My Macaron Recipe

Macarons can be really tricky to make. There are two widely used techniques for making macarons. There is the French method, and the Italian method. Both make great cookies, which are relatively identical in the end. However, the French method fails far more often for beginners, and it requires a lot of baking skills to pull off successfully on the first attempt. Most bakeries, including the ones in France, use the Italian method because it creates a much more stable batter, resulting in more consistent results. It’s also harder to mess up with the Italian method.

Below, you will find my Italian method macaron recipe. Make sure that you measure out all of the ingredients before you begin the process. Macarons require precision timing and precise measurements. If you don’t have everything ready to go when the recipe calls for it, you might have to throw away your whole batch.

To get a general idea of how to make macarons with this method, check out the video below. The recipe shown in the video is different, and some of the steps may be a little different. I’m working on getting my own video created and posted on here. But for now, it’s good to at least see how it’s done so you have a better idea going into it.

It’s best to make the frosting first, so it is set up when you’re macaron shells are ready (the recipe is below). Good luck!

-Josh

You will need a few things to make this recipe:

Recipe:

Granulated sugar – 225 Grams
Powdered sugar – 225 Grams
Almond Flour – 225 Grams
Water 50 Grams
Egg whites – Two separate containers with 80 Grams each (160 total)
Gel food coloring (not regular food coloring)

Instructions:

Run the almond flour through a sieve, into a mixing bowl until you have 225 grams.
Run the powdered sugar through the sieve, into the same mixing bowl until you’ve measured 225 grams.
Stir the almond flour and powdered sugar together.
Measure out the rest of the ingredients into separate containers.
Prepare your piping bag and attach the tip.
Line your baking sheets with Parchment paper so that they are ready when you need them. You will need about 3 baking sheets for this recipe.
Put 80 Grams of Egg Whites into your Kitchen mixer bowl. Connect the whisk attachment and leave the mixer off for now.
Pour the other 80 Grams of Egg Whites into the Almond Flour/powdered sugar mixture. Mix just until the liquid is absorbed into the dry ingredients. It should make a paste.
Put 5-10 drops of gel food coloring into the water.
Pour the granulated sugar into a small pot. Pour the water slowly over the sugar. Rather than stirring, give it a minute to combine naturally. If it doesn’t combine well, gently stir it. Avoid getting the mixture on the edge of the pot during this step.
Heat your sugar/water mixture at a medium-high heat.
When the temperature of your mixture is about 100 Celsius (212 Fahrenheit), start you Kitchen mixer at medium-high speed to whisk the egg whites.
Monitor the progress of the egg whites, while keeping an eye on the sugar mixture. When the eggs reach soft peak stage, turn the mixer to low.
When the sugar mixture reaches 118 Celsius (244 Fahrenheit), remove the pot from the heat.
Raise the speed of the mixer to medium.
Slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl, being cautious not to pour it directly onto the whisk. Aim right between the mixture and the bowl. Keep the stream slow, but consistent.
Continue mixing for about 4-5 minutes until mixture reaches firm peaks.
Scoop about 1/3 of the meringue into the Almond Flour/Powdered sugar mixture. Stir it just enough for them to combine. This will add moisture and help the mixture combine better with the remaining meringue.
Fold in the rest of the meringue. Be careful not to over mix. You want to fold the batter until it looks like lava, or wet sand. The batter should flow off of the mixing spoon fairly smoothly. If you draw a figure 8 with the batter, it should slowly flow back into the mixture after a few seconds. It is better to under mix if you are not sure. Over mixing will result in very liquidy batter that won’t hold it’s form after being piped.
Fill piping bag
Pipe the mixture. Keep the bag perpendicular to the pan. Form a circle which is about the width of a quarter.
When you’re done piping, tap the trays on a hard surface a few times to release any bubbles that remain in the batter. You may need to tap fairly hard, just be sure that you don’t tap so hard that the parchment paper falls off the pan.
Let the shells develop a skin on the exterior by allowing them to sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes. They will no longer be wet to the touch. This helps them to keep their form and avoid cracking while cooking.
While they are resting, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. To check if they are done, gently wiggle one of the shells. The shell should not have much give to it. If it wiggles much, cook a little longer.
325 degrees for 12 minutes works perfect for me, but if your shells don’t cook properly at this temperature, try baking them at 300 Fahrenheit for 14-18 minutes.
Let the shells cool completely before adding filling/frosting.

White Chocolate Raspberry filling:

Raspberries (fresh or frozen) – 5 oz
Granulated Sugar – 2 TBSP
White Chocolate Chips – 8 oz (230 grams)
Heavy Whipping Cream – 1/3 cup
Optional – red food coloring

Put raspberries and sugar in a pot. If you are using frozen raspberries, thaw them in the pot in advance so you don’t lose any juice.
Breakup the raspberries with a spoon to release juices.
Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
Once they reach boiling, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 5 minutes while continuing to stir constantly.
Remove from heat.
Add the white chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream
Stir until combined, and the chocolate is completely melted.
If desired, add food coloring.
Pour into a bowl, and immediately refrigerate.
Wait about two hours before the frosting is set to use it.

Raspberry White Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

Raspberries (fresh or frozen) – 5 oz
Granulated Sugar – 30 grams or about 2 TBSP
White Chocolate Chips – 8 oz (230 grams)
Heavy Whipping Cream – 1/3 cup

Put raspberries and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. (If you are using frozen raspberries, thaw them in the pot in advance so you don’t lose any juice).
Turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 5 minutes while continuing to stir.
Add the white chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream (If desired, add some red food coloring to the mixture).
Stir until combined, and the chocolate is completely melted.
Pour into a bowl, and immediately refrigerate.
Wait about two hours before the frosting is set to use it.