Special Guide to Making Perfect Macarons

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This Guide will covers all aspects of making macarons: which ingredients to use, preparation tips & tricks, and troubleshooting
advice.

Ingredients:
About the Egg Whites:
The egg whites you should use are of large size eggs. Each white should weigh about 1 oz. / 30 gr
Use fresh eggs and separate them yourself. Do not buy pre-separated whites.
Aging the egg whites:
Aging egg whites mean separating the whites from the yolks, and storing the whites in an airtight container in a cool place before using them to make macarons. The reason behind it is to reduce
the moisture content as much as possible while keeping the protein bonds from the egg whites .The aging process increases the white’s elasticity. If you skip this step, you might end up with a runny
or watery batter, which will not yield great results.
Almond Flour:
Almond flour is simply almonds that have been ground very finely. It is sometimes also called almond meal or almond powder.
Food color:
Use gel food colors and NOT water based colors. Gel colors are more concentrated and will add the least amount of moisture to the batter.

Making the Macaron’s Batter

Whipping the egg whites:
Whipping the egg whites is a very important factor when making the Macarons. Over whipping will give you batter that is too airy which results in hollow Macarons. Under whipping will give you a
runny batter which results in flat Macarons.
Bottom line: Start whipping the egg whites on medium speed only when the sugar reaches 240 ºF / 115 ºC. Once the sugar is at 245 ºF / 118 ºC turn the whipping speed to high and keep whipping
while slowly pouring the cooked sugar in.
Once all the sugar is poured into the egg whites keep whipping for ONLY 1 more minute, then reduce speed to medium and whip for 2 more minutes.

Folding:
Folding is critical factor for successful macarons. When folding it’s important to fold as little as possible just until you reach the desired consistency.
When you fold push the batter towards the sides of the bowls to get rid of air bubbles. Fold just until all ingredients are fully combined and the batter is soft however not runny.
When piped the batter should form a small peak that will disappear within 30-60 seconds.
Perfect French Macarons | Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved to CakeNuvo Inc.
It’s always better to under fold than over fold. As you transfer the batter to the piping bag, and then pipe the shells onto the baking sheets, the batter will continue to thin. If you overbeat from the
get-go, you’ll end up with macarons that will spread and turn out flat with large feet on their sides.

Piping:
Pastry tip:
I like to use a plain round pastry tip that is between 0.25 – 0.5 inch (0.6-1.3cm) depending on the size of cookies I make for 1.5” cookies I use the 0.5” tip. (1.3cm)
Pastry bag:
Personally I like using a disposable pastry bag with I can cut and fit to any size I need and that can be thrown away after each use.
Silicon mat, Macaron baking sheet VS Parchment paper:
I like using macaron baking sheet or silicon mat when I bake the macarons.
Using a silicon mat gives you great results since it is completely flat and smooth and the batter stays in the exact shape even after you pipe it. When using parchment paper the batter tends to leak
and doesn’t hold its shape. Also in the oven the parchment paper “fly” and ruin the nice round shape of the macarons.
So if you are using parchment paper, make sure to “glue” it to the tray with a bit of the batter so it doesn’t “fly” while baking the cookies.
Also make sure it is completely flat without wrinkles or the Macarons will not have a perfect round shape.
To get perfect size macarons with really nice “feet”, I recommend investing in macaron baking sheet. This silicon mat has cavities in which you pipe the cookies and this helps them to stay in place
while rising, which results in perfect even sized macarons.
Baking tray:
It’s very important to have the correct tray for baking. Some of the baking tray especially the heavy duty ones absorb heat really fast which makes the macarons rise to fast, explode and crack. You’ll
have to experiment with several trays to see what works.
Using a template for piping:
To get even sized Macarons I recommend using the template provided.
When using the template make sure to pipe the batter in the middle of the circle. Use even pressure when you pipe and stop once you reached the rim of the circle.
Another option is using a pre-marked silicon mat. However from my personal experience I didn’t see much different in the results and there for I prefer saving money and using the template.
Special Macaron baking mats have cavities for piping the macarons in them and therefore when using them there is no need for a template.
Resting time:
After the Macaron have been piped on the baking sheets, we leave them to rest for 30 to 40 minutes, in a cool, dry place. This step allows the batter to form a thin skin. The batter will look duller
and it shouldn’t stick to your finger if you carefully touch it.
During this time the batter dries and there for when baked it will not spread anymore and will be forced to rise up which will results in creating the Macarons feet.

Baking:
Perfect French Macarons | Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved to CakeNuvo Inc.
Baking time and the oven’s temperature is another very important factor when making Macarons.
To find out the proper baking time in your oven, you should experiment a bit, because no two ovens are alike. I recommend baking only few macarons the first time you try this recipe.
In my oven, which is a convection oven, the macarons come out the best when they are baked for a total of 14 minutes. 6 minutes at 350 ºF / 175 ºC then rotate and bake 8 more minutes at 300 ºF / 150 ºC.
So try this setting first and adjust the baking time in your oven depending on the results you get.
Make sure to bake only one tray at a time and place the tray on the middle rack to ensure even baking.
Properly baked macarons should feel firm on their top and dry on their bottom. They should have a nice color that should be similar to the color of the batter prior to baking.
The macarons should have a small foot that rises from the bottom.
When broken in two the middle shouldn’t be hollow but full soft and a bit chewy.

