This is a blog post on making macaroons at home. Macaroons are a lovely French dessert that has its reputation for being quite tricky to make. However, once you get the hang of making macaroons (like most baking and cooking skill), it becomes quite easy.
I must admit that it took me a while to master making macaroons. It’s the skill/art of making it that makes so expensive to buy in shops. When you look at the ingredients it’s not expensive or hard to find/ source.
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Many recipes available in cookbooks don’t go into detail of making macaroons a success. Till I stumble upon this little just on making macaroons. I would highly recommend read this book as it goes into great detail on making macaroons. It’s written by a Japanese woman who is passionate in making macaroons. The book is I love macarons, by Hisako Ogita. This recipe has been adapted and changed from the book. I have published lots of other types snacks or party finger food. Here is a link to a chocolate brownie.
All the tiny and in-depth details. Those days the internet wasn’t such a great source of information as it was today as well.
Macaroons are also great for people with gluten intolerance eg coeliacs. As it doesn’t use any gluten to make it.
it is definitely not as easy as making muffins as all you need to throw in all the ingredients together, spoon into muffin tin and then you are done.
Recipe
to make 20 macaroons.
Time to bake 15-18 minutes, prepping time 45-60 minutes
3 large (90 grms) egg whites
5 tbsp (90grns) caster sugar
180 grms ground almond
200 grms icing (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
Food colouring
Essential equipment
Baking sieve (large)
Silicon spatula
Silicon Mat (here a link to buy a silicon mat) or baking parchment (here is a link to buy baking parchment as it took me ages to look for one)
Pyrex mixing bowl
2 Baking trays
Electric mixer
Piping bag with round nozzle about 0.5 cm in diameter.
Filling
Buttercream recipe
125 grms unsalted butter
250 grms icing sugar
food colouring
To make macaroon
Prepare the baking trays either with a non stick silicon pad or baking parchment. Mark how big of a diameter you want the macaroon to be with a pencil on other side. Pre heat the oven fan assisted to 180 degrees Celsius.
Measure out all the ingredients. Then mix the ground almond together with the icing sugar and sieve them together. Side aside. This is to create lightness in the mixture.
In a clean bowl add the egg whites beat with an electric mixer. Gradually add caster sugar till it forms a nice shiny peak. When the meringue is ready it mixture will hold when the bowl is tipped at near upside down position.
Then with silicon spatula fold in half of the almond and icing sugar mixture. At this point also add the vanilla essence and food colouring.
Once it’s half mixed (meaning with almond icing powder & meringue still visible add the rest of the almond icing mixture in. Fold in till the mixture is well mixed but not over mix it. This is so as to retain as much air in the mixture as possible.
Piping macaroons
Put the macaroon mixture into a piping bag with a round-hole nozzle.
Then pipe onto the silicon mat evenly. After that leave the macaroons out to dry. This is a very important process as it helps to create a pied that is seen at the bottom of the macaroon. It also means that the macaroon is baked nicely. As if it is done it it fully bakes and the macaroon goes fast easily.
One technique that a lot of macaroon bakers use is to knock the base of the baking tray against the worktop. This knock adds air to the base of the macaroons and just helps to dry it. On a wet rainy day, it will take 20 minutes. You will know the macaroon mixture is ready when it doesn’t stick to your fingers when touched. It also looks dried out rather than wet.
Another tip I use is to dry the macaroon in a low-heat oven at around 100 degrees cel for about 10-15 minutes. I found this by making lots of macaroons. This stage is a bit like baking bread needs proofing.
Also to get rid of the piped tip that is sticking out use a water-wet fingertip to even out the tip by pressing on it. This is to even the mixture out.
Once it’s dried out the macaroons are to go into the oven.
Double baking the macaroons will help to create an all-around air. Which encourages even baking on the macaroons.
Do keep an eye on them as they bake as they can get burned easily. It all depends on the type and make of the oven used. Turn the heat down to 150 degrees and cover with foil if it’s baking too fast.
The macaroons are ready after 18 minutes in the oven. It’s well cooked when there is a pied and the bottom is well cooked. Not a hole in the middle. Serve with buttercream or custard.
To make the buttercream just cream the softened butter together with icing sugar. Using a electric mixer it makes life so much easier.
Making macaroons
How make macaroons at home from scratch.
- silicon baking mat or baking parchment
- round icing cone
- icing bag
- sieve
- silicon spatula
- 2 liters mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- 2 flat rectangle baking trays
- 3 egg whites (90 grams)
- 5 tbsp caster sugar (90 grams)
- 180 grams ground almond
- 200 grams icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- a few drops food colouring
Filling butter cream icing
- 125 grams unsalted butter
- 250 grams icing sugar
- a few drops of food colouring
- Prepare the baking trays either with a non stick silicon pad or baking parchment. Mark how big of a diameter you want the macaroon to be with a pencil on other side. Pre heat the oven fan assisted to 180 degrees Celsius.
Measure out all the ingredients. Then mix the ground almond together with the icing sugar and sieve them together. Side aside. This is to create lightness in the mixture.
- In a clean bowl add the egg whites beat with an electric mixer. Gradually add caster sugar till it forms a nice shiny peak. When the meringue is ready it mixture will hold when the bowl is tipped at near upside down position.
Then with silicon spatula fold in half of the almond and icing sugar mixture. At this point also add the vanilla essence and food colouring.
Once it’s half mixed (meaning with almond icing powder & meringue still visible add the rest of the almond icing mixture in. Fold in TIL the mixture is well mixed but not over mix it.
Piping macaroons
- PIPING MACAROONS
Then put the macaroon mixture into a piping bag with a round hole nozzle.
Then pipe onto the silicon mat evenly. Then leave the macaroons out to dry. This is an very important process as it helps to create a pied that seen at bottom of macaroon. It also means that macaroon is baked nicely.
One technique that a lot of macaroon bakers do is too knock the base of the baking tray against the worktop. This knocks done sir into the macaroons. In a wet raining it will take 20 minutes. You will know the macaroon mixture is ready when it doesn’t stick to you fingers when touch. It also looks dried out rather than wet.
-
Also to get rid of piped tip that is sticking out using a water-wet fingertip even out the tip by pressing on it. This do as to even the mixture out.
Once it’s dried out the macaroons are to go into the oven.
By double baking the macaroons it will help to create an all-around air. In which encourages even baking on the macaroons.
Do keep on eye on them as they bake as they can get burn easily. It all depends on the type and make of oven used. Turn the heat down to 150 degrees and cover with foil if it’s baking too fast.
-
The macaroons are ready after 15- 18 minutes in the oven. It’s well cooked when there is a pied and the bottom is well cooked. Not a hole in the middle. Serve with buttercream or custard. Do take care not burn the macaroons. If it's going brown too fast turn the heat down.
To make the buttercream just cream the softened butter together with icing sugar. Using a electric mixer it makes life so much easier.
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