Ethereal to the tongue, bright and pleasing to the eye, the dainty Parisian pastries known as macarons are tiny bites of luxury.
Made of little more than almonds, egg whites and sugar, often dyed to a bright, lacquerlike sheen, the shells are tantalizingly crisp, with a slightly springy interior. Dissolving in the mouth, they give way to fillings of beguiling and delicious variety: ganache, butter-cream or citrus- and whiskey-soaked concoctions dancing with complexity.
All this decadence comes at some cost. Trendy macarons are expensive to buy and intimidating to make. Rumors that they are "the new cupcake" have been greatly exaggerated. Only a person who has never executed a macaron would offer to bake them for a party.
When I was assigned a story on Jialin Tian’s lovely little book “Macaron Magic” (Jayca, $17.95), I was thrilled and terrified. I fretted over where to find powdered egg whites and powdered food coloring. I didn’t own a pastry tube. I hemmed. I hawed. I postponed.
But fortune smiled upon me. Tian, who received a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech in 2004, turned out to be a patient instructor, hand-holder and email correspondent. A China native who now lives in Virginia and conducts research for NASA, Tian told me she fell in love with classic macarons in Paris about a decade ago. She perfected her craft while living in Atlanta.
Her book, which includes impeccable step-by-step directions and photographs, is filled with all kinds of macarons that reflect her personal tastes: tea and espresso, coconut and lemongrass, Georgia peanuts and pecans, margaritas and mojitos. Yet there is science here, too. Tian's book espouses the careful precision and methodology of a highly disciplined and analytical mind.
And making macaron shells is a science, let me tell you. It takes practice, and patience.
To get that authentic look, the shells should puff up and sit on little “feet.” When you sandwich them together, they are supposed to look like tiny hamburgers — not whoopie pies. The shells are made by blending a paste of aged egg whites and almond meal with a stiff Italian meringue; then adding color if desired. “Aging” egg whites means that you let them dry overnight (or longer) in the refrigerator. Since eggs vary in size, you must weigh the whites -- all the ingredients, really -- before assembling the batter.
“Variables such as the texture of the almond flour, the temperature and state of the sugar, the moisture content of the egg whites, and the viscosity of the macaron batter,” Tian writes, “as well as random environmental variables such as ambient temperature and humidity, can all play a crucial role in macaron baking.”
No surprise that my first batch was a major fail. Delicious and chewy, but flat as Thin Mints. No feet!
I may have over-mixed the batter, and the almond meal could have been too fine. (I now believe a bit of coarseness helps bind the ingredients, and the tiny bumps virtually disappear under cover of dye and shiny shell.) I committed two other no-nos: I didn’t weigh the egg whites, and I don’t think my Italian meringue was stiff (or cool) enough. You have to beat the meringue for quite a long time -- 15 or 20 minutes -- and measure the temperature along the way.
“I think the common mistake most people make is not to make the Italian meringue correctly,” Tian said.
As I started my second try, I was anxiously rehearsing how I would tell my editor this macaron story might not happen -- unless she wanted a humor piece. Still, I had a few more tricks up my sleeve. I ground my own almond meal. I upped the baking temperature from 325 to 335 degrees and doubled the thickness of the baking pan by adding a second tray.
Voila! The shells puffed up magically. "I've got feet!" I emailed Tian excitedly.
She responded accordingly. “The macaron is one of the hardest pastries to make,” she said. “Even some of the most experienced pastry chefs have trouble getting them right." (Now she tells me!) "You will be very popular at parties," she concluded.
Maybe I should rethink the cupcake thing. They really have run their course.
Making macarons
In Jialin Tian’s “Macaron Magic” (Jayca, $17.95), she introduces readers to a world of exotic, brightly colored Parisian macarons. Most of her fanciful creations begin with two basic recipes, for shells and Swiss Meringue Butter-cream. By adding color and flavorings, she creates magic. Italian meringue is an essential component of the shells, but because it’s hard to make the meringue in a stand mixer with one or two egg whites, Tian uses four, which makes enough shells for about 90 macarons. (Hey, they are small, and they freeze well.) If this seems like a lot of work, pace yourself. Make the fillings one day, shells the next. To add variety, we divided the batter and the Swiss Meringue Butter-cream in half to create Meyer lemon and rose water-scented macarons. We dyed the shells bright yellow for the Meyer lemon and a pretty rose pink for the rose water. Finally, we couldn’t help but strut our Southern-ness by adding pecans to the shells, and bourbon to the ganache.
