For the raspberry ganache filling, heat the double cream in a saucepan until just boiling, then remove from the heat. Bumpy tops, imperfect shells: batter was not mixed for long enough, dry ingredients not sifted. Forgot to tap the trays to release air bubbles.

This step is optional but makes the macarons even more photogenic if that’s possible! I drizzled the shells with thin ganache and topped with sea salt, chocolate sprinkles, honeycomb and popping candy! Tips for Chocolate Macaron Success! Spoon the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a medium round piping tip, such as Wilton 12, Wilton 1A, or even Ateco 806. The macaron batter is very drippy, so transferring to the piping bag can be messy.Extracts – You can add any type of non-oil based extract or flavor to your egg whites. If it is an oil based extract (e.g. mint), save the flavoring for the filling as it can deflate your egg whites. Bake for 13 minutes. As the macaron shells bake, they should form feet. To test for doneness, lightly touch the top of a macaron with a spoon or your finger (careful, it’s hot). If the macaron seems wobbly, it’s not done and needs another 1-2 minutes. If it seems set, it’s done. Basically, bake until the macarons don’t move around when touched. ALMOND FLOUR or ground almonds. You will need to process the almond flour and icing sugar in a food processor and then sift them at least once – ideally twice. I know this sounds laborious but it is an important step to ensure perfectly smooth macaron shells. Optional ingredients This is a really common problem for a lot of people just starting out. It can happen because the batter was not properly macaronaged, the meringue was over beaten, or you forgot to tap the tray/pop air bubbles.

Almond flour - it should be ground from blanched almonds. Some brands are more "oilier" than others so for the most consistent results, I like to make my own homemade almond flour. Alternatively, many readers have had good results with this brand. The recipe below is my all-time favorite, and its perfect combination of ingredients produces oh-so-moist and tender macaroons with delightfully crisp exteriors. They’re a favorite in my collection of naturally gluten free dessert recipes. You can leave them plain (with just 5 ingredients), or add a dunk in chocolate and/or almond on top. If you’re using parchment and want consistent size circles, take a 1 inch cookie cutter and trace circles onto parchment with a pen or pencil, a few inches apart. Flip upside down on top of another piece of parchment (so the pencil or ink doesn’t stain your baking sheet). Then pipe on the circles.

Step Two: Sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour three times to get out any clumps that would cause air bubbles or lumpy macarons.

Sift the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar together in a large bowl. The bigger the bowl, the more room you have for the macaron batter, and the easier it will be to manage. Use a spoon to help work any larger pieces through the sieve. You don’t want to discard a lot of that because then you won’t have enough dry ingredients in the batter.

After cooling, the shells are ready to fill and sandwich together. I have plenty of filling suggestions in the recipe notes below. You can spread filling with a knife or pipe it using the same round tip you used for the macaron batter. Piping Tip & Bag: You need a piping bag and tip to pipe the batter. You can use a disposable piping bag or reusable piping bag. (I use and love this reusable piping bag.) For the piping tip, use a round tip such as Wilton 12, Wilton 1A, or even Ateco 806. I use the same piping tip to pipe the filling, too.Sugar: For the best result I recommend using 3 types of sugar at 3 different stages of this French macaron recipe Bake macarons on a dry day. If it’s particularly humid, the piped batter will take awhile to dry and the shells may not develop feet. Macaron fillings can vary from ganache, to fruit curds, jams or buttercream. You can get creative and use any flavours you enjoy. A word of caution, however - the shells are already quite sweet, so I advise you make the filling less sweet. Untwist the bag and hold the bag straight down over your silicone mat. Pipe the macarons slightly smaller than the circle in the template to allow them to spread slightly. Don’t worry if the macarons have small peaks, these should settle when you tap the trays. Leave them in the fridge in an airtight container and let them mature for 24 hours. (Further reading: Can macaron shells be frozen?)

The macarons must stand for 20–30 minutes before going into the oven as it helps to form a skin. (The macarons can rest for 1–2 hours.) Place the remaining egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double boiler). Stir the egg whites and sugar using a balloon whisk until the sugar dissolves, 4-5 minutes. Dip your finger into the mixture and rub it between finger and thumb—the mixture should warm and not gritty. If you have a digital thermometer, heat until it reads 71C (160F). Spoon the macaron batter into your piping bag fitted with your piping tip. How to Fill a Piping Bag with Macaron Batter Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan) mark 3. Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Draw 4cm (1½in) circles on the parchment, spacing about 2.5cm (1in) apart. Flip so ink is underneath. Once I returned home to London I was determined to master homemade macarons… And after much trial and error I think I have landed on the perfect macaron recipe using Swiss meringue.

Pour a third of the almond/powdered sugar mixture into the egg whites. Gently fold it into the egg whites. Then add the rest of the mixture and fold. Italian Meringue: Sugar is boiled with water to make a syrup which is then added to the whipped egg whites to make meringue. This is a very stable meringue but the method is more advanced and requires a candy thermometer and a lot of confidence.