Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Piping the perfect macaroon takes a little practice. Treat it as you would a rosette, bringing the pastry tip to the side of the circle, rather than forming a peak, to finish.
Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.
The yield was totally off... Instead of make 35 sandwiches it gave me ten. I followed the recipe to the T and it didn't work... They taste great but I don't understand why the yield was so low. Be careful...
First time making macarons and I used this recipe. They came out perfectly!! It's such a simple recipe. Made them twice in a row (second time adding some flavor after the eggs) and they were perfect both times.
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Is there a metric weight version of this recipe? That would help with the complaints of "too sweet" in the reviews --and also any other measuring issues. And it's easier to weigh it all, then sift it all at one time. Help please?
I was wondering if anyone had tried to freeze these with the filling as well?? I would like to make these for my dessert reception and didn't know if anyone has tried that.
Delicious! I put these on my website for everyone to enjoi!
The very BEST way to bake these little gems is to use the silpat created JUST for macarons....there is a perfect little pattern to use for perfect sized treats and is completely nonstick. Baked on the perforated baking sheet this is a no fuss and little clean up fool proof technique. Check out my website for pics and description of the product made by the French company Demarle...the maker of the silpat! www.demarleathome.com/janissowell
I have made both ths recipe and the parisan recipe on this site. Both times they turned out amazing! perfect! The recipe is so easy to follow! I will say to the person that posted before regarding the allegedly "offensive" misspellings of the word Macaron - there are two different desserts - one being a coconut macaroon and one being the french almond macaron. Please - learn about the difference and use that knowledge to post things that make sense. Thats all we ask of you.
i tried this recipe, they came put good, feet and all, but oh , they were very very sweet!! =/ cant eat them, have never have anything that sweet!! =(
love the bozo who doesn't know there is indeed a difference between macaroon and macaron! this recipe is good--will take a bit of practice but that is because one baking pan was insulated --a flat normal baking tray works best
I have tried thei recipe twice. I do know what I am doing wrong. it is soooooooo think that it cannot really be piped and when I try I get snakes.
I have made this recipe in both the "plain" and chocolate variation. The original recipe is too sweet. I'll try reducing the sugar next time. The chocolate is delicious! I froze a batch and they thawed perfectly.For those with goopey cookies, I wonder if your meringue whipped properly. If you have any oil at all on any of your tools, the eggs will never get the volume you need. if you want to add coloring to the original cookie, add it to the whipped egg whites just before the sugar.
I would cut the sugar. The macaroons come out quite sweet with the cup of confectioners' and the 1/4 cup of superfine sugar. Add a butter cream filling, and it's so sweet I can't have more than 1 or two without feeling sick. I also find that they come out looking prettier if I only whip the eggs to soft peak rather than stiff. They do taste good, and are very light and cloud like.
i have no comment for the french macaron recipe posted here. however, i do need to point out the spelling of french macaron was misspelled several places. please, check your article/ recipe carefully before post it - that's the least you could do.
I want to make these colored? When should I add the color?
What can be used in place of the almond flour? I'm allergic. :(
Thanks!
I have just returned from Paris and hope to be able to replicate this wonderful delicacy. Hoping to lower the sugar, and wondering if powdered Splenda could be substituted for the sugar?
Karolync : I hope you come back to see this! What it means is you start the oven at 375 but right before you put the tray of cookies into the oven you reduce the temp to 325 and bake.. So when you put the next tray of cookies into the oven you need to bring the temp of the oven back up to 375 before you can reduce the temp again to 325 so you get the proper oven temp. They want you to start iwth the oven temp high and then reduce it not bake it just at 325 the whole time. Good luck!
This is a great recipe. I found I had to really sift out the big chunks of almond flour to get it just right.
Jews in Spain ate the original macaroons, made with crushed almonds, egg whites and sugar. The dessert was so closely tied to the Jewish community that during the Inquisition, people purchasing the dessert were accused of being Jewish. Ultimately the cookies spread to France, where they were dubbed “macaroons” in the 16th century, according to Gil Marks in the “Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,” and then made their way to Eastern Europe. It wasn’t until Ashkenazi Jews brought them to the US.
HELP!! what does "After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees" mean in step 3?
This is THE recipe for Macarons. I have made this over and over again. It takes time, patience and a dry day-weatherwise. I jump for joy when it comes out 'perfect' and eat the ones that are not so perfect. I follow the steps exactly. You MUST sift and sift. This is the most tedious part. You need to rest the tray so that a 'skin' forms and whack it on the counter-just as the recipe states. It is the most perfect and the easiest (honest) of all the macaron recipes.
QUESTION Has any one tried both this recipe and MS's other recipe titled "Parisian Macarons" http://www.marthastewart.com/319525/parisian-macaroons? If so, how did they compare in ease and taste? MERCI!
@sarahkSD
I also had a not so successful experience the first 3 times I attempted to make this. Finally, I put the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar all together and then whipped. It was much easier, less time consuming, and my macaroons look and taste great now! I hope this was helpful!
OK, not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I just attempted this recipe for the second time and my macaroons come out flat and gooey, not at all like they're supposed to be. I'm not exactly a novice baker, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong! I want to make these macaroons so bad!
Please help Martha!
@meaghanek
I believe it is an espresso set. Each cup only holds about 1 oz of coffee.
My friend brought a box back from Paris. Oh la la! Worth the Time to prepare.Tasted so good.One bite~Hunny Ate Them from under my nose. Definitely for me and not Him this Time.As vibrant Colours as what We received from France.
