Rainbow Macarons
Kitchen Scale
Stand Mixer
Saucepan
Sheet Pans
Pastry Bag
#10 piping tip or equivalent
Parchment Paper or Silpat
1.
Make the base: Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar. Mix in 37 g of egg whites until well combined.
2.
Make the Italian meringue: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the 100 g of sugar and water, swirling to mix. Increase the heat and boil until the syrup reaches 245ºF/118ºC, then remove from heat.
3.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk 37 g of egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and 10 g of sugar, then increase the speed and whisk until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over the beaten egg whites. Continue beating until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and cools to about 90ºF.
4.
Make the macaron shells: Preheat the oven to 330ºF. Gently fold the meringue into the almond flour mixture until smooth and shiny, with the batter just losing some volume.
5.
Using a piping bag fitted with tip #10, pipe 1.5-inch/4-cm rounds onto a silicone mat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the macarons sit for 10 minutes to form a skin.
6.
Bake at 330ºF for three minutes, then reduce the heat to 295ºF and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the shells to cool on a rack.
7.
Assemble the macarons: Match up pairs of macaron shells based on size.
8.
Pipe about a teaspoon of the ganache onto one shell, then top with the other, using a gentle twist (as if screwing on a lid) to secure.
1.
In a small bowl, mix the powdered gelatin with 20 ml of whipping cream and let it sit for 10 minutes to bloom.
2.
Bring 100 ml of whipping cream to a boil, then remove from heat and pour it over the gelatin mixture. Add the white chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Add any flavoring you’d like and mix well. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then transfer to a pastry bag.
3.
Proceed with macaron directions.
Ingredients
For macarons:
- 100 g ground almonds
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 74 g egg whites (divided into two 37 g portions)
- Food coloring, in the amount to your liking
- 110 g sugar (dividing into 100 g and 10 g portions)
- 35ml water
For ganache:
- 120 ml whipping cream, divided
- ½ teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 85 g white chocolate chips
- 35 g flavoring; i.e. pistachio paste, lemon curd, berry jam, etc.
Cook's Notes
During our visit to Paris in April, I took the opportunity to get some macaron-making instruction at Le Cordon Bleu. These delightful treats are the fancy French cousins to the American sandwich cookie. The shells themselves are made with just almond flour, powdered sugar, Italian meringue, egg whites, and a bit of food coloring to hint at the filling inside. The real variety of flavors comes from the filling, not the shells.
Macarons can be filled with ganache, buttercream, jams, or jellies—the sky’s the limit. I’m giving you the basic recipe for both the macaron “shell” and a base ganache that you can flavor as you wish. For example, I use pistachio butter with green macarons and lingonberry jam with red ones.
In honor of Pride Month, I made a full rainbow of macarons. Here’s what I came up with:
•Red: Lingonberry
•Orange: Grand Marnier
•Yellow: Lemon Curd
•Green: Pistachio
•Blue: Blueberry
•Purple: Chambord
Since this is baking, you’ll want to use a scale. I’ve provided measurements in the metric system to ensure precision.
You can use either liquid or gel food coloring. Liquid will give you a more pastel hue, while gel—if used generously—will produce the vibrant colors of the rainbow. Your choice!
Read through the recipes before starting—the first is for the macaron shells, the second for the ganache filling.
This recipe makes 30 macarons, which are best enjoyed a couple of days after assembly if you can wait that long! They’ll keep for up to a week, or freeze well for several months.