Easy and Simple Macaron Recipe

It’s easier than it looks/what you may have heard! Macarons are notorious for being painfully tedious to make. However, once learning the process and knowing what to watch out for, they are quite simple and delicious cookies to make on your own. Also, making them at home will certainly save you lots of $$ on the overly priced ones you find elsewhere. In just one batch of the following recipe, you can create about 24-30 macarons! It is a total money saver! Follow the recipe below to impress all of your friends and family :)

Ingredients

For the cookie: (All cookies are the same besides gel food coloring and flavor additions such as coffee powder, cocoa powder, pistachio powder, etc. You can always mix and match the cookie/filling flavors to your liking. Without the extra flavors, the cookie can be made with the standard recipe and result in a basic vanilla-like flavor. If coloring the cookie, make sure to use gel coloring not liquid food coloring as the extra liquid may thin out the batter.)

• 3 egg whites (DO NOT get yolk in the bowl. Yolk can prevent the whites from fluffing up properly.)

• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar

• 2 cups confectioners sugar

• 1 cup almond flour

For different flavors…

• Coffee: add 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder (make sure to crush the pieces so it becomes a fine powder)

• Cinnamon: add 1 tsp cinnamon

• Chocolate: add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

• Pistachio: replace 1/4 cup of the almond flour with 1/4 cup of finely ground pistachios (powder consistency)

For the fillings: (usually a butter cream)

• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

• 1 + 1/4 cup confectioners sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Different flavors…

• Cookies and crème: crush and add about 7-10 Oreos

• Coffee: 1 tsp instant coffee powder

• Cinnamon: 1 tsp cinnamon

• Pistachio: 1/4 cup pistachio powder

Directions
For the cookie:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Beat eggs until it starts to foam. Then add the granulated sugar and beat until it gets glossy and can form stiff peaks. Add GEL food coloring to meringue and beat until color is mixed through.

3. Sift confectioners sugar and almond flour (and additional flavor powders) and mix dry ingredients together.

4. Slowly add dry mixture 1/3 at a time to meringue and fold it in (scrap sides of bowl in a circle motion and bring towards the center… otherwise YouTube how to fold macaron batter). Fold until the batter has a ‘lava’ like consistency when you drop it from a rubber spatula.

5. Transfer batter into piping bag or zip lock bag with a circular piping tip attached. Lay out parchment paper on baking sheet and pipe 1 inch circles (be aware that the batter spreads out once piped so the circle becomes larger after a couple of seconds). Modestly bang the cookie sheet a couple times to get the air bubbles out. You may have to use a toothpick to pop the remaining surfacing bubbles. Wait for the cookies to "dry" (aka a film on top of the cookie should form so that when you lightly poke the sides, your fingerprint slightly bounces back. It should take 15-20 min to dry.) If you don't let the batter dry, the cookies will crack in the oven.

6. Cook for 13-15 min. Let them cool and remove from sheet.

For the filling:

1. Beat butter for ~ 30 seconds, then beat with confectioners sugar until fluffy and lighter in color. Add vanilla extract and any additional powders and beat until combined. Then MIX in any other bigger mixtures like Oreos or pistachios with a mixing spoon. Pipe filling onto the cookie and create a sandwich with a remaining cookie half.

2. Enjoy!
   
   Cookies should be stored in the refrigerator and thawed before serving. (They last about a week.)