Basic macaron recipe

Always thought macaron making was too hard for your cooking skills?

Time to change that with our simple and easy to make basic macaron recipe.

There are endless variations to pimp this classic French dessert, but let’s start with the basics. This classic macaron recipe will take you just under two hours, but you can make more than you need and pack the macarons you won’t need right away in a plastic freezer container. They can be kept frozen for up to one month and are great to whip out for a special occasion when you’re busy. All you’ll have to do is make the filling of your choice and there are so many options – chocolate, strawberry, coffee…

You can also make them in different colours, which is great to add a bit more colour to the table, especially at kids’ parties. Macarons make perfect treats for celebrations or even lovely homemade gifts for friends and family – give them a try!

Ingredients

• 100g (3½oz) ground almonds
• 100g (3½oz) icing sugar
• 125g (4oz) caster sugar
• 75g (2½oz) egg whites (we used Two Chicks Liquid Egg Whites)
• Concentrated liquid food colouring

For the filling

:

• 140g (4½oz) caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 50g (1¾oz) egg whites
• 150g (5oz) unsalted butter
• Few drops of vanilla extract

You will also need:

• Sugar thermometer
• Large piping bag, fitted with 1cm (½in) plain piping tube
• Baking sheets, lined with non-stick liners or baking parchment

Method

1. To make the macaroons: Sift together the ground almonds and icing sugar twice, to make sure they’re well mixed.
2. Pour 2 tbsp water into a small pan and add 100g (3½oz) caster sugar. Place the pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, then use a damp pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals around the sides of the pan. Boil the syrup rapidly until it reaches 121°C. When the syrup is at about 110°C, start whisking 45g (1½oz) egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the remaining sugar.
3. When the syrup is at the right temperature, pour it in a slow, steady stream over the egg whites, whisking continually until the mixture is thick. Add the food colouring and whisk in.
4. Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar over the top and add the remaining egg white; gently fold in until all the ingredients are well mixed.
5. Spoon the mixture into the piping bag and pipe rounds on to the lined baking sheets. Tap the baking sheets against the work surface to flatten the macaroons slightly. Leave them for about 60 mins, until a skin forms on top.
6. Set the oven to 150°C/300°FGas Mark 2. Bake the macaroons for 12-15 mins, or until they just start to tinge in colour. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool on the baking trays.
7. To make the filling: Pour 3 tbsp water into a small pan and add 125g (4oz) sugar and the salt. Boil to a syrup and pour over the whisked egg whites as in Step 2 for making the macaroons. Whisk the mixture for a few minutes, until it cools, then gradually whisk in the butter. The mixture may look like it’s curdled, but keep whisking and it will come together to form a smooth buttercream. Whisk in a few drops of vanilla extract to taste.
8. Fill the piping bag with the buttercream and pipe some of the mixture on to half the macaroons, and top with the other halves, pressing them gently together.