Sweet, subtle, and fluffy in other words perfect.
Macaroons have been a crowd-pleasing treat for years. But despite being delicious they’re also a source of endless frustration for many aspiring cooks.
Making this simple treat is surprisingly difficult because of the mixture of different textures and the need for uniform shapes for every cookie. It requires intense attention to detail, and focus to make these little cookies.
Part of making amazing macaroons is having the right tools for the job. And that’s where we come in.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make perfect macaroons then we’re here to help you find the right macron making toolkit.
1. Flour Sifter
After you’ve set up your dry ingredients you need to make sure your mixture has no lumps that will ruin the texture of your macrons.
This process serves 2 purposes: It lets you aerate the mixture and gets rid of any large clumps of almonds.
A good rule of thumb is to sift the dry ingredients at least 3 times. You can use a steel strainer or a hand-cranked sifter. The kind of sifter you choose depends on your preference.
A hand-cranked sifter is harder on your wrists and arms but overall it’s less messy and lets you work faster. Strainers are usually cheaper and are more readily available. If you use a strainer use the finest mesh you can find and work slowly to decrease mess.
2. Kitchen Scale
The secret to making perfect macaroons is precision and the best way to make sure all your measurements are accurate is using weight.
Our advice is to measure both wet and dry ingredients especially eggs. Adding to much egg white makes the batter too moist. This can lead to issues with the macrons later on.
You want your eggs to be around 30 grams per egg.
Measuring flour is one of the most important steps in baking. In our recipe, we’re measuring by weight instead of using measuring cups.
Though measuring flour by weight is the most accurate method using measuring cups can still be acceptable if you use the right technique. You do this by slowly shovel flour into the cup using a spoon and then level the top using a knife. This prevents large clumps of flour from forming and causing inaccurate measurements.
3. Silicone Spatula
Macrons require a special mixing technique called macaronage. This technique involves folding the dry and wet ingredients. By doing this you ensure your macrons have feet, a chewy texture, and a glossy shell.
These spatulas also make scraping down the sides of the bowl easier which ensures that all the ingredients are mixed properly. You should also have a smaller silicone spatula to scoop the mixture into the piping bag.
4. Pastry Bags and Pastry Tips
The pastry tip you use should be at least 1cm wide. If you’re going to form the macrons freehand a pastry bag is essential. They also allow you to add filling to the bag.
The pastry bag you get should be wide enough so that you don’t have to consistently refill the bag. You can either get disposable ones or reusable ones that are easier to clean and can hold more filling these are around 14 to 18 inches.
5. Oven Thermometer
The ultimate tools for making macaroons give you more control and precision when baking.
And the area where you need the most control is the oven. You might be thinking that you just have to set it to preheat and that’s all the prep you’ll need but unfortunately, oven heat is more complicated.
The oven temperature can change vary by up to 50 degrees per heat cycle. This will make baking macaroons a challenge. But having an oven thermometer lets you ensure that your macrons are at the perfect temperature.
6. Silicon Baking Specifically for Macaroons
When you look up how to make perfect macaroons uniformity is everything.
If you’re not the best at making perfect circles than the most helpful tool in your macaroon kit is a silicon mold. These come in a variety of different shapes and patterns that can give your cookies a unique look.
If your a beginner think of these silicone baking mats as training wheels. Once you get a little practice you can switch to using parchment paper alone to make your macrons.
7. Baking Sheet
These sheets evenly distribute heat ensuring that all your macrons are uniformly cooked. A sheet made of aluminum works well and provides a heavy backing that lasts for a long time.
If you’re using a silicon baking sheet place it on this sheet to bake your macaroons evenly.
8. Hand Mixers
Unless you’re interested in getting a good arm workout we recommend using either a hand or a stand mixer to whip egg whites for your macrons.
If you feel like you’ll be using your mixer more often than a stand mixer or a whisk might be a better option.
How to Make Perfect Macaroons: Some Extra Tips
Macaroons are fickle even if you have the perfect arsenal of cooking tools you may still have trouble making these cookies. Here are some extra ideas to help you master this sweet treat and get a little creative.
- If you’re interested in experimenting with texture try adding different kinds of nuts alongside the almonds. As long as your mixture is at least half crushed almonds the cookies the type of nuts you use shouldn’t affect how your cookies set.
- Though it may seem easier and simpler to use pre-separated egg whites resist this urge. The results you get will be uneven and may not taste as good.
- After making you macrons they need to rest for 24 hours and be eaten within at least 5 days of baking.
- You should store the cookies in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator. If you really want to save them for a long time they can freeze well up to 1 month.
Though these tips can help you make a better batch of cookies there’s no substitute for practice.
Want to Have the Perfect Kitchen?
Now that you know how to make perfect macaroons and have all the utensils you need why not make an amazing toolkit for all your baking projects?
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