Making macarons involves a lot of fine detail, and missing just one step can leave your macarons less than perfect.
The macaron is a small French sweet, but getting it right is no small task. Every step requires precision, and a slip at any point can cause all sorts of problems. Here are some not-so-secret tips you can put into practice.
Getting Beautiful Shell Colour
Macarons are known for their wide range of colours. A perfect shell should be bright and attractive, with an even colour across the whole surface. The colour almost always comes from food colouring, which is available as a liquid, a powder or a gel.
Gel colouring gives the best results, but it can cost more than other types. If you want something cheaper, liquid colouring is the one to choose. Add the colouring together with the egg whites and whip them together before adding the sugar. If the colour isn't deep enough, you can add more once the whites have reached peaks, but fold it in gently.
Baking matters too. Too high a heat can make the colour dull. If you're already baking at the right heat and the colour still looks dull, the problem may be the quality of the colouring, so try a different brand next time.
Making Shells the Same Size
Every macaron shell should be the same size. This is easy to fix if you use a baking mat designed specifically for macarons, which helps you pipe each shell to a consistent, accurate size.
Getting a Smooth Surface
A good macaron shell should be smooth. A bumpy shell may be caused by almond meal that is too coarse. The fix is to sift the almonds every time before use and to knock out air bubbles before baking. Cracked shells, on the other hand, are caused by baking for too long.
Giving Your Macarons "Feet"
A perfect macaron must have "feet", the ruffled base of the shell that rises during baking and sits against the filling. Missing feet can have several causes, such as mistakes when making the meringue (the shell batter): too little sugar, overmixing, or putting the shells in the oven before the batter has set. The fix is to let the piped batter set before baking, tap the tray to release air before it goes in, and bake at the right temperature.
With these not-so-secret tips, whichever part of the process goes wrong, you can apply the advice above to make the most perfect macarons possible.
