French Meringue Macarons: A Step-by-Step Recipe with Photos, DIY

Dreaming of learning how to make famous French macarons at home? We'll show you how to make French meringue macarons and offer a detailed step-by-step recipe with photos of each step.

Nutritional value per serving

335.6 kcal

Proteins: 7.5 g
Fats: 17.7 g
Carbohydrates: 39.6 g

*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Time in the kitchen: 1 hour
Complexity:

It's easy and straightforward to prepare, but it does require some experience. Not everyone can do it right the first time.
Number of servings: 20

First, let's clarify that the classic macaron recipe calls for a dough made with Italian meringue (with the addition of hot sugar syrup) and finely ground almond flour. However, while a substitute for flour is unavoidable, any meringue recipe can be used for macarons. At home, the easiest way to make macarons is with French meringue, which can be easily whipped with a regular household mixer.

Interesting fact! The delicate and crispy mint-based cookie is properly called a macaron (with the stress on the last syllable). Even in the plural, the word doesn't decline, so it's more accurate to say, "I learned how to make five types of macarons."

On this page, we offer you an excellent recipe for bright and delicious macarons with a crème caramel filling, the shells of which will be made using French meringue.

Macarons with French meringue

French Meringue Macarons – A Simple Homemade Recipe with Photos

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients for the caps:

Almond flour

83 G
Powdered sugar

83 G
Egg white

58 G
Sugar

58 G
Gel dye

as desired

Ingredients for caramel cream:

Sugar

100 G
Cream

70 G
Butter

100 G
Salt

to taste

Preparation

Step 1

To make French macarons, begin by preparing the dry mixture. Combine 83 grams of fine powdered sugar and 83 grams of sifted extra-fine almond flour in a bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with a whisk, ensuring they are distributed as evenly as possible.

Additionally, the dry mixture can be dried in the oven at a low temperature, but if you do not have high humidity, then this is not necessary.

Step 2

Prepare the French meringue. Take a precisely measured 58 grams of room-temperature egg white. Add a pinch of salt and beat with a mixer at low speed until fluffy white foam forms.

Step 3

Next, increase the mixer speed and gradually add 58 grams of fine sugar to the egg whites, continuing to beat until elastic peaks form, as in the photo.

Step 4

Add 3-6 drops of water-soluble glue dye. The amount can be varied depending on the desired shade.

Step 5

Beat the mixture a little more to distribute the dye evenly.

Step 6

Place the finished French meringue in a bowl with the dry mixture of flour and powdered sugar and begin the macronage process, mixing with a spatula using bottom-up movements.

Step 7

To ensure our French meringue macaron recipe turns out perfectly, it's crucial to spend enough time kneading the dough, as the height of the cookie's "skirt" and its structure will depend on the correct consistency.

You need to knead until the macronage starts to flow from the spatula in a continuous ribbon, without breaking into pieces.

Step 8

Transfer the finished mixture into a pastry bag with a regular round tip of 8-10 mm.

Step 9

Place the lids on a Teflon baking mat and tap the baking sheet to smooth out the curls on the lids.

Step 10

Before baking the macarons, let them dry for about 40 minutes at room temperature. This step is essential for a beautiful "skirt" to form.

Bake the lids for 13-15 minutes at 150.

Step 11

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the crème caramel.

To do this, pour the sugar into a saucepan and melt it over low heat.

Step 12

When the sugar has completely melted, add 25-30 grams of butter and mix until smooth.

Step 13

Next, we add the cream, previously brought to a boil, into the mixture in a thin stream.

Step 14

If you want a salted caramel flavored frosting, add a little salt at the last step.

Step 15

Pour the finished caramel into a clean container and let it cool completely to room temperature.

Step 16

Lightly beat the cooled caramel with a mixer, then add the remaining soft butter and continue beating until smooth.

Step 17

Step-by-step recipe for French meringue macarons - step 18

We transfer the finished mixture into a pastry bag and finish preparing the cakes.

You can store homemade macarons in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, as the dessert contains buttercream. In fact, this frosting, made with cream and butter, spoils quite quickly at room temperature.

To extend the dessert's shelf life, you can store the macaroon lids and the filling separately. The macaroons themselves will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 7 weeks, but the filling will need to be frozen for such a long storage period. If necessary, thaw the filling and decorate the finished macaroons for serving.

For even more secrets on making classic French macarons at home, watch this video:

We also offer a detailed recipe for making a delicious pistachio ganache for macarons and how to give the tops of Italian meringue a vibrant green hue.