Vanilla Macarons

Ingredients

• 100 gegg whites
• 100 ggranulated sugar
• 100 galmond flour
• 100 gpowdered sugar
• a pinchsalt
• 3 dropsred food colouring
• ½ tspvanilla essence

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the oven

   Heat the oven to 148°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Warm a small pot of water over medium-low heat until it steams.

2. 2

   Whisk the meringue

   In a large bowl, combine the egg whites with roughly 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and set the bowl over the steaming pot. Whisk continuously for 1 minute, until the sugar has dissolved and the whites look white and frothy. Remove the bowl from the heat, then whisk on high speed while gradually adding the remaining sugar. Add the food colouring and vanilla essence, and whisk for another 3–4 minutes until stiff peaks form.

3. 3

   Sift dry ingredients

   Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt together twice, then gently shake the mixture into the meringue. Whisk on medium speed for 5 seconds, just until combined.

4. 4

   Fold the batter

   Use a large spatula to finish mixing by hand. Scoop batter from the outside of the bowl and fold it towards the centre, turning the bowl as you go. Stop when the batter falls from the spatula in a figure-eight without breaking.

5. 5

   Pipe the shells

   Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a 1-inch tip. Pipe silver-dollar-sized circles onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1.5 inches between them. Tap each sheet on the counter twice to release air bubbles.

6. 6

   Rest and bake

   Leave the piped macarons to dry for 15–30 minutes, or until they feel dry to the touch. Bake in the prepared oven for 13 minutes, then let the shells cool completely before lifting them from the sheets.

7. 7

   Fill the macarons

   Prepare the vanilla buttercream and pipe it onto the shells, then pair the shells together. For the best results, leave the filled macarons in the fridge overnight.

What are vanilla macarons?

Macarons are French-style sandwich biscuits made from almond flour and meringue, with a smooth shell and a soft, chewy middle. This recipe flavours the shells with vanilla and colours them red.

The method relies on a well-whipped meringue and careful folding to create the characteristic smooth, rounded shells. The filling is described as vanilla buttercream, though its recipe is not included here.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 350 calories, 8g protein, 53g carbs, 13g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates come from the granulated and powdered sugar, while almond flour contributes much of the fat and some protein; egg whites add further protein. Serve a few macarons alongside fruit or another fresh, less sweet option to balance the plate. The estimate below covers only the listed shell ingredients, not the unquantified buttercream.

The role of the ingredients

Almond flour: sift it with the powdered sugar and salt twice for a fine, evenly mixed base. Coarse pieces can make the tops less smooth.

Egg whites and sugar: whisking them over steaming water helps dissolve the first portion of sugar, then continued beating builds the stiff meringue that supports the shells.

Vanilla and colour: add both while whipping the meringue so they distribute through the mixture. The listed three drops give you a starting point for the colour.

Getting the batter right

Figure-eight test: after folding, batter should fall from the spatula in a continuous ribbon that can form a figure-eight without snapping. Stop mixing once it reaches this point.

Gentle folding: scrape from the bowl’s edge and turn the batter towards the centre. Overmixing can make it too loose to hold its piped shape.

Piping and resting

Even circles: pipe silver-dollar-sized rounds with about 1.5 inches between them, leaving room for the shells to spread slightly. Keeping the piping bag upright helps make the rounds more even.

Dry tops: rest the shells for 15–30 minutes, until they feel dry when lightly touched. Humidity can affect how quickly they form this surface, so use the touch cue rather than relying only on the clock.

Baking and cooling

Steady heat: bake at 148°C for 13 minutes as directed. The recipe does not specify rotating the trays or changing the oven setting.

Cool completely: let the shells cool on the parchment before removing them. Warm shells are more likely to stick or break when lifted.

Filling and serving

Buttercream filling: pipe vanilla buttercream onto the cooled shells and pair them up. As no buttercream quantities are supplied, prepare it separately before starting if you want to assemble the macarons.

Overnight rest: the method recommends leaving the filled macarons in the fridge overnight for the best results. Bring them out before serving if you prefer the filling less firm.

Recipe notes & tips

• Measure the egg whites and dry ingredients by weight for the quantities given.
• Sift the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt twice to help keep the batter fine.
• Use the figure-eight test to judge the batter rather than mixing for a fixed time.
• Tap each baking sheet on the counter twice after piping to release air bubbles.
• Wait until the shells feel dry to the touch before baking.
• Cool the shells fully before filling or removing them from the parchment.

Variations

• Skip the colour: leave out the red food colouring for pale vanilla shells.
• Change the shade: use another food-colouring colour in place of red.
• Boost the vanilla: add more vanilla essence to the filling if desired.
• Try a different filling: use another prepared filling instead of vanilla buttercream.
• Make smaller shells: pipe smaller circles and watch them closely, as the stated baking time is for the recipe’s silver-dollar-sized shells.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Undissolved sugar: whisk the egg whites and first portion of sugar over the steaming water until the mixture is smooth and frothy.
• Overwhipped or underwhipped meringue: stop when the peaks are stiff, as directed.
• Overmixed batter: fold only until it falls in an unbroken figure-eight.
• Bubbly shells: tap each tray twice on the counter after piping.
• Baking too soon: wait until the piped tops are dry to the touch.
• Removing shells while warm: let them cool completely on the baking sheets first.

How to store

Store assembled macarons in a covered container in the fridge; the method recommends resting them there overnight. The recipe does not give a storage duration or reheating instructions, and the buttercream ingredients are unspecified.

Frequently asked questions