Macarons

Macarons are sweet, delicate French desserts composed of 2 shells and a soft creamy filling. This recipe is based on the Italian meringue method (with a hot sugar syrup), which is more technical than the French meringue method (using raw sugar) but yields cleaner results. While simple in apparence, macarons require a lot of precision and attention to detail, and can be very sensitive to temperature and humidity.

Shells

Ingredients

• 200g extra-fine almond flour
• 200g powdered sugar
• 150g egg whites (split into 80g for the paste and 70g for the meringue)
• 200g granulated sugar
• 5cl water
• water-soluble food coloring, depending on the filling. Powdered food coloring is recommended for better results.

Directions

1. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together.
2. Mix 80g of egg whites and food coloring into the dry ingredients to create a thick paste.
3. Boil 200g granulated sugar and 5cl water until the syrup reaches 118°C.
4. Beat the remaining 70g egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. Pour the 118°C syrup over the egg whites while whisking to create a glossy Italian meringue.
6. Fold the meringue into the almond paste:
   • Fold a first tablespoon of the meringue into the paste to make it more liquid
   • Fold the rest, tbsp by tbsp, making sure not to break the structure of the beaten egg whites in the meringue.
   • Fold gently until the mixture is uniform and smooth. It should flow like a ribbon when poured, but look fluffy.
7. Pipe onto trays and bake for 16 minutes at 155°C.

Filling variations

Lemon Cream

• 150g granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (Maïzena)
• 4 medium-sized lemons
• 3 eggs

1. Wash the lemons and zest two of them to collect the zest.
2. Place the fine zest, the juice of all four lemons, the sugar, and the cornstarch in a saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture and begin heating over low heat.
4. Beat the three eggs in a separate container.
5. Whisk the beaten eggs into the saucepan mixture.
6. Increase the heat to high and whisk constantly.
7. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens significantly, ensuring it does not burn.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before piping.

Raspberry / Blueberry

• 250g raspberry / blueberry puree (strained to remove seeds)
• 120g granulated sugar (adjusted for fruit sweetness)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (Maïzena)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (to brighten the flavor)

Follow steps similar to the lemon cream, but use the puree instead of the juice.

Christmas fig

• Dry figs
• White wine
• Sugar
• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)

1. Wash the figs and remove the stems.
2. Poach the figs in white wine with spices and sugar.
3. Blend the figs until smooth, adding a little wine if necessary to reach a smooth consistency.

Assembly

1. Pair macaron shells of similar sizes.
2. Pipe a generous amount of cooled lemon cream onto the flat side of one shell.
3. Top with a second shell and twist slightly to seal.
4. Refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the flavors to mature and the shells to soften.