Basic Macaron Shells
Hands on: 90 minutes
Total time: 4 hours (plus overnight time for aging egg whites)
Makes: Shells for 85 to 90 1 1/2-inch macarons
For this recipe, fresh egg whites are “aged” overnight to reduce moisture content. Because eggs vary in size, it is essential to weigh the egg whites before assembling the batter. Be sure to take temperature readings on the Italian meringue, and beat it until it is quite stiff and cooled to about 95 degrees. Hot meringue will soften the batter, reducing thickness and viscosity. You want your shells to make little “feet.” Don’t worry if they don’t. They’ll still taste good.
For the base:
4 ounces (113 grams) aged egg whites (about 4 egg whites), at room temperature
2 cups (10.58 ounces/300 grams) blanched whole almonds or 2 2/3 cups (10.58 ounces/300 grams) blanched almond flour
1 1/2 cups (10.58 ounces/300 grams) granulated sugar
Powdered food coloring, water soluble (optional; see note below)
For the Italian meringue:
4 ounces (113 grams) fresh egg whites (about 4 egg whites), at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon (0.035 ounces/1 gram) dried egg white powder
1 1/2 cups (10.58 ounces/300 grams) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces) distilled water
1 recipe of Swiss Meringue Butter-cream (see recipe)
On the day before baking, separate four eggs and place the whites in a mixing bowl. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Reserve the yolks for another use. One hour before baking, take the aged egg whites out of the refrigerator and allow them to return to room temperature.
Combine blanched whole almonds (or almond flour) and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Process the almond-sugar mixture in a food processor for about 15 seconds or until the mixture becomes a fine powder. Do not over-mix. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and reserve.
Mix powdered food coloring (if using) with the aged egg whites. Add the colored egg whites to the reserved almond-sugar mixture. Mix all ingredients well with a spatula or bowl scraper until a thick, sticky paste has formed. Set aside.
For the Italian meringue: Place the fresh egg whites in a 5-quart electric-mixer bowl. Add the dried egg white powder. Attach the mixer bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Cook the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. When the mixture comes to a boil, insert a candy thermometer and stop stirring. When the sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees, turn on the mixer and beat the egg whites at high speed. When the sugar syrup reaches 244 degrees, slowly pour the syrup in a steady stream along the sides of the mixer bowl while the mixer is whisking. Continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form and the meringue has cooled to about 95 degrees, about 15 minutes.
Mix the Italian meringue with the almond-sugar paste using a spatula or bowl scraper until a soft, glossy batter forms. When lifted up with the spatula, the batter should flow back into the bowl in ribbons.
Preheat a conventional oven to 325 degree. Line a 13-inch-by-18-inch baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Fill a large (18-inch) pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip with the macaron batter. Pipe the mixture into 1-inch mounds on the baking mat, leaving about an inch between each mound. The mixture will spread out to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Gently tap the baking pan against a hard surface to reduce air bubbles in the batter. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles. Bake shells for about 12-15 minutes on the upper-level rack in the oven. Cook in batches if necessary. Remove the baking pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
Let shells cool completely before removing them from the silicone mat. Place them on a large clean surface with the smooth side up. Flip over half of the shells and pipe the Swiss Meringue Butter-cream (or other filling of choice) onto the shells using a medium (12-inch) pastry bag. Cover with remaining shells to make sandwiches.
Refrigerate overnight. Macarons will stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or about 3 to 4 weeks stored in the freezer. Serve at room temperature.
Adapted from “Macaron Magic” by Jialin Tian (Jayca, $17.95)
Per macaron, based on an 85-shell yield: 63 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 1 gram protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.
To make Pecan Macaron Shells: Follow the recipe above, substitute almonds with 1 cup pecan halves (100 grams) and 1 1/3 cups blanched almonds (200 grams). If desired, have on hand 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans for sprinkling on top of macaron shells before baking. You may use any combination of nuts -- peanuts, pistachios, cashews, etc. Just make sure to use a total of 300 grams of nuts.
