Step 1

Measuring ingredients - Measure all ingredients before you begin the recipe.

Step 2

Preparing baking trays - Line two half sheet baking trays with silicone baking mats or baking paper (not greaseproof paper). If using baking paper, dab a little macaron batter in the corner of your baking tray to help the baking paper stick to the baking tray. This will prevent it from flying around in the oven.

Step 3

Cleaning bowls - Add 1 tsp white vinegar to a glass or metal bowl (not plastic) and wipe down until dry. This is the bowl you will use to make your meringue. This will help your egg whites beat up better and get rid of any fat residue on your bowls.

Step 4

Almond mixture - Add your almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 10 times to help combine the ingredients and get a finer almond flour. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the food processor bowl and pulse another 8-10 times. Pour into a sieve over a large mixing bowl. Sift as much of the mixture as you can. You will have about 2-3 tsp of large almond pieces left. You can discard them.

Step 5

Adding egg whites to almond mixture - Add 55g of the egg whites to the almond and sugar mixture and use a spatula to mix until a paste forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.

Step 6

To make the syrup - Add the granulated sugar and water to a medium sized pot. Give it a gentle stir, then place on medium heat and bring to a boil. Use a silicone pastry brush dipped in water to brush away any sugar crystals that may form on the side of the pot as it bubbles. This will prevent your syrup from crystalizing.

Step 7

Making the meringue - Use a candy thermometer to measure the syrup temperature (this is the only way I’ve tested this recipe). When the syrup reaches 115C / 237F, add the remaining 55g of egg whites and the cream of tartar to the bowl you wiped down with vinegar and begin whipping on medium speed to get frothy. You can also do this using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Step 8

Pouring the syrup into the egg whites - When your syrup reaches 118C / 244F, turn your mixer up to medium high speed and carefully pour the hot syrup into the egg whites in a slow and steady stream. Please be careful when doing this part, number one because the syrup is hot, but also if you add your syrup too quickly, you’ll cook the egg whites, and they’ll turn into a runny soup.

Step 9

Finishing the meringue - Once you’ve poured all the syrup into the egg whites, continue whipping on medium speed for 4-5 minutes. The side of the bowl should have cooled down quite a bit and the meringue will become thick and glossy. Stop the mixer, use a spatula to scrape down the bowl and add your vanilla extract and food gel coloring if using. Whisk on high speed for 1 more minute.

Step 10

What is it? - This is the most important part of making macarons and can make or break your cookies. The key is not to overmix your batter. Follow the instructions carefully and see the post for step-by-step instructions.

Step 11

First mix - Add a spatula full of meringue to the almond mixture and use a spatula to mix until well combined. You don’t need to be too careful how you mix at this stage, this just helps thin out the batter a little.

Step 12

How to mix - Add the remaining meringue to the almond mixture. Use your spatula to scrape around the bowl, then go through the middle of the mixture. I’ve left photo instructions in the post of this recipe. Repeat this until you reach the right consistency. This form of mixing helps incorporate the meringue into the almond mixture and also helps slightly deflate the meringue to the right consistency.

Step 13

The right consistency - I call it the ‘ribbon stage’. It’s when the batter falls off your spatula, back into the mixture in a thick ribbon. It should disappear back into the batter after about 10 seconds. When you feel like you’re nearing this consistency, begin testing the batter for the ribbon stage. If it’s still too thick, mix another couple times and test again. If the mixture appears thinner than what’s described, there’s no saving it. Start again.

Step 14

Transfer batter to piping bag - Fit the end of a large piping bag with a medium sized round tip. I used a 1.5cm / 1/2-inch round tip. Carefully fill halfway with batter, ensuring there are no air bubbles trapped in the bag. Twist the end while the piping tip is facing up to secure the batter inside.

Step 15

Piping your Macarons - Pipe rounds of batter on your baking trays measuring about 3cm / 1 1/4 inch wide and about 2cm / 3/4 inch apart. Gently tap the tray on your workbench three times to allow any air bubbles to rise to the top and escape. If you see little bubbles on top of your piped macarons, use a toothpick to gently deflate them. This will help achieve a smooth macaron cookie.

Step 16

Drying your macarons - Allow your macarons to dry for 20-30 minutes out in the open. This will help them form a skin which will help the steam in the cookies escape from the bottom instead of the top giving them their iconic ‘feet’. To test if they are dry enough, run your finger on the top of a macaron, it shouldn’t be sticky anymore. Drying time can be impacted by the humidity and temperature of your oven so it may take longer than 15 – 20 minutes to dry. If they’re still sticky, let them continue drying.

Step 17

Baking your macarons – While your macarons are drying, preheat a conventional oven (no fan) to 150C / 302F. Bake your macarons 1 tray at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 10-12 minutes. Once they’re baked, let them cool completely before you try to remove them from the tray.

Step 18

Once the macarons are baked, pair them up so they all have a size match. Not all the macarons will be the same size. So pairing them up will help them look neat and uniform.

Step 19

Pipe filling on half the macarons and sandwich with the other halves. For filling options see the ingredients list.