French Macarons by Chef Katerina Rangelova

The legendary French macarons are not that difficult to make, as long as you meticulously follow the recipe and cooking technology. The recipe we offer has been tested many times and is one of the most successful for people making macarons for the first time.

One of the most important things when making French macarons is selecting the right ingredients. There are only four – egg whites, almond flour, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar, with almond flour playing the main role. It should be made from ground blanched almonds. It needs to be fine, but not as fine as powder. Under no circumstances should it be partially or completely defatted. Sieve it and set aside the coarser particles, which you can use for other recipes with almond flour.
 
To achieve various flavors and natural coloring for French macarons, you can use the following ingredients:
 

• Turmeric – for yellow
• Spirulina – for dark green
• Matcha – for light green
• Cocoa - for brown
• Acai Berry – for purple
  
  More coloring ideas:
   
• Purple corn flour for light purple
• Cinnamon
• Ginger

 
You can color the macaron batter with these, or leave the macarons white and simply sprinkle them with colored powder before baking.

When you decide to use some of the natural colorings and flavorings, you should replace part of the almond flour in the recipe with the same amount of the respective coloring agent. For example, replace 10g of almond flour with 10g of turmeric, 10g of spirulina, or 10g of cocoa. Acai berry can be increased to 15-20g for a darker color, and purple corn flour – up to 25g. Cinnamon, ginger, and matcha should be in smaller quantities due to their strong flavor.

The recipe yields about 20 assembled macarons.

Ingredients for French Macarons:

• 125 g almond flour
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 125 g fine granulated sugar
• 90 g egg whites
  It is recommended that the egg whites you use for French macarons be "aged" – meaning, let them sit for 24 hours to 5 days. After separating the egg whites, cover them with cling film, but not tightly, so that moisture can evaporate. Store them in the refrigerator, but before you start working, let them come to room temperature for a few hours. Measure the required amount of egg whites (90g) with a kitchen scale and place them in a clean, dry bowl.

 
How to prepare French Macarons
Preheat the oven to 130°C with top and bottom heating elements on, no fan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone or Teflon mat.

Sift the almond flour (along with the chosen coloring) and powdered sugar into a bowl. Mix well.

Start beating the egg whites at medium speed with a mixer until they form a light foam, then add the granulated sugar in 2-3 parts. Beat until medium to stiff peaks form.

Once you've beaten the egg whites to the desired consistency, add the almond flour and powdered sugar all at once, sifting them again. Take a silicone spatula and start stirring. This technique is called macaronage. Scoop the mixture from the bottom and sides of the bowl, turn it upside down, and press the mixture against the side of the bowl with the spatula to remove air. Repeat this movement until you achieve a homogeneous and smooth mixture that is still thick but drips from the spatula.

Prepare a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle with a 1 cm opening diameter and fill it with the mixture. Pipe circles about 3 cm in diameter. After filling the tray, tap it firmly on the bottom with your hand or lightly bang it on the counter.

Let the macarons rest for 15 to 60 minutes, until a light skin forms on their surface – when touched with a finger, the dough does not stick (the time it takes for the skin to form depends on the humidity of the room).

Once dried, the macarons are ready for baking. Bake in the preheated oven at 130°C for about 17 minutes – the exact baking time will depend on the size of your macarons.

Remove the baked macarons from the oven and let them cool in the tray. Carefully peel them off the parchment paper and arrange them on a wire rack until completely cool.
 
The Filling Cream

The cream for assembling the macarons should preferably be butter-based or chocolate-based. It shouldn't be too sweet, to balance the sweetness of the shells.

The easiest and most delicious cream you can prepare is:
 

• 100 g soft butter
• 100 g cream cheese
• 2-3 tbsp fruit jam/marmalade of choice or powdered sugar
  
  Simply mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add a little jam and mix again.

 
Chocolate cream:
 

• 120 g liquid cream
• 90 g dark chocolate
  
  Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream until it boils and pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture becomes smooth and homogeneous. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Beat the cold mixture with a mixer until it forms soft peaks and is easy to spread between the macarons.
  
  

The recipe for French Macarons was created for us by chef Katerina Rangelova.

What started as a hobby and turned into a passion, cooking, and especially confectionery, now occupies a large part of her life.