French Macarons With Mango Buttercream

Macarons is a sweet meringue based confections made with egg whites, confectionery sugar, almond flour and granulated sugar. Baked macarons will have a crispy eggshell like smooth top, slightly chewy interior, and small ‘feet’ meaning the little ruffles around the edge of the shell. It taste sweet and has a nutty almonds flavor and they are  sandwiched together with two cookies, and filled with buttercream, jams or ganache. Recipe includes detailed instructions to make the macaron and mango buttercream recipe with stepwise picture and useful tips.

Making the macarons is little complex process, however every effort you put into it is totally worth it. You have an incredible feeling that you have learnt some skillful techniques, and certainly you get to eat the scrumptious cookies. When I first made these macarons in 2016 – (linked to the Facebook macaron album), I was so fortunate to be successful in my very first attempt. I simply followed Stephanie Joyofbaking macaron recipe, except I did not use cream of tartar in my ingredients.

Then comes the tricky part in my next attempt of making the same macaron recipe. I failed for the next five times to make a good batch of macaron. The reasons were very simple things that I missed to follow. Although it’s only 4 ingredients used in making these delicacies, I would say all four are equal pillars of success in making a good macaron. There are soo many little factors that can go wrong in the process of making it, such a delicate process to follow through. Even now I wouldn’t say I know everything about making a perfect one. What’s important is that keep learning through your experience, the proper techniques and then make some fine adjustments with what works best in your kitchen and with your oven.

When I first wanted to make macaron, I tried looking for stepwise pictures on the internet so I could compare to what my outcome was on every step, but I could not find any. Therefore decided to click, and post each step picture. As you all know it is difficult to click in-between the work (especially with a recipe like macarons), but I managed to do it for you all. I have penned down below few problems I personally faced, FAQ’s and answers, I hope it will be helpful!

Difference between French macarons and Italian macaron

French macaron shell is lighter and more airy, but Italian macarons are compact and slightly denser. Process of making the meringue is different for both. In French method the granulated white sugar is gradually added into the egg white that are being whipped. In Italian way, hot sugar syrup is prepared first and then added to the beaten egg whites. French method is easier to start with.

Which almond flour works best in making the macarons

I have used both King Arthur brand almond flour (super finely ground), and Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour to make it. Both have worked for me. If using any other brand please check for reviews before buying it. I suggest to go  with good quality flour / well known brand flour.

Use an external oven thermometer which is highly recommended

• Oven temperatures can be inaccurate, oven may show its required temperature has reached, but may not be the actual temperature, even a brand new oven may be wrong, I have personally faced it. Using an external oven thermometer in the oven for an accurate temperature reading can be an easy fix for some of the macaron problems.
• You can even place the external thermometer in different locations of your oven to check hot spots ( it means to check if top or bottom racks of the oven is getting more heat than the other , so you can avoid placing your baking trays on those racks). For instance , if you get more heat coming from the bottom , place your baking pan on the middle /top rack and leave the below empty or you can leave an empty baking tray to cover up the heat coming directly to the macarons.
• Incorrect temperatures can make the macarons rise rapidly due to excess heat from the oven , macarons will get browned quickly, the feet may spread outwards if the oven temperature is high.

What to do for macaron template ?

• Use the readily available macaron template, silicon baking mats with the circles already drawn in. Other option is to use a parchment paper to draw your own circles, which is what I did in this recipe. Third options is to use a printable macaron templates . If you are trying to make macaron for the first time, and don’t want to spend on a silicon mat , then I suggest you to go with second and third option.
• If using parchment paper and drawing your own circles, cut the parchment paper that fits exactly to the size of your baking pan. To make all the Macarons the same size, make a template. On the parchment paper, draw 20 number – 1 and 1/2 inch (3-4 cm) circles, spacing the circles about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Place the template paper under your actual piping – parchment paper so you can use the template paper as a guide to pipe the macarons ( you can use the template papers many times by doing it this way) . Drawing another 1 inch circle inside ( the 1 and 1/2 inch circle )  is optional ( inside circle helps to pipe to the same size).

Notes to follow for the template  :-

• Parchment Paper is best for baking and is safe to use, its silicone coating is heat resistant and non – stick.  Once by mistake I used wax paper instead of parchment by mistake, so the result I got was 98 % successful in making the macaron and that two percent got ruined by the wax paper. My macarons got stuck to the wax paper and will not peel off easily.
• Use two parchment paper over the template to line the baking tray. This helps the macarons from getting browned.
• If using Parchment paper, make sure to stick the corners of the paper to the baking pans by applying some batter. This helps the paper from sliding while piping the macrons.

Weigh all the ingredients using a kitchen scale 

Use a basic kitchen scale to weigh each ingredients separately and accurately in grams. Accurate measurements can make a significant difference in a recipe especially like macarons.

