Ingredient

Macarons

Macarons are almond meringue biscuits with a reputation for difficulty that is largely deserved, and almost all of it comes down to one step: how far you fold the batter. Too little and they crack; too much and they spread flat.

The macaronage

After the meringue and the almond-and-icing-sugar mixture are combined, you deliberately knock some air back out. That is the macaronage, and it is the step that decides everything.

Under-folded batter is stiff. It holds peaks, does not settle flat, and in the oven it rises unevenly and cracks. Over-folded batter is runny, spreads into thin discs and never develops feet.

The right point is when the batter falls from the spatula in a thick continuous ribbon and a figure-of-eight drawn with it sinks back into the surface in about ten to twenty seconds. Test it repeatedly and stop the moment it gets there — the change happens over two or three strokes.

The method

1. Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar together twice and discard anything that will not go through. Lumps show as bumps on the finished shell.
2. Whisk the whites to a firm, glossy meringue with caster sugar added gradually. Firmer than for a pavlova.
3. Fold in the almond mixture in two or three additions, then begin the macaronage, testing constantly.
4. Pipe rounds onto lined trays, holding the bag vertical and stopping before the round is the size you want — it spreads.
5. Rap each tray hard on the worktop several times to knock out air bubbles, and pop any visible ones with a cocktail stick.
6. Rest them at room temperature until the tops are dry to a light touch — twenty minutes to an hour depending on humidity. This skin is what forces the rise downwards into feet.
7. Bake at a low, steady heat, around 150°C, until the shells lift cleanly off the paper.

Diagnosing the failures

• No feet — not rested long enough, or over-folded batter, or an oven that is too cool.
• Cracked tops — under-rested, under-folded, or an oven that is too hot.
• Hollow inside — over-whipped meringue, or baked too hot too fast so the shell set before the interior.
• Spread flat — over-folded. Nothing recovers this.
• Lopsided feet — uneven oven heat. Turn the tray, or use a lower shelf.
• Stuck to the paper — underbaked. Give them another two minutes.

Things that genuinely help

Aged whites

Whites left uncovered in the fridge for a day lose some water and whip more stably. A real, if small, improvement.

Weighing everything

Macarons are a ratio, not a recipe. Grams, always, including the whites.

A template under the paper

Printed circles, removed before baking, give even sizes. Even sizes matter because you have to pair them.

An oven thermometer

Most domestic ovens are out by 10–20°C, which is the whole margin here.

Maturing

Filled macarons are far better after a day in the fridge. The shell softens slightly from the filling and the texture becomes what it should be.

Common questions