Do you want to impress your guests, friends and family with homemade macaroons? We invite you to discover our 7 tips, in this ultimate guide , to make these delicacies a success. You will no longer have any excuses for not doing them, and especially for missing them!
We will offer you, as you read, various tips, ideas, and finally our 7 tips, to allow you to make your homemade macaroons easily !
To begin, let's review the basics!
Tips are good! But having the basics is better. We will therefore start at the beginning and talk about the material , but also the recipe , before talking about the tips .
Utensils to have
In order to make your macaroons in the best conditions, it is important to have a few utensils on hand! Here is the list :
- An oven and plates
- An electric mixer or whisk
- An accurate scale
- A spatula (or simply a silicone spatula)
- A blender and a sieve
- A smooth piping bag
- A thermometer (and yes, you will have to be precise)
Do you have everything you need? So let's go ! We can get started on the recipe
The basic macaron recipe
The recipe does not require a lot, but it is important to respect the doses. In addition, the more the products used will be at room temperature , the better it will be for the realization of the recipe.
For this recipe, here are the quantities that will be needed to make 12 neutral macaroons (remember to adapt them if necessary):
- 112g ground almonds
- 225g icing sugar
- 125g egg white
- 50 g caster sugar
From there, we can really start cooking!
Note : if you want to make them in chocolate, or use food coloring , there is no problem. You will find a multitude of more elaborate recipes in specialized books, or even on the internet. But to start, we prefer to suggest that you work on your basics.
We have chosen the recipe proposed on the Académie du Goût website, and recommended by Alain Ducasse , but there are so many others, that we will not oblige you to follow this one precisely.
To start, turn on your oven at 155°C to preheat it.
Next, mix the almond powder and the sugar to make them even finer. Then, sift them over parchment paper , before putting them aside in a bowl .
Whip the egg whites with the powdered sugar and reserve them in a mixing bowl. Gently add the almonds and icing sugar, preferably with a spatula , until you obtain a homogeneous and shiny cream .
Place the mixture in a smooth piping bag (preferably no. 7, according to the author of the recipe), and lay the small macaroons on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Let “crust” for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then bake for 14 minutes.
Take the tray out of the oven and wait for the macaroons to cool before taking them off. You can then add the ganache of your choice!
How to keep them?
To keep them longer, it is recommended to put the macaroons in an airtight box (to prevent them from taking on the smells of food in the fridge), on the middle shelf, or at the bottom of the fridge. . You can then keep them for about 5 days.
If you want to taste them afterwards, it is recommended to wait at least an hour, placing them on a plate at room temperature. This will allow them to find all their aromas .
It is also possible to freeze them. However, masters of the discipline like Pierre Hermé recommend planning ahead of the recipe, as mentioned in our tips above. But it is also possible to do it simply by placing the shells on a sheet of parchment paper for 1 hour, then peeling them off and storing them in an airtight container until you take them out of the freezer to garnish them.
Macaroons through a meal
There are different ways to enjoy a macaron , so don't limit yourself to the recipes you'll find. Invent your own.
There are aperitif macaroons , savory or sweet, with foie-gras, southern spices, basil with fresh tomatoes in ganache, … So you can easily find an original recipe or create it yourself!
Our 7 tips for successful homemade macaroons
In addition to following the directions in the recipe, it is good to take into account some additional things that will help you make your macaroons even better! For this, we have listed them for you!
An ultra fine almond powder
To begin with, and as in all macaroon recipes , it is important to choose the almond powder carefully. We therefore recommend that you choose it as thin as possible. In supermarkets, you will find it in sachets, in the pastry department . This is standard size. But when you buy them from specialists or bulk stores, it can be a bit more coarsely ground. So look for the one that will be the thinnest for your macaroon recipe.
If you have the possibility, do not hesitate to mix your preparation. And just like for the icing sugar, remember to sift it. Indeed, these tedious steps will allow you to have smooth and shiny macaroons . It is not negligible !
Egg whites at room temperature, and not too cold
You're going to say, “Not too fresh? ! And yes, and in addition, in every sense of the word! Eggs that are too cold should not be used (take them out of the fridge the day before at least) and they should not be laid too recently. Indeed, it is recommended to use eggs that are already several days old. Be careful not to keep them too long either!
Easy on the dyes
Macaroons are colorful little treats , in most cases. But be careful when adding the dyes. Indeed, the powdered ones are very strong. It is therefore not necessary to put a lot. An excess could add color to the smiles of your guests. Experiment and increase the doses of dyes little by little.
Respect the size of your hulls!
In order not to get carried away, when making the macaroons , it is a good idea to draw templates on a second sheet of parchment paper (or print it by computer). This will allow you to always have, more or less, the same shape of macaroons , and thus, to be able to assemble them more easily when setting them up.
You will find these templates online, but you can also use lids for small jars, such as individual jams, or even, for the greediest, glass yogurt pots (larger, for more pleasure!)
And a little tip : even if we know you know, remember to place the parchment paper with your macaroon shells directly on your oven plate, and remove the sheet of paper (if this is the option you chosen) so that it does not burn during the passage in the oven!
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Use a cold baking sheet
You do not have a regiment of baking sheets to bake your macaroons? So be sure to cool it well before placing the second batch of treats . Indeed, a hot plate, your pastries will crack and the result will not be pretty.
Wait and they will be even better!
Gluttony is a bad fault, we know it, but how to resist? However, it is recommended not to eat the macaroons directly. You have to wait at least 48 hours to allow the ganache and the shells to merge. Can't wait? Too bad, they will be less good… What do you choose?
Use the freezer to store them
We wouldn't think of it, but yes! Macaroons keep well in the freezer. It is then recommended to put only the empty shells and simply fill them after defrosting . But it is also possible to put them in the freezer entirely. A trick would be, before creating the macaroons, to add acacia honey to the dough to allow it to keep its soft texture after freezing.
Do it yourself !
If we summarize all the macaroons tips , we must mix and sift the almond powder, like the icing sugar, use whites that are not too young, and especially at room temperature. Do not overdo the dyes, at the risk of coloring the teeth of the guests. Be careful to have shells of the same size, in order to be able to combine them easily. Use very cold baking sheets for each batch. Do not taste the macaroons right away, and finally, do not hesitate to put them in the freezer, rather than letting them soften in a box at the back of a cupboard (well, if there are any left!)
With all these tips, but also these tips and ideas, you can no longer say that making homemade macaroons is complicated. And for all your other desires, don't hesitate to get started! There will always be an article to give you the right tips , and above all, encourage you to try!
Discover our collection of utensils and equipment for macarons by clicking on the image below :