What does aged egg whites mean?

• Egg whites is key to the formation of a good meringue. Meringue is the base for making the macaron batter.
• Aged egg whites means, at least a day before making the macarons, separate the white from the egg yolk when the eggs are still cold. Cover the egg whites with a piece of paper towel which is very important (to let the whites breath ) and place the bowl in the refrigerator. Several hours before making the macarons, remove the whites from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. (This ensures that the whites will reach their full volume when whipped). Make sure the bowl you are storing the egg white is very clean and dry .
• Note – do not cover the bowl of egg whites with the lid – Covering the bowl with egg white with a lid in the refrigerator and leaving in on the counter will make it to condense. Water will be collected as droplets on a cold surface (on the lid) when humid air is in contact with it. As a result you may have water mixed with egg whites , this made it difficult for the egg whites to form stiff peaks, this was one problem I faced.
• If you do not want to deal with all the above process of making aged egg whites ? you can buy 100% liquid egg whites from the grocery stores. Its is very important to buy good known brand egg white ( see for reviews before buying) . One reason for my failure of macarons  was using unknown brands, the egg white did not foam up at all so I had to start all over again.

Sifting the almond flour and powdered sugar

If using store brought powdered sugar, make sure it should contain cornstarch. After measuring both the ingredients, Sift together many times ( at least 2 to 3 times). Sifting help the macaron develop smooth top / shell. If you find small lumps while sifting , use a  food processor / mixer and whip few seconds only and then sift it again.

What is soft peak and stiff / firm peaks and how does it look like?

when egg white and granulated sugar are whipped, peaks are formed. Once you reach soft peak consistency , keep a very close eye from then , check every two minutes to see if you have stiff peak. You can also notice tracks being formed on the meringue.

• STIFF PEAKS – means when you slowly raise the whisk, the meringue is straight up, no drooping.
• SOFT  PEAK – it means meringue will hold its shape pretty well, except that the tip of the peak curls over on itself when the wire whisk is lifted.

Storing instructions

Macarons taste best when the flavors mature for a day or two (24 to 48 Hours) in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature. Store the cookies in a air tight box in the refrigerator. Maturation time helps the cookies to deepen the flavors from the filling , moistens the shell and makes the cookies soft – chewy.

Store any leftover macarons in clean. dry airtight container in the refrigerator. Its stay good up-to one to two weeks. You could put the macarons in a zip lock and freeze it for up-to three months .

Other delicious dessert recipe, I’ve listed few below. For the complete list of recipes, Check the link here – Dessert Recipes.

• No Churn – Eggless Pistachio Gelato
• Eggless Black Forest Cake
• Eggless Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• No – Bake Semi Homemade Easy – Oreo Ice Cream Cake
• Instant Pot Beetroot Halwa Recipe
• Easy Tiramisu Recipe – No Bake Dessert
• Microwave Milk Peda | Sweet In 5 Minutes
• Easy Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies Recipe

What is the yield of the macarons from this recipe?

This recipe yields – ’25 macarons’, serves 10 to 12.

Step by step pictures for making the macarons and mango buttercream

Measure all ingredients EXACTLY USING A KITCHEN SCALE and keeping it ready which is very important. Super Finely Ground Almond Flour- 100 % Blanched Almonds, Confectionery Powdered Sugar With Cornstarch , Aged 100 % Egg Whites , Superfine White Sugar .

Have ready three good quality baking pan lined with PARCHMENT PAPER (cut the parchment paper that fits exactly to the size of the pan). To make all the Macarons the same size, make a template. Take parchment paper and draw 20 – 1 and 1/2 inch (3-4 cm) circles, spacing the circles about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Place the template paper under your parchment paper so you can use it as a guide to pipe the macarons. (Drawing another 1 inch circle inside is optional (helps to pipe to the same size)).

Aged Egg Whites – At least a day before making the Macarons separate the white from the egg yolk when the eggs are still cold. Cover the egg whites with a piece of paper towel is important (to let the whites breath) and place in the refrigerator. Then, several hours before making the Macarons, remove the whites from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. (This ensures that the whites will reach their full volume when whipped). Make sure the bowl you are storing the egg white is very clean and dry .

Make superfine white sugar by processing regular granulated white sugar in your food processor / mixer for about 30 seconds or until sugar is ground very fine.

Sift / Sieve Ground Almonds And Confectionery Sugar

After measuring almonds flour and confectionery powdered sugar , Sift / Sieve them TOGETHER at-least THREE TIMES. Place a sieve on top of a bowl and add flour and sugar little by little into the sieve and with a help of a spatula gently sift the mixture ( or using your hands simply shake the sieve and sift the flour-sugar). Do not press the mixture with your hands too much. If any remaining lumps settle in the sieve , then process it 10 to 15 seconds in the food processor/ mixer and then sieve again.

