How to make macarons… //My macaron nightmare

My macaron nightmare is probably the same as yours…We have all tried to make them..it seems to be incredibly easy, but these “creatures” seem to have a life of their own…Capricious beings !!!

But there is no better school than practice, so after a practical lesson on macaron-making..I decided that these stubborn French “devils” were going to face the “even more stubborn” Argentinian “challenger” on this side…and I made them, and made them again…tried the following week, and the next…and the “beasts” were finally tamed! Now, it is a 100% success story!! I feel proud!

To you, my recipe !

Basic Macaron Recipe (depending on size, you will get approx. 60 shells = 30 macarons)

almond flour, 188 gr
icing sugar, 188 gr
egg whites, 70 gr

For the syrup:

granulated sugar, 188gr
water, 57gr
egg whites, 70gr

To make macarons, we use egg whites that have been kept in the fridge for at least one day…why? egg whites from fresh eggs have a firmer structure, they are less “souple”, and for the process of “macaronage”, that is folding the “tant pour tant” with the egg whites, “old” whites will lead us to a better result. Mind you! Remember to take the egg whites out of the fridge a few hours before starting so that they are at room temperature.

Process the almond flour and icing sugar (this is what in French culinary terms, you call the “tant pour tant”, i.e. the mixture of these two ingredients in the same proportion, but be careful !!!! do not overdo this step, otherwise the almond could become oily! Sift. In a large bowl, fold the “tant pout tant” with the egg whites, and the food colouring (if needed). Remember that colours fade with baking so don’t be afraid of having a colour too intense at first. Combine the ingredients well, briskly. Don’t worry, nothing dangerous will happen at this stage!
Put the whites in the bowl of a stand-mixer. In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to 115°C (use a candy thermometer). When your syrup has reached the 100°C, there, start whipping the egg whites slowly to soft peaks.The idea is the whites should be ready at the moment the syrup reaches the 115°C. Slowly, pour the syrup into the whites, and continue whipping until cool. Bravo! You have done an Italian Meringue!!!
Add one third of this meringue to your tant pour tant; combine everything well. Yes! don’t be afraid of actually crushing your meringue, this is what you are supposed to do here!! Then yes, add the rest little by little, the final result? neither too firm, not too runny! Congratulations! you have finished the “macaronage”!!!!

Pipe the macarons (with a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1 cm tip) on a baking sheet with a Silpat (non-stick liner). (for this recipe, I made macarons of 4cm diameter ). Tip the baking sheet slightly, for an even final result. Let them sit until they are no longer sticky when you touch them lightly! Put them in the oven (150°C), after 5 minutes, take them out to turn the baking sheet around (for an even result) Bake 5′ more. Times might vary slightly in different ovens! Take them out of the oven, let them rest on the Silpat (remove the baking sheet otherwise they will continue baking!) Desired result? Crisp outside, chewy inside…
Enjoy them!

NB: 1. The syrup should be folded with the whites at 118°C, this is why we remove it from the heat at 115°C….three degrees will be reached by the time you move the saucepan from the stove to the stand-mixer.
2. If you use two baking sheets, instead of one (one on top of the other), much better !! You will prevent excessive drying….

Any questions?