How-To: French Macaron

The macaron is a fancy cream-filled sandwich cookie that will fill your soul with joy in a single bite. Colorful and flavorful – macarons are one of the most popular cookies in the world. Each individual cookie is considered a “macaron shell” and its signature pillowy lift is the result of properly beaten egg whites. When it comes to making macarons, their delicate form may seem intimidating. Thankfully, with some help from our friends at Pastreez and Monin Fruit Purées, the process is much simpler! Follow the step-by-step guide below for an easy recipe you can try at home, created by Pastreez, an online French bakery, owned by two Parisian Chefs.

STEPS FOR MAKING FRENCH MACARONS

1. Gather the ingredients for shells. We’re talking about the Macaron shells here. Remember macarons are shells with filling inside. The filling will be made afterward. Here is all you need to make about 96 shells (48 macarons).

2. Gather ingredients for filling. Start by adding 200g (7oz) of white chocolate chips to a small glass bowl. The size of the chips does not matter since we will be melting them down. Do the same with 90g (3oz) of heavy whipping cream in a separate small glass bowl.

3. Grow your French meringue: Add the egg white into a stand mixer or into a bowl with a hand mixer. Mix until you get a cloudy/foamy texture.

4. Mix your meringue with almond flour and powdered sugar. Tip #1: Mix until you can draw the number "8". If you can see it, it means you have the right texture, and the batter is for the next step. Tip #2: Do not overmix! You would release the oil in the almond flour, and your recipe would be ruined.

5. Pour the batter into a piping bag, and pipe your macarons, either on a silicone mold or parchment paper.

6. Place your pan sheet in the oven at 300F for 15 minutes.

7. Once your shells are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool down.

8. While you are waiting for the shells to cool, you can prepare your macaron filling with the ingredients we put aside in step #2. Melt the chocolate chips with heavy cream (see step #2), add 50g of your choice of Monin Fruit Purée (here we used Monin Strawberry Pureé), and mix it all together.

9. Let the filling cool down for a better texture, then pipe it between two shells……and voilà!

Pro Tip: Don't serve the macarons right away! The filling needs at least a day to spread into the dry shells, and allow the macaron signature taste: the perfect balance between a hard outside and a soft inside. We’d like to thank our friends at Pastreez for sharing this delicious recipe with us! Located in California, Pastreez is an online French bakery owned by two Parisian Chefs. The store offers macaron delivery and crepe delivery wherever you are in the United States. Every single one of these French pastries is 100% handcrafted and carefully packaged to ship fresh.