Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 1 ¾ cups (198g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar)
- 1 cup (96g) superfine blanched almond flour
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature (90 to 105g)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of fine salt
- ¼ cup (50g) superfine sugar (caster sugar)
Chocolate Ganache Flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Brown gel food coloring, optional
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (113g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Almond Raspberry Flavor
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 drops pink gel food coloring
- ¾ cup (180ml) seedless raspberry jam
White Chocolate Mint Flavor
- ½ teaspoon mint extract for the shells
- 2 drops green gel food coloring for the shells
- 3 ounces (85g) white chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon mint extract for the filling
- 1 drop green gel food coloring for the filling, optional
Pink Cream Cheese Flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract for the shells
- Red gel food coloring, optional
- 8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the filling
Lavender Honey Flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 2 drops violet gel food coloring
- ¾ cup (170g) mascarpone cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground culinary lavender
Pineapple Flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 drops yellow gel food coloring
- ¾ cup (245g) pineapple jam
Blueberry Cheesecake Flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 drops blue gel food coloring
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons blueberry jam
Equipment
- 4 flat baking sheets
- 3 silicone baking mats or sheets of parchment paper
- Digital kitchen scale
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- Fine mesh sieve
- Flexible rubber spatula
- Piping bag with a ¼-inch round tip
- Cooling rack
Method
Macaron Shells
- Preheat a convection oven to 320°F (160°C). Line 3 flat baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Make sure the mixer bowl and whisk are completely clean, dry and free from grease.
- Whisk the powdered sugar and almond flour together. Sift the mixture into a large bowl, pressing the finer particles through with a flexible spatula. Save the coarse almond pieces for another use.
- Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium high and add the superfine sugar gradually. Continue beating for about 5 minutes, until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks.
- Add the meringue to the sifted almond mixture. Fold with a flexible spatula, turning the bowl after each stroke. Add the extract and coloring for your chosen flavor when the dry ingredients are almost incorporated.
- Continue folding until the batter is smooth and falls from the spatula in a continuous ribbon. The ribbon should slowly settle back into the batter. Stop folding before the mixture becomes runny.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a ¼-inch round tip. Hold the bag vertically and pipe 1 ¼-inch rounds, leaving space between them. Aim for 24 shells on each sheet.
- Tap each sheet firmly against the counter two or three times. Pop any visible air bubbles with a toothpick.
- Leave the piped shells uncovered until their tops look matte and feel dry when touched lightly. This can take 15 minutes in a dry kitchen or up to 1 hour in humid conditions.
- Place the fourth baking sheet beneath the first filled sheet to create a double layer. Bake one tray at a time for 12 to 14 minutes. The shells are ready when they have formed feet and the tops don’t shift when gently nudged.
- Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining trays, using the fourth sheet beneath each batch. Let the shells cool completely before removing them from the liners. While waiting, you can prepare your chosen filling.
Chocolate Ganache
- Use vanilla extract as the shell flavoring. Add a small amount of brown gel coloring if wanted.
- Heat the cream just until steaming. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and leave it for 1 minute.
- Stir until smooth, then stir in the butter. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until thick enough to pipe.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Pipe a thin layer of ganache onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
Almond Raspberry
- Use almond extract as the shell flavoring. Tint the batter with 2 drops of pink gel food coloring.
- Stir the raspberry jam until smooth.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Spoon or pipe raspberry jam onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
White Chocolate Mint
- Use mint extract as the shell flavoring. Tint the batter with 2 drops of green gel food coloring.
- Put the white chocolate, cream and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
- Stir in the mint extract and the optional drop of green gel coloring. Let the filling cool until thick enough to pipe.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Pipe the filling onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
Pink Cream Cheese
- Use vanilla extract as the shell flavoring. Add red gel food coloring until the batter reaches the shade you want.
- Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and smooth.
- Refrigerate the filling briefly if it's too soft to pipe.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Pipe the filling onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
Lavender Honey
- Use vanilla or almond extract as the shell flavoring. Tint the batter with 2 drops of violet gel food coloring.
- Gently mix the mascarpone, honey and ground culinary lavender until evenly combined. Don’t overmix the mascarpone.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Pipe the filling onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
Pineapple
- Use vanilla extract as the shell flavoring. Tint the batter with 2 drops of yellow gel food coloring.
- Press the pineapple jam through a fine mesh sieve to remove large pieces.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Spoon or pipe the strained jam onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
Blueberry Cheesecake
- Use vanilla extract as the shell flavoring. Tint the batter with 3 drops of blue gel food coloring.
- Mix the softened cream cheese and blueberry jam until smooth. Refrigerate the filling briefly if it is too soft to pipe.
- Match the cooled shells into pairs. Pipe the filling onto the flat side of one shell, then gently add the second shell.
Notes
- The recipe should make approx 72 shells or 36 filled macarons when the batter's piped into 1 ¼-inch rounds.
- Filling quantities vary. Some options may leave you with extra filling.
- I like to refrigerate the filled macarons in an airtight container for 24 hours before serving. This gives them the best texture.
- Keep all filled macarons refrigerated. Macarons containing cream cheese, mascarpone, heavy cream or butter should be eaten within 3 to 4 days.
- Unfilled shells can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen for up to a month.
- Thaw frozen shells in the refrigerator before opening the container.
- Remove refrigerated macarons 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Don’t leave fillings containing dairy at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- The baking temperature and timing are specifically for a convection oven.