Filling:
The Macaron filling is really what gives them their distinct flavor and final texture. You can flavor the macarons using many kinds of fillings. Make sure though that the filling you use is not too moist,
otherwise the macarons will get soggy .Good options for filling macarons is to use flavored buttercream, ganache or jams.

Storage:
Store assembled macarons in an airtight container, then freeze for up to 4 to 5 months. This is great because one batch makes many macarons. Once the macarons are frozen, you can take out the
exact quantity you need and keep the other at their freshest. Simply let the macarons rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes and they’ll be ready to eat. Note that freezing works better
with creamy fillings such as buttercreams and ganaches. Fillings that are more humid, such as jams, can excessively moisten the shells, making them lose their crunch completely. If you plan on filling
your macarons with jam, you’re better off freezing the shells alone, then defrost and assemble them on the day you plan to serve them.

Characters of a Perfect Macaron:

Smooth and crunchy top

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Narrow feet on it’s the bottom of each shell

The inside should be full and hot hollow

When biting into it should be a bit chewy

Perfect French Macarons | Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved to CakeNuvo Inc.
Troubleshooting Chart:

Problem Possible Reason What to do next time

Batter is too runny Over folding the batter Next time fold less. Fold only until the ingredients are combined.
Use only gel or dust colors. Do not use water based colors.
Adding water based food color Whip the egg whites until you reach soft peak.
rather than gel

Under whipping the egg whites-

didn’t reach soft peak

Macaron are Batter is too runny

spreading too much
after piping Over folding the batter Next time fold less. Fold only until the ingredients are combined.

Adding water based food color Use only gel or dust colors. Do not use water based colors.
rather than gel

Under whipping the egg whites- Whip the egg whites until they reach soft peak.
didn’t reach soft peak

After piped peaks not Batter is too stiff Fold the batter a bit longer.
disappearing Whip the egg whited only to soft peak. Do not over whip.
Under folding the batter

Egg whites are over whipped-Stiff

peak

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Shell with feet Batter was too soft Next time fold less. Fold only until the ingredients are combined.
bursting Macarons where taken out of the Use only gel or dust colors. Do not use water based colors.
oven too soon Whip the egg whites until you reach soft peak.

Hollow shells Not enough heat reached the Try to bake at a higher temperature for the first 6 minutes.
bottom of the macarons

Macarons are under baked-taken Make sure to tap the tray firmly to get rid of the air bubbles in the batter.
out of the oven too soon

Too much folding Don’t over fold

Bumpy and Cracked Batter too stiff-Under mixed, Mix the batter a bit more; get rid of the air bubbles by pushing the batter to the sides of the
shells which causes too much air in the bowl while folding.
batter Tap the piped batter firmly before resting time.

Oven temperature too high Bake at a lower temperature.

Tray absorb too much heat Switch to a different tray.

Flat Shells / Macarons Over mixed- batter is too runny, Mix the batter inly until ingredients are fully combined
liquefy after piping Macarons spread and turn out flat Make sure the egg white were whipped to soft peak

Batter is too runny-Too much food Use gel or dust food colors and not water based colors
color or egg whites weren’t Make sure to use aged egg whites
whipped enough

Perfect French Macarons | Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved to CakeNuvo Inc.
Macarons rise and Under baked- cookies were taken Bake the shell for a longer time. Take out of the oven once the shell feels firm to touch.
then deflate when out of the oven too soon; middle
taken out of the oven wasn’t baked enough so they
collapsed.

Used a baking tray that absorb too Try to bake on a different tray.
much heat

Soft shells Macaron are under baked Bake the shell for a longer time. Take out of the oven once the shell feels firm to touch.

The tops of Macarons Baking surface was a bit dirty. Make sure to pipe on clean surface.
come off, but the
bottoms remain stuck The bottoms are not fully baked. Bake shell for longer time.
to the pan

Brown or dark toned Over baked Bake the shells for less time
shells
Oven temperature too high Bake the shells at a lower temperature

Macarons are Uneven air flow Bake only one tray at a time
inconsistent. Some are Bake on the middle rack of the oven
Perfect French Macarons | Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved to CakeNuvo Inc.
perfect some are not.
Make sure to rotate the tray halfway through baking.
Macarons puff like Using a tray that absorb too much Switch to a different sheet tray or place 2 silicon matts on the bottom of the tray.
mushroom with no heat on the bottom
bottom and have
cracks on their surface

Perfect French Macarons | Copyright © 2017, All Rights Reserved to CakeNuvo Inc.