Kitch: Making Macarons

Sift the Flour and Sugar

A French macaron—not to be confused with the coconut-derived macaroon—is made up of two primary parts: the crisp macaron shell and the flavorful fillings. When made right, the whipped egg white base gives the shell a crisp-yet-chewy texture.

To begin, sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together. Cara recommends using an overly large bowl for the dry ingredients, which helps you manage the batter more easily later in the process.

Cara stops at this point to urge patience for home bakers. Macarons aren’t easy to make. “They are very finicky cookies,” she says, and baking them requires precision. “That’s why people buy them. But if you’re making them at home, they don’t have to look perfect. They’ll still taste delicious.”

Mix the Egg Whites

Cara uses fresh egg whites rather than liquid egg whites. While separating the eggs, she says to take caution to keep any yolks out of the mix, as any fat will impact how well the meringue sets up. Like other experts, Cara recommends letting the egg whites “age” in the refrigerator for around 24 hours before mixing, which improves elasticity during whipping.

The whipping is important. Mix for several minutes until the egg whites form stiff peaks. “That’s one of the most common mistakes,” Cara says. “Knowing how long to whip the egg whites.” 

For instance, not mixing long enough can leave the shell grainy or lumpy. Overmixed egg whites can end up cracking in the oven. Properly stiff egg-white peaks won’t drip or move on their own.

“Some days, we still mess up a batch,” Cara says.

Add Color

When it comes to the macaron shell, the fun colors are cosmetic only and the result of gel food coloring. (Without food coloring, they’ll taste just as good but might look a little boring.)

It’s important to use gel food coloring instead of liquid, which can alter the batter’s consistency. Add one to two drops of gel coloring directly to the egg whites by slowly folding it in, or beating at low speed on a mixer.

Once the food coloring has been added, sift the almond flour mixture into the mixing bowl and use a rubber spatula to fold it into the batter “until it flows off the spatula like lava,” Cara says.

When it reaches that consistency, put the batter in a pastry bag and fit it with a piping tip.

Pipe It

Cara recommends using silicone macaron molds, which are flexible and non-stick. The piping process needs to take place quickly so the batter consistency doesn’t change. Pipe the batter into the mold in circles—typically these are around 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter—using a swirling motion.

“Once you start piping, don’t let the batter sit,” says Cara. “If you don’t do the swirl right away, it can keep you from getting that smooth texture.”

Again, macarons are finicky.

To avoid air bubbles, Cara then slaps the silicone mold onto the pan a couple of times, and even bangs the pan on the counter. If necessary, use a toothpick to pop any leftover bubbles, which might create cracks in a macaron shell after baking.

Then let the piped circles rest. Cara recommends at least 30 minutes, or until the tops of the shell are dry to the touch. This gives them time to rise and develop the little “feet” that add to the chewy texture. Don’t let them rest too long, though. After an hour or so, they might start to deflate.

Fill ’em Up

After baking and letting the shells cool, it’s time to add the filling, turning the individual shells into colorful cookie sandwiches. The filling is what gives a macaron its flavor, and Cara says the sky is the limit. “There are no rules on the filling,” she says. “You can use ganache, jams, buttercream icing.”

She created delicious, fall-friendly Orange Rose, Candy Corn, and Caramel Apple flavors for.

“There are myriad options and flavors for macarons.”