Description
This recipe was adapted from the one I learned in a baking class at La Cuisine Paris.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 2 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- green food coloring
- ½ cup apricot jam
Instructions
- Sift the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour into a large bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until they’re foamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add half the granulated sugar and continue mixing for another minute, then add the rest of the sugar.
- Increase the speed to high and whisk until the egg whites are glossy and form stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
- Add the food coloring and whisk until the color is well blended, about 2 minutes.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the confectioners’ sugar mixture into the egg whites a little at a time until the batter is just smooth and has the consistency of lava.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter (this seems to be the make or break step and is where you might need to practice your technique a few times).
- Line 3 flat baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag.
- If you have a ½ to ¾ inch tip for your piping bag, using that will give you more control. (If you don’t have a piping bag, you can improvise by snipping off the corner of a large freezer baggie.) Pipe the batter onto the sheets in one-inch rounds of ¼ inch thickness, spaced 1½ inches apart.
- Tap the bottom of the sheets to release air bubbles and then let the batter rest 20 to 30 minutes to croûter, or form a crust.
- In an oven preheated to 325F, but then turned down to 300F just before baking, bake the cookies in the lower third of the oven.
- Bake one sheet at a time, about 12 minutes, or until the tops are just turning golden but not browning. (Watch them carefully because they brown quickly.)
- After each batch, increase the temperature to 325F for 3 minutes and then turn down to 300F to bake.
- Cool the cookies on the sheet for 3 minutes and then remove them from the parchment paper and transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
- Match the cookies up in pairs by size.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam onto the bottom half of one cookie.
- Top it with the other half and gently press the two together so the filling reaches just to the edge.
- Let the macarons stand a few hours before serving, to blend the flavors.
- You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- They can also be frozen for up to one month.
- Open the container when you bring them to room temperature so they don’t become soggy.
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French