Basic Macarons - Italian Meringue Method

Step 1

Prep: Line two 15in x 21in baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Preheat oven to 350F with the baking rack in the middle. Gather all of your ingredients and equipment.

Step 2

Sift the ingredients:Combine 212 grams almond flour and 212 grams of powdered sugar and sift it twice into a large bowl.

Step 3

Measure the egg whites:Separate eggs and reserve 172 g of egg whites. Place them in the microwave for about 40 seconds and heat in 5-7 second intervals, mixing in between each interval.Now take away about 90 grams of egg whites to a clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer.Add the remaining egg whites (82 g) to the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture that was sifted earlier and mix together into a thick paste.

Step 4

Make the syrup for Italian Meringue:In a small saucepan combine 236 grams of sugar and 158 grams of water. Place over medium heat. Stir the sugar until it dissolves, being careful not to splash over the sides of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until about 235F-240F.

Step 5

When it does, whip the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of sugar just until foamy, being careful not to overwhip. Stop the mixer once the egg whites are whipped to the proper consistency, or run it on the lowest speed.

Step 6

Once the syrup reaches 248F, remove from heat and white the mixer running at the highest speed slowly pour the syrup between the bowl and the whisk.Continue whipping for about 8-10 minutes and until the bowl is cool to the touch. This is when you would add gel coloring if the macarons are to be colored.The meringue will be stiff, but a whisk dipped into the meringue and lifted will have a peak that slightly bends.

Step 7

Next, fold the whipped meringue into the almond mixture, in 3 additions. Continue folding until the mixture falls off the whisk like lava, forming a thick ribbon, that you can draw a number 8 with. The mixture shouldn't be so stiff that it holds its shape, but it shouldn't be so loose that it dissolves into itself and does not maintain the ribbon. It is better to for the mixture to be slightly stiff than too loose.

Step 8

Fill the prepared piping bag fitted with the 5/8th inch round plain tip (Ateco 808) with the macaron batter. You can drape the empty bag over a tall glass to make it easier to fill the pastry bag.

Step 9

Pipe the macarons onto the prepared parchment lined baking sheet by pressing out 1.5-inch circles about 1 inch apart.

Step 10

Rap the sheet against the counter 5-10 times to remove any large bubbles. If you use a softer surface to avoid the loud noise that comes with rapping the sheet on the counter, increase the number of raps.  Next, use a pin or something sharp to pop any remaining bubbles that have risen to the surface of the macarons, but haven't popped.

Step 11

Place into a preheated to 350F oven and reduce the heat to 325F right away. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing off the parchment paper.Bake rest of the macarons in the same fashion, preheating the oven to 350F each time a new baking sheet is placed in the oven.