How to Make Macarons for Beginners

This is a recipe and step-by-step-guide for how to make macarons. If you are a beginner baker and have never made macarons before, use this recipe to get the perfect macarons! The recipe for the macarons is from BuzzFeed Tasty. Link to original recipe: https://tasty.co/recipe/macarons

Macarons:

- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar

- 1 cup almond flour, finely ground

- 1 teaspoon salt, divided

- 3 egg whites at room temperature

- ¼ cup granulated sugar

- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 drops of gel food coloring

Vanilla Buttercream:

- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

- 3 cups powdered sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 3 tablespoons heavy cream

- 3 large bowls

- Egg yolk separator (optional)

- Food processor (optional)

- Sifter

- Handheld mixer

- Spatula

- Piping bag with a rounded tip

- Baking sheet

- Parchment paper

- Wire rack

The tool above is an easy way to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Crack the egg over the tool, so it catches the yolk, letting only the egg whites fall into the bowl. Another method if you don't have this tool is to use the egg shell to separate the yolk from the whites. Once the egg whites are separated from the yolk, let the whites rest for at least 30 minutes or until they are at room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor, pour the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt. When measuring the almond flour and powdered sugar, use the spoon and level method: Use a spoon to pour the flour or powdered sugar in the measuring cup, making sure not to pack, and level the excess off with the back of a knife.

Pulse the dry ingredients at least ten times. You want the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to be very fine. (Skip this step if you do not have a food processor and use a flour sifter instead.)

Pour the dry ingredients into a large bowl through a flour sifter multiple times to get out any extra lumps.

Once the egg whites are at room temperature, beat the egg whites and 1/2 tsp of salt with a hand mixer, using a whisk setting. Beat the eggs and salt until they are not transparent, and have a white, foamy texture.

Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites mixture while beating it with the hand mixer. Beat until the mixture forms peaks. If the peaks are falling over, the mixture is undermixed. The peaks should be stiff and not fall over. If the batter is mixed well enough, you can tip the bowl over and none of the mixture will fall out.

Add the vanilla and gel food coloring into the mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Add a third of the flour mixture to the liquid mixture. Mix the flour into the liquid mixture with a spatula by folding it slowly. Continue adding thirds of the flour mixture until it is incorporated. You should be able to make a figure eight the the mixture with it breaking.

Pipe a small portion of the batter into each corner of the baking tray so the parchment paper sticks to the balking tray.

Using a piping bag with a rounded tip, pipe 1.5 inch wide, in diameter, circle on the tray at least an inch apart from each other. A piping bag is preferred but if you do not have one, you can use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off. The number of macarons should be even so every cookie has a corresponding cookie to make the macaron.

Lift the tray a few inches from the counter and drop it onto the counter five times to release an air bubbles.

Let the cookies set at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

Bake the cookies for 17 minutes at 300 degrees fahrenheit.

For the frosting beat two sticks of butter that are at room temperature with a hand mixer. Mix until light and fluffy.

Gradually mix in sifted powdered sugar and beat with hand mixer.

Add vanilla and heavy cream to frosting and mix with hand mixer.

After the cookies are out of the oven and cooled. With a piping bag and whatever tip you want, pipe the buttercream frosting onto half of the cookies.

Sandwich the macarons together and enjoy!