Note on adding color: Macarons taste delicious whether colored or not. In order to minimize moisture content, Tian uses powdered food coloring, which may be found at craft or specialty-food stores or ordered from online sources such as amazon.com or chefrubber.com. Because the strength of the food coloring varies depending on the brand, you may have to experiment. For making yellow shells for the Meyer Lemon Curd Filling, Tian recommends using 1/8 teaspoon yellow powdered food coloring; for rose macaron shells, she suggests 3/8 teaspoon red and 1/16 teaspoon blue powdered food coloring. Coloring is a matter of personal preference. Use more or less as desired; and expect the white meringue to dilute the color considerably. I made lovely rose macarons with only red coloring. If you can't find powdered food coloring, try gels, which contain less water than traditional food coloring.
Swiss Meringue Butter-cream
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: Filling for 85 to 90 1 1/2-inch macarons
Use this basic filling in any macaron shell. To make filling for rose macarons, add 3 tablespoons rose water to one recipe Swiss Meringue Butter-cream.
4 ounces (113 grams) fresh egg whites (about 4 egg whites), at room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Combine egg whites and granulated sugar in a 5-quart electric-mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water over medium-low heat. Beat the egg whites and sugar with a balloon whisk constantly until the mixture turns opaque, glossy and warm to the touch (about 160 degrees), about 3 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the water bath, and attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and the meringue has cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and whisk in the soft butter in small increments. Make sure each addition of butter is completely incorporated into the meringue before adding more butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Once all of the butter is incorporated (about 10 minutes), adjust the mixer to medium-high speed. Continue to beat for a few more minutes or until the butter-cream is light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add flavoring ingredients (such as rose water or Meyer lemon curd) if using. Whisk to combine, about 1 minute. Place the butter-cream in a container. Cover the surface of the butter-cream directly with plastic wrap. Use at room temperature.
Adapted from “Macaron Magic” by Jialin Tian (Jayca, $17.95)
Per macaron with Swiss Meringue Butter-cream, based on an 85-shell yield: 102 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 8 milligrams sodium.
Meyer Lemon Curd Filling
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: Filling for 85 to 90 1 1/2-inch macarons
Mix this lemon curd to one recipe of Swiss Meringue Butter-cream. You will have enough filling for one full batch of macaron shells.
2 whole eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 3 Meyer lemons
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (juice of about 3 lemons)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1 recipe Swiss Meringue Butter-cream (see accompanying recipe)
In a medium-size stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Combine lemon zest and lemon juice in medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Whisking vigorously, pour the hot lemon juice and zest over the sugar-egg mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture over low heat until it is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the chilled butter until well combined and set aside to cool. Beat the room-temperature Meyer lemon curd into the Swiss Meringue Butter-cream until smooth.
Adapted from “Macaron Magic” by Jialin Tian (Jayca, $17.95)
Per macaron with Meyer Lemon Curd Filling, based on an 85-shell yield: 115 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 2 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 7 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 9 milligrams sodium.
Chocolate-Bourbon Ganache
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: Filling for about 85 to 90 1 1/2-inch macarons
We like to use this filling in Pecan Macarons (see instructions under recipe for Basic Macaron Shells).
10 ounces (284 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (may use a combination of bittersweet, semisweet or milk chocolate)
1 cup (8 ounces) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or glucose syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
Place chocolate pieces in a medium-size stainless steel mixing bowl. Set aside. Bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour the hot cream onto the chocolate pieces. Allow the chocolate-cream mixture to sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Stir with a spatula until mixture is smooth. If there are any remaining solid chocolate pieces, place the ganache over a warm water bath to melt the chocolate. Do not heat above 94 degrees.
When the ganache has cooled to room temperature (about 15 minutes), stir in the soft butter and bourbon (if using). Place ganache in a container. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. Allow to solidify at room temperature for several hours. Use at room temperature.
Adapted from “Macaron Magic” by Jialin Tian (Jayca, $17.95)
Per Pecan Macaron with Chocolate-Bourbon Ganache, based on an 85-shell yield: 85 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 1 gram protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 6 milligrams sodium.
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