Our detailed step-by-step directions and insider macaron-making tips will help you make the best strawberry macarons ever.
Instructions
1
Grind down the almond flour
2
Place the almond flour and 1-3/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Pulse the two until they’re thoroughly mixed and the almond flour is very fine. Pass the almond flour mixture through a fine mesh sieve, and discard any large pieces that remain.
3
Whip up the meringue
4
Place the egg whites and salt in the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-low speed until they're frothy, then slowly add the superfine sugar while the mixer is still running. Whisk the mixture until the superfine sugar is dissolved, one to two minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar to the bowl, then increase the mixer’s speed to high and whip the meringue until it’s glossy and stiff peaks form, one to two minutes. If desired, add in enough pink gel food coloring to achieve your desired color. Editor’s Tip: One of the most important tips to keep in mind while making meringue is that all the tools used must be cleaned and dried thoroughly. Leftover food, soap or water can seriously inhibit the meringue from whipping up into stiff peaks.
5
Do the macaronage
6
Take the bowl off the stand mixer. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the almond flour mixture into meringue, a third at a time. Using the side of a spatula, smooth batter up sides of bowl several times to remove air bubbles and ensure there are no lumps, but be careful to not over mix. Run the spatula down the center of the bowl, scraping the bottom. The line in the batter should remain visible for a moment before the mixture runs back into itself. Our Test Kitchen compares it to “slow lava.” Editor’s Tip: Macaronage is one of the most important steps to any French macaron recipe. The batter cannot be too thick or else the shells will crack. However, watch closely, as overmixing will deflate the egg whites and ruin the texture.
7
Pipe the shells and let them rest
8
Position an oven rack in the upper third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Transfer batter into a pastry bag fitted with a #7 or #10 round tip. Pipe 1-3/8-inch rounds onto a parchment- or silicone mat-lined tray, about 1 inch apart. Tap the tray against the counter two to three times to remove excess air bubbles. Let the macarons rest until they’re no longer wet or sticky to the touch, 30 to 60 minutes. It may take longer depending on how humid it is in your kitchen. Editor’s Tip: If there are still air bubbles, poke them with a toothpick. It feels tedious, but it’s worth it. Air bubbles are very noticeable in baked macarons.
9
Bake the macaron shells
10
Bake, one tray at a time, until the macaron shells rise about 1/8 inch to form "feet," 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking. Remove the tray from the oven and let the macarons cool completely to room temperature. Meanwhile, repeat with the remaining trays. Once the macarons have cooled completely, remove them from the parchment.
11
Make the filling
12
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar until it’s incorporated. Beat in the strawberry powder, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt and, if desired, enough gel food coloring to achieve the desired color. Mix the frosting until it’s nice and smooth.
13
Assemble the macarons
14
Transfer the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a circle of buttercream onto the bottoms of half the macarons. Dollop 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of each frosting circle. Top them with the remaining macaron shells. Refrigerate the macarons, covered, until you're ready to serve them.
