French Macaron

Pretty, delicate, and special, macarons are sure to impress. I love making my homemade macaron recipe for treats for the kids’ birthdays or when we have an occasion to celebrate because French macarons bring that WOW-factor to the table.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 30-60 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: About 24 macarons (12 pairs)

Ingredients

For the shells:

• 110g powdered sugar
• 55g almond flour (finely ground)
• 75g egg whites (about 2 large eggs), at room temperature
• 30g granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Food coloring (optional)

For the filling:

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: jam, chocolate ganache, or any flavor you like

Instructions

1. Prepare dry ingredients: Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together into a bowl. Repeat sifting twice for a smooth mix.
2. Whip egg whites: In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add food coloring if using.
3. Macaronage: Gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites in batches. Use a spatula to fold until the batter flows slowly like lava and falls off the spatula in thick ribbons (not too runny).
4. Pipe shells: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe small circles (about 1.5 inches wide) onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
5. Rest: Tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, or until a skin forms on top (you should be able to lightly touch without batter sticking).
6. Bake: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake macarons for 15 minutes. They should rise to form “feet” and not brown.
7. Cool: Let macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.
8. Prepare filling: Beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until smooth.
9. Assemble: Pair shells by size. Pipe filling onto one shell and sandwich with another.
10. Rest again: For best flavor and texture, refrigerate assembled macarons for 24 hours before serving.