French
Macarons
French almond meringue cookies with smooth shells, delicate feet, vanilla buttercream, and a tender matured bite.
24 servings · 75 minutes prep · 18 minutes cook
Ingredients
Shells
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 large egg whites, aged covered in the refrigerator overnight, aged covered in the refrigerator overnight; bring to room temperature before whipping
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
Buttercream
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
Directions
Mix, Pipe, and Bake the Shells
- Line sheet pans with parchment. Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together twice, discarding coarse almond bits that would roughen the shells.
- Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and kosher salt until foamy. Add the granulated sugar gradually and beat to stiff glossy peaks that hold a sharp tip.
- Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue in additions, pressing some batter against the bowl to deflate it slightly, until it flows from the spatula in thick ribbons and slowly disappears back into itself.
- Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds on the prepared pans. Tap the pans firmly, pop visible air bubbles, and rest until the shells are dry to the touch, 30-45 minutes.
- Bake at 300F until the shells have feet and the tops do not slide when gently nudged, 15-18 minutes. Cool completely on the pans before lifting from the parchment.
Make the Buttercream
- Beat the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until smooth and pipeable.
Fill and Mature
- Pair similar-size shells, pipe a small ring or mound of buttercream on half of them, and sandwich gently. Refrigerate the filled macarons for 24 hours, then let them stand briefly at room temperature before serving.