Also sift the ground white sugar couple of times using a fine meshed sieve.

Making The Meringue

Make sure your bowl of your kitchen aid mixer is VERY CLEAN AND DRY ( no oil , should not be greasy-wet) , Pour aged liquid egg whites into the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer fitted with wire whip attachment. Beat the egg white on medium – high speed for a MINUTE or JUST UNTIL FOAMY ( I went up-to 8 speed ). You will notice egg whites will becoming white foamy and will start to leave tracks .

Divide superfine white sugar into three parts . Add tablespoon of superfine white sugar at a time (Gradually add sugar while the mixer is running , I stop to click picture) and continue to beat on MEDIUM SPEED until the sugar is used up (went up-to 6 speed). Then increase the SPEED TO 8 once the sugar is incorporated and beat till the meringue just holds STIFF PEAKS ( stiff peak means when you slowly raise the whisk , the meringue is straight up, no drooping) ( It took me 5 minutes to get the stiff peak ). Do not over beat the meringue, it will BREAK . Once you get soft peak (soft peaks hold their shape pretty well, except that the tip of the peak curls over on itself when the wire whisk are lifted), keep checking every minute or two to see if you have the stiff peak. Remove the bowl attachment with the meringue from the kitchen aid and place it on the counter top. Start working fast from here.

The Macaronage – Preparing The Batter

In three additions, again sift the superfine almond flour and powdered sugar mixture over the meringue in the bowl. ONLY FOLD the mixture , cut through the meringue and then fold around in circle using a spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Fold the almond-powdered sugar mixture completely into the meringue which is called the macaronage.

Batter consistency should be THICK , when you lift spatula with the batter, it will fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon ( it will take less than a minute for this consistency) . Be careful not to over-mix, or the batter will get too runny and the cookies will spread too much while piping.

Pipe The Macarons.

With about half the batter, fill a pastry bag, fitted with 1/2 inch (1 cm) tip (I used 12 size Wilton tip). Holding the pastry bag vertically up, Pipe about ONE inch rounds onto the parchment paper ( inner 1 inch circle), using the template as a guide ( pipe on the parchment paper placed on the template). Batter will spread little more than the actual piped size. Then gently tap the baking sheet on the counter twice or thrice to break any air bubbles and use a end of a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles before the batter dries. Let the Macarons sit at room temperature for about 25 to 45 minutes (depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen)(mine took 25 minutes) or until the tops of the Macarons are no longer sticky to your fingers. Resting Time is crucial to making macarons! The air will will help the batter to set and form a dry shell. Note – Remove the template paper after piping the macarons ( holding the top parchment paper on one hand and carefully remove / pull the below template paper on the other hand).

The Baking

During the macarons resting time, preheat your oven to 325 degree F or 160 degree C. Use a external OVEN THERMOMETER to check the ACCURATE Oven Temperature ( HIGHLY Recommend USING it ). Bake the cookies (ONE sheet at a time) for about 14 – 16 minutes ( mine took 16 minutes), rotating the pans front to back, about halfway through baking (SET timer and rotate without fail for even baking).

Remove macarons from oven. The macarons should form ‘feet’, the little ruffles around the edge of the shell. When you touch the top of the macarons, it should not move around on its feet. If it does, then they are not yet done baking. Continue baking and checking at two minutes intervals, until macarons don’t move when touched. Let the Macarons cool completely on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack. When you carefully take a macaron from the parchment paper , it should come off easily. There will be some browning of the cookies which is normal.

For Making The Mango Buttercream

Ingredients required , measure and keep it ready – mango pulp, unsalted butter at room temperature, powdered sugar, food coloring (optional).

Used A Kitchen Aid to make the buttercream. In mixer bowl add room temperature butter, place the bowl in the mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment. Beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat till butter and sugar are combined. Make sure to scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the mango puree with the food coloring (Using a toothpick take the gel color and mix it into the puree). Slowly increase the speed of the mixer to high and beat until incorporated , approximately two to three minutes. Put the prepared buttercream in the refrigerator until ready to pipe. Thaw 10 to 15 minutes before piping (depending on the room temperature). Fill the buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with medium hole nozzle tip ( I used wilton 12 size tip).

Assembling The Macarons

Let the macarons completely cool down before piping any filling. Match all the same sizes cookies and arrange it on the tray, the flat side of the cookies needs to be faced up for piping. Pipe the buttercream to the center of the macaron ( do not pipe till the edge) , Take two cookies and sandwich them together with mango buttercream filling. Macarons can be served the same day they are made, but taste best when the flavors mature for a day or two (24 to 48 Hours) in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.