Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, these bakery and coffee shop must-haves are showstoppers. We admit: they're not easy to make, but they are oh, so worth it! We give you all the tools you need for success. These fluffy French pastries will have everyone talking. Here's how to make macarons.
Ingredients
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3 egg whites
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1 ¼ cup almond flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
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1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
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⅛ tsp. cream of tartar
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¼ cup granulated sugar
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¼ tsp. almond extract
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1 recipe Almond Butter Frosting
Almond Butter Frosting
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3 Tbsp. butter, softened
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2 cup powdered sugar
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1 Tbsp. milk
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½ tsp. almond extract
Directions
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Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
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Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Cover and process for 1 minute, stopping once to scrape up the flour mixture from the bottom of the bowl.
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Sift the almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to pass through as much as possible. Discard any coarse almond flour that may be left in the sieve (up to 1 tablespoon).
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Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
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Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed until stiff and shiny, about 4 more minutes.
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Gently add the flour mixture to the egg whites. Fold the flour mixture into the egg whites by gently drawing a rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until all flour mixture is incorporated, giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold (about 50 strokes).
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Add the almond extract. Continue folding and turning, scraping down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thin flat ribbon, about 2 to 3 minutes. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups batter.)
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Transfer the mixture (batter will be thin) to a large decorating bag fitted with a large (about 1/4-inch) round tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch circles 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Firmly tap the baking sheets five to eight times against the counter to release any air bubbles. Let stand for 30 to 45 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are no longer sticky to the touch.
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Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake about 18 minutes or until tops of cookies are set, shiny and rise 1/8-inch to form a "foot". Cool completely on cookie sheets on a wire rack. Carefully peel cookies off parchment paper.
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Spread Almond Butter Frosting onto bottoms of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, bottom sides down.
Almond Butter Frosting
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In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
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Beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the milk, and the almond extract until combined.
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Beat in the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar.
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If necessary, beat in enough of the remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreading consistency. Makes 1 cup.
Test Kitchen Tip: To store the macaron recipe, layer filled cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 96 | Calories |
| 43g | Fat |
| 16g | Carbs |
| 1g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 30 | |
| Calories 96 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 43g | 55% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol 3mg | 1% |
| Sodium 16mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 16g | 6% |
| Total Sugars 15g | |
| Protein 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 11mg | 1% |
| Iron 0.2mg | 1% |
| Potassium 9mg | 0% |
| Folate, total 0.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0mcg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.