointed tops: Finish piping with a small wrist flick, then tap the tray to settle the batter.
• Sticky surfaces: Let the shells dry until a light touch no longer sticks before baking.
• Browning shells: Check the oven temperature and begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes.
• Shells sticking to parchment: Cool them first; if they still will not release, freeze them on the parchment for 5–10 minutes.

How to store

Keep unfilled, cooled shells in an airtight container until ready to use. Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge; the recipe recommends an overnight rest before serving. The source gives no specific storage duration or reheating instructions.

Frequently asked questions