Vanilla Macaron Recipe
Vanilla Bean speckled French Macarons sandwiched with vanilla buttercream.
cookies
Ingredients
Macaron Base Mix
- 6 oz almond Flour
- 2 oz granulated sugar
- 8 oz confectioner sugar
Macaron Shells
- 3 large egg whites (aged, see note)
- 1 ½ oz confectioner sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 each vanilla bean
- 12 oz Macaron Base Mix
Buttercream
- 4 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Remaining Macaron Base Mix
Instructions
Make The Base Mix
- Pulse 6 oz almond Flour, 2 oz granulated sugar and 8 oz confectioner sugar in a food processor to combine. Move the mixture to a sieve and sift into a bowl. Whisk the ingredients after sifting to be sure they are well combined. Divide the base - setting aside 12 oz (336g) for the macaron shells and the remaining for the buttercream filling.
Make the Macaron Shells
- Use a biscuit cutter to draw 24 2" circles on a 1/2 sheet of parchment paper. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and put the paper with the circles underneath the parchment on one of the pans.
- Whip 3 large egg whites and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar to soft peak. With the mixer running add 1 ½ oz confectioner sugar and the seeds from half of the vanilla bean. Whip to full peak.
- Gently fold the 12 oz Macaron Base Mix into the whites in two batches. Continue folding until it becomes soft and shiny, but not thin and runny. Scoop the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip (or cut the tip of a disposable bag). Pipe the batter using the circles as a guide to keep the size consistent. Set the pan aside to allow the cookies to dry for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 °F.
- Touch the top of a cookie to make sure it's dry to the touch, it can be a bit tacky but shouldn't completely stick to your finger. Bake for 7-8 minutes then rotate the trays. Bake for another 5-6 minutes until the shells are dry and the centers are soft (see note).
- Allow the shells to cool completely. You can use a small offset spatula to release the shells from the parchment. Be careful handling the shells, it's very easy to crack the smooth surface.
Make the Buttercream Filling
- Combine 4 oz unsalted butter with the Remaining Macaron Base Mix and the seeds from the other half of the vanilla bean. Whip on medium-high speed until the buttercream lightens in color and becomes aerated.
- Scoop the buttercream into a clean pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or cut the tip of a disposable bag.
- Pair up the cooled shells by size. Flip over one shell per pair. Pipe buttercream over each flipped shell. Sandwich the cookies gently, handling the cookies by the edges and not the tops.
- The finished cookies should be refrigerated in a covered container for a couple of hours or overnight before serving. The cookies can also be frozen for several weeks.
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Notes
Separate the egg whites at least a day and up to 3 days before baking. Store the whites in a bowl in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature before mixing the batter.
Aging the whites allows the protein in the whites to relax so they'll whip up better.
To check if the shells are baked gently shimmy the top of the shell. If it jiggles separately from the "foot" the inside is still too soft. If it feels soft but is attached to the foot it's done.
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