Macarons Demystifying an intimidating confection (in time for the holidays)
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BY LaUREn FERRaGUT CaRLSOn | PhotograPhY BY LaUREn FERRaGUT CaRLSOn
or years I have avoided making macarons, the Holy Grail of French confections. They have a reputation for being finicky and temperamental. Many recipes include words like “if,” “but,” “only,” and “never.” They are words both intimidating and uncommon in recipes. To me, macarons were one of the things best left to the pros, like pho and sushi—until I made them. French macarons, pronounced “mah-kerohns,” are delicate, airy cookies made of egg whites, ground almonds and powdered sugar. A recipe with only three ingredients leaves lots of room for error. To me, it is sort of like making the perfect fried egg. It is only an egg and a hot pan, but a lot can go wrong quickly. My approach to making macarons was simple. My modus operandi was don’t think, just do. I watched one video online, read three recipes and just went for it. I think that is the key. Do not let the macaron intimidate you. You can do it! I made several batches with slightly different techniques, and this is what I learned. If you can whip two egg whites into stiff peaks, you can make macrons. Grind your own blanched almonds with a food processor, or buy almond flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill from the store. It is very fine and yields a smoother texture, and from my experience—truthfully—they turn out better this way. Add the almond flour all at once! I found no difference from adding the almond flour in thirds or all at once. Of the recipes I read, there are a specific number of folds to make while adding the almond flour to egg whites, anywhere from 37 to 90. This meant nothing to me. I folded the almond flour into the egg whites until it was very well combined and yielded a texture that slowly settled back into itself after folding—kind of gooey. After the first few folds, I was terrified. The mixture looked as if it would never combine, but keep the faith—it will! Just keep folding.
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After you’ve reached the correct consistency, it is time to pipe them out. I used a 1.5-inch cookie cutter to trace circles on parchment paper. Remember to flip it over before piping. The most important factor in my macron
baking experience was the piping technique and amount of batter used. Use a round tip, and pipe from the center of the circle out— not in a circular pattern—using only about 1 tablespoon.
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