Baking French Macarons

    Baking perfect macarons takes many try's failing the first time is what always happens....at least for me it did. Even if you've been baking them for a long time. Things may go wrong and your macarons may not turn out, that's  just how French macarons are. That's why they're so expensive at bakeries. Becoming a avid macron baker takes time and multiple try's. Following tips and doing each step right is what makes a perfect macron.
The first time I made French macarons, I had multiple mistakes. The first was not whipping the meringue long enough. Your egg whites and sugar or otherwise known as meringue will be perfectly whipped when it creates a stiff peak on the whisk attachment. My second mistake was the baking temperature. When baking macarons, bake one sheet at a time and preheat the oven at about 380 F. Then before putting in the pan lower to 325 F. This will insure that your macarons have the perfect baking temperature. In my oven the perfect baking time is about 12 minutes. (baking temperature and time may differ because of the different oven and macron flavor) 

My macaron recipe for chocolate or coffee macrons:  

  {Ingredients}

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup almond flour 

4 room temperature egg whites 

10 tbsp or 1/2 cup granulated sugar 

6 tablespoons coco powder or instant dry coffee 

 Steps:

1]  make sure your egg whites are at room tempter, if not put them in a bowl of warm water. 

2]  Have your baking sheet ready with parchment paper and get your pastry bag out, this will make your job easier later on.

3]  sift though almond flour and powdered sugar into separate bowls then mix them together and sift threw again.  

4] measure out 10 tbsp sugar into mixer bowl and add the 4 egg whites.

5]   Now turn your mixer on high and whip egg whites for about 2 minutes, to make sure your miring is mixed perfectly whisk the miring with your hand and put the attachment upside. Your miring is perfectly whipped when it has a stiff peak. Whip your egg whites until this happens. 

6]   Using  a big spoon or scapula fold in the almond flour and powered sugar (cocoa powder or other flavors like dry instant coffee) 

7] Fold the mixture until it becomes like slow flowing lava, don't over mix or your macrons won't turn out right. 

8] Now spoon your macron mixture into the pastry bag and make 1/2 inch diameter hills in rows on your baking sheet.

9] As soon as you fill up the first sheet, take the baking sheet and drop it strait down on a flat surface or counter about 15 times to let out all the air bubbles. (Holding and hitting the baking sheet will make ovule, not perfect round macarons) do this for the rest of the pans. 

10]  Now set the baking sheets on a flat surface and let them stand for about a hour or until they are dry to the touch. This is what will cause the foot of the macron to form. 

11] Preheat the oven to 380 F.

12] Just before you put the baking sheet into the oven, lower the temperature to 

325 F. And set a timer for 10 min, while macarons are baking never open the oven this will cause your macarons to lose their perfect shape. 

13]   When the first batch of macarons is done baking, increase the oven temperature to 380 F again and wait 5 mins until lowering again and baking the next batch.

14] Let your macarons cool completely until you take them off the parchment paper. 

15] Size them up together for 2 perfect 

 matching sides.

Now based on your macarons flavor you can make a filling for them. For chocolate you can make a salted Caramel or chocolate butter cream. But for a colorful one you can make raspberry butter cream or French vanilla butter cream. (This macron recipe will make about 30 macarons)

Chocolate butter cream: 

• 3 sticks of unsalted butter 

• 1/2 heavy whipping cream 

• 1/2 powder sugar 

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 

• 4 tbs cocoa powder

First whip up the cream, and place it into a big bowl. Then mix the butter for about 3 minutes on high. Now mix the whip cream, butter, powdered and granulated sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. For about 1 minute, then spoon into a pastry bag and fill the macrons. 

Raspberry butter cream: 

• 2 cups fresh raspberries  

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 

Beat butter for about 3 minutes or until fluffy. Meanwhile press the raspberries through a sifter to extract the juice. Then take the powdered sugar and juice, and mix in with the butter for about a minute. Spoon the butter cream into pastry bag and fill the macrons. 

Caramel filling:

· 1/2 cup sugar 

· 5 tbsp  unsalted butter, cold, in cubes

· 1/4 cup minus 1 tbsp cream

· 1/2 tsp salt crystals

Directions

1. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil and set aside. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook without stirring until sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and add the hot cream. It will bubble a little bit. Cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2. Remove from heat, and add butter and salt. Stir well until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate to chill.

3.  Spread a bit of salted caramel on the inside of the macrons then sandwich them together.

4.  Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors.