French Macarons with Sweet Buttercream Fillings
Master the delicate French macaron — crisp, smooth shells with ruffled feet — and fill them with silky buttercream and ganache for a patisserie-worthy jewel made in your own kitchen.
Few things say patisserie quite like a French macaron — those smooth, crisp shells with their signature ruffled feet, sandwiched around a silky filling. They have a reputation for being fussy, and they do ask for care, but the technique is learnable and the reward is extraordinary: delicate, jewel-like cookies that look like they came from a Parisian window. Filled with sweet buttercream and bittersweet ganache, they turn any occasion into something elegant.
The Dry Base and Meringue
Sift the almond and sugar base until fine, then whip a glossy meringue and fold the two together to just the right consistency. This folding is the heart of the macaron — fold until the batter flows like slow ribbon, not a stroke more, and you are on your way to smooth shells with proper feet.
Piping, Resting, and Filling
Pipe even rounds, rest them until a skin forms, and bake gently so they rise into ruffled feet without cracking. Once cool, pair the shells and sandwich them with silky buttercream and bittersweet ganache — the resting step is what gives macarons their signature feet, so do not rush it.
French Macarons with Sweet Buttercream Fillings
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a heavy, rimmed metal baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (Silpat) or high-quality parchment paper.
- In the impeccably clean bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room-temperature egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
- Gradually add the granulated sugar and increase the speed to high. Beat continuously until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- During the final moments of mixing, use a toothpick to transfer the gel food coloring into the meringue, pulsing the mixer just until the color is evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar, almond flour, and kosher salt together through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard any large almond pieces that do not pass through. Sift the entire mixture a second time to ensure absolute aeration (the tant pour tant).
- Gently pour the sifted dry ingredients into the stiff meringue.
- Using a flexible silicone spatula, fold the mixture together by scraping around the edge of the bowl and pressing down through the center (the macaronage).
- Continue folding strictly until the batter is smooth, shiny, and falls slowly off the lifted spatula in a continuous, thick ribbon (approximately 50 deliberate turns). Do not overmix, or the batter will become too loose.
- Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a round ½-inch tip.
- Hold the bag completely vertical and pipe the batter onto the prepared Silpat liner, forming uniform 1-inch circles spaced 2 inches apart.
- Firmly tap the baking sheet against the counter 8 to 10 times to force any trapped air bubbles to the surface and pop them.
- Allow the piped macarons to rest undisturbed at room temperature for 30 minutes. This critical phase allows a dull, dry "skin" to form on the surface, which forces the cookie to rise upward in the oven and develop its signature ruffled base (pieds).
- Bake in the preheated 275°F oven for 9 to 10 minutes.
- Quickly rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees to ensure even heat distribution, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the shells are shiny and the ruffled "feet" have fully formed.
- Remove from the oven and allow the shells to cool completely on the Silpat before attempting to lift them with a thin spatula.
- While the shells cool, prepare the ganache. Microwave the bittersweet chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream together in 30-second bursts, stirring until completely melted, smooth, and spreadable.
- Match the cooled macaron shells into pairs of equal size. Pipe or spread a dollop of the rich chocolate ganache onto the flat side of one shell, and gently press the second shell on top to seal the sandwich.
The Heart of the Table
To set out a plate of homemade macarons is to offer something that feels like a small luxury and a real labor of love. There is a gracious, generous elegance in taking the time to make something so delicate for your guests, a way of telling them the occasion — and they — are worth the care.
The Art of the Host
Age your egg whites and rest the piped shells until they form a skin, both keys to proper feet, and let the filled macarons mature in the refrigerator for a day so the flavors meld. Bring them to cool room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: Macarons actually improve with a day's rest in the refrigerator, so they are an ideal make-ahead. Bake and fill them a day or two before, keep them chilled, and let them come to room temperature just before you serve.
- The Pour: A glass of Champagne or a pot of delicate green tea suits their refined sweetness beautifully; for a non-alcoholic pairing, a floral hibiscus or rose tea makes an elegant, fragrant companion.
- The Vibe: Arrange them by color on a tiered stand or a pretty plate for a tea, a shower, or an elegant celebration. These are jewel-like treats — delicate, refined, and made to lend a touch of Parisian grace to any special afternoon.