Great flavor, but I found the cooking time had to increase significantly.
I followed this recipes exactly for chocolate macaroons and ganache filling with one exception...3/4' are too small. I piped mine about 1 1/4" round. My husband, who is a chocolate connoisseuer, loved them. We recently returned from Paris where he developed an addiction to macarons and we both were quite bummed when we realized finding fresh macarons was nearly impossible in the U.S. These turned out delicious! His words were "better than Lauderee"! Can't wait to try another flavor...
LOVE. I made a few adjustments and they are the most perfect french macaron ever. Find it on my blog:
http://pattycakebaker.tumblr.com/
I didn't find these too sweet at all. It may be because I didn't use that much filling (just piped around the edge of the macaron) - cut the swiss meringue recipe by 4 (and just used one egg) and still had a lot left over.
i found that it only makes about 16 - 2 inch macarons..i don't know where the 35 came from. Definitely worth it though!
I give this a half of a star out of five. Flavor of the uncooked dough was good (nice almond flavor), however, the finished results were extremely disappointing. I love both eating and baking French macaroons, so this was a big let down for me (especially considering all of the hard work that goes into baking macaroons).
I used this recipe after I saw Martha demo it on TV. She said it's super easy and I agree! I thought my first try would be a hot mess, but these macarons were perfect. The only flaw was it was WAY too sweet. I usually inhale 3-4 of the patisserie types, but can't stand eating more than one of my own. My cousin ate half of his & almost spit it out because of sweetness. I'll try EleniD's idea to reduce the sugar next time.
I tried this recipe with poor results. I wasn't able to get the smooth surface or "feet". Also, I am wondering what type of tea set is used in the picture, since these are 3/4" cookies. I made the second set a bit larger, at least 2" in diameter with a little better results. I still think I will shop around for a better recipe.
I made pistachio variation filled with chocolate ganache. I prepared my own pistachio flour. This was the first time I made macarons in my life but it was a 100% success. I used half of the sugar mentioned in the recipie and I think next time I will use 1/3.
These are a bit tedious, but I used my tiny 1 1/4" ice cream scoop and they turned out great, looked just like they should. I added vanilla bean seeds to the batter and them made vanilla swiss meringue buttercream. They were good, but maybe not worth the time. I mmight not have whipped my egg whites long enough, they weren"t exactly at stiff peaks, seemed to have worked anyway.They were quite delicious!
The spelling macaron is mainly used to differentiate between the "American" idea of a macaroon (coconut and chocolate) and the French pastry.
This recipe state to serve immediately but a majority of recipes say you should let the macaroons sit for a day or so
It is macarons, but it's also "french macaroons".
It won't technically be a macaroon w/o any nuts in it, however if you have an allergy you may want to try a flax meal or soy based flour(if your not allergic to soy nuts as well).
almonds flour is the basic of macaroons, can be replace with other nuts. Macaroons without nuts can not be named macaroons
SandraM-My brother is highly allergic to nuts, so I scoured the internet for a nut-free version (very difficult!). www.bakingobsession.com/2009/10/26/nut-free-french-macarons/<<these are made with coconut. unfortunately, my brother is allergic to that as well.
SandraM-My brother is highly allergic to nuts, so I scoured the internet for a nut-free version (very difficult!). www.bakingobsession.com/2009/10/26/nut-free-french-macarons/<<these are made with coconut. unfortunately, my brother is allergic to that as well.
What about a substitute for almond flour for those allergic to nuts? Any suggestions?
Please note, the French spelling is MACARON, not Macaroon. It is pronounced
mah-kah-ROHN.
I made the pistachio variation, and they turned out divine. Light as air, not too sweet, and very impressive. I was able to find almond flour in the natural foods section of my grocery store.
I really love this recipe with the measurements in cups and not by weight (for some of us who do not have a kitchen scale just yet).
I use Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour and very happy with it.
Where do you purchase, or how do you make, Almond Flour?
Sylvia Schult
I am making French macarons as favours for my upcoming wedding. Champagne macarons, in fact! When making macarons, I only use the Italian meringue method (cooked sugar). It is more stable than this French meringue method. With all my trials for the wedding, I pulled together all my tips and hints - if you're having trouble with this version, give it a try! http://melanger.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/french-macarons-my-n n n n n n how-ton n n n n n /
I love this site all the more now that there is a recipe for macarons!!
Buttercup, I used almond meal when I made my macarons. However, I found it hard to sift the ingredient. They turned out fine but I think i would process it in a blender so that it is very fine.
Buttercup, I used almond meal when making mine, however I found it hard to sift the ingredient so i processed it in a blender and it was fine
I'VE made this especially since it is gluten free. They're pretty wonderful. You can do anything to them. But they're not macarOOns they're macarOns and as far as I can tell the only people who don't know that are Martha's editors. Sorry, some things are more cringe worthy when they're from the "experts."
Make them though they're good.
I am delghted about this recipe, as it is gluten-free! Is almond meal (which is fine) the same as almond flour?
I used this recipe yesterday to make several batches of macaroons, and was very satisfied with it. I posted my experience trying it (http://giverslog.com/?p=1089) and a free downloadable tag that I used when I took them to my daughter's bake sale. I had no problems with cracking, and the only real change I made was folding the batter just a few extra times so it was just soft enough to form rounded caps with no peaks. I also made my own almond flour, which I may or may not do again.