French Macarons

Delicate almond meringue cookies with a crisp shell, chewy interior, and signature ruffled "feet," sandwiched with silky vanilla buttercream. A precise, technique-driven French classic worth mastering.

By YumYum Editorial · Baking & Desserts

Prep: 40 min · Cook: 16 min · Total: 56 min · Serves 24

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 large egg whites, aged at room temperature overnight
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• to taste Pinch of cream of tartar
• to taste Gel food coloring, optional
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (for filling)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together twice, discarding any large almond bits that won't pass through the sieve.
2. Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy, then gradually add granulated sugar and whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
3. Add gel food coloring if using, then fold the almond flour mixture into the meringue in three additions, using a macaronage technique until the batter flows like lava off the spatula in a slow ribbon.
4. Pipe 1.5-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, then tap the sheets firmly on the counter to release air bubbles.
5. Let the piped shells rest uncovered for 30-45 minutes until a skin forms and they're no longer tacky to the touch.
6. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 14-16 minutes, one sheet at a time, until shells have risen with visible feet and don't wobble.
7. Cool completely on the sheet before peeling off the parchment.
8. Beat butter until fluffy, gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, then pipe filling onto half the shells and sandwich with the remaining shells.