Master the Macaron

Name: Base Macaron Shell
Yield: 20 macarons
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 ⅓ cups (135 g) almond flour; 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar; 100 g egg whites, room temperature (equivalent to 3 large eggs); ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; Food coloring, optional (powder or gel); Note: as with all pâtisserie, the use of accurate scales (over cups) is highly recommended.

by sharon santoni June 16, 2022

June 16, 2022

Macarons are a cornerstone of French pâtisserie, and making them is facile (easy) with Molly J. Wilk Online Pastry School. Molly, a Texas-born, lifelong baker. traded a career in digital marketing to follow her dream of studying French pastry at Paris’ prestigious Le Cordon Bleu. Today, she teaches fun and accessible pastry classes online and out of her beautiful home in Versailles, and last year released her debut cookbook – French Pastry Made Simple (you can read more about and purchases it HERE!).

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For MFCH Magazine‘s May/June 22 issue, Molly was “sweet” enough to share with us a few fun, delectable macarons recipes (think Chocolate & Ginger, White & Chocolate Rose, Cherry and more), all made from one simple base recipe – plus a ton of trips & tricks! Learn the first step to mastering the macaron with her Base Macaron Shell recipe below!

Base Macaron Shell

Serves: 20 macarons Prep Time: 1 hr Cooking Time: 12-15 min 12-15 min

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

1 ⅓ cups (135 g) almond flour

1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar

100 g egg whites, room temperature (equivalent to 3 large eggs)

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

Food coloring, optional (powder or gel)

Note: as with all pâtisserie, the use of accurate scales (over cups) is highly recommended.

Instructions

Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites on medium speed in an electric mixer, until they have started foaming.

Turn up the speed of the mixer to medium-high, and slowly start adding the granulated sugar.

Once all the sugar has been incorporated, add the food coloring, if using (TIP: gel or powdered food coloring is more concentrated and has less moisture than liquid coloring, resulting in a better cookie).

Keep whipping until the meringue mixture can hold a stiff peak, checking frequently to not overwhip.

Fold the almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue, a third at a time. Keep mixing until the batter flows like lava and can form a thick, continuous ribbon when falling from the spatula.

Pipe 1-1.5-inch (2.5-4 cm) circles onto parchment paper or Silpat (TIP: using a Silpat – a silicone non-stick mat – will result in more uniform circles), making sure to tap the bottom of the tray to reduce air bubbles. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Bake at 325 °F (160 °C) for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops, when gently wiggled, are firm.

Let cool completely on the baking tray before removing the cookies from the parchment paper or Silpat.

Voilá, this is our base macaron shell recipe – now, you can start filling them with the mixtures of your choice!