Well, May 13 was my 38th birthday, and my kids wanted to make me my favorite dessert: macarons. I’ll admit, I’ve always heard these little French cookies are notoriously tricky to master, but as I tell my girls when we face a challenge, “We can do hard things!” So, macarons we did make.
I’d never made macarons before, and diving into the recipe from the Squishmallow Cookbook with my girls was both fun and a little nerve-wracking. There were a few bumps along the way-the cookies came out a bit gritty, and the filling didn’t quite hit the mark. (Honestly, next time I think I’ll whip up a quick chocolate buttercream for the center.) But the taste was spot on, and the process made for a memorable birthday.
Genevieve’s macarons recipe
Here’s the recipe and steps we followed from the Squishmallow Cookbook, in case you want to try them at home!
Ingredients (makes about 30 macarons)
For the macaron shells:
- 175g (6¼oz/1¾ cups) ground almonds
- 175g (6¼oz/1¾ cups) icing (powdered) sugar
- 130–150g (4½–5¼oz) egg whites (save 2 yolks for the filling)
- A pinch of salt
- 175g (6oz/generous ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- ½ tsp green food colouring paste
For the chocolate filling:
- 100g (3½oz) dark (bittersweet) chocolate, chopped
- 50g (1¾oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 125g (4½oz) unsalted butter, softened
Equipment needed
- Food processor
- Sugar thermometer
- 2 large baking sheets lined with silicon baking mats or baking paper
- 2 large piping (pastry) bags fitted with 1cm (½in) plain nozzles
Step-by-step instructions
1. Prep the piping bags:
Twist one of the piping bags just above the nozzle and sit the bag in a large jug so the top is folded back and open wide.
2. Blitz dry ingredients:
Tip the ground almonds and icing sugar into a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sift into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Separate eggs:
Tip half of the egg whites and the salt into a large heatproof mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and set aside.
4. Make sugar syrup:
Combine the caster sugar with 2 tablespoons of water and set the pan over low–medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook to 118°C (244°F) on a sugar thermometer. Meanwhile, start whisking the egg whites until stiff and white but not dry.
5. Add syrup to egg whites:
Slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites, whisking continuously on slow speed. Increase the speed and whisk for about 2 minutes until cooled, glossy, and stiff.
6. Combine with almond mixture:
Add the remaining egg whites to the almond and icing sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Mix in the food colouring paste.
7. Fold in meringue:
Using a rubber spatula, fold one third of the meringue into the almond mixture until smooth. Add another third, fold in, then the remaining meringue. The mixture should resemble thick molten lava and hold a ribbon trail for about 5 seconds.
8. Pipe and rest:
Scoop the mixture into the piping bag and pipe 30 even-sized macarons onto each lined baking sheet. Bang the sheets on the counter to pop air bubbles. Let them sit for about 30 minutes until a light skin forms on the surface.
9. Preheat oven:
Preheat to 150°C/170°C/325°F/gas mark 3
10. Bake:
Bake the macarons for about 15 minutes until well risen and crisp with well-defined “feet.” Cool completely on the baking sheets.
11. Make the chocolate filling:
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and remove from heat. Combine the caster sugar, egg yolks and 1 tbsp water in another bowl over simmering water, whisking for about 3 minutes until pale and thickened. Remove from heat, whisk until cool, then beat in the butter a little at a time. Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag and let cool to thicken before piping.
12. Assemble:
Turn half the shells flat side up, pipe with a teaspoon of chocolate filling, then top with another shell. Press gently so the cream is visible from the sides. Place on a tray, cover, and chill overnight before serving.
Storage:
Will keep in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What we learned
- Gritty texture: Our cookies were a bit gritty. Next time, I’ll try blitzing and sifting the almond meal even more thoroughly.
- Filling: The chocolate filling was a bit fussy and didn’t set as nicely as I hoped. I’ll swap it for a simple chocolate buttercream next time for ease and kid-friendliness.
- Fun factor: Even with some imperfections, making macarons with my kids was a wonderful birthday memory. The process was a great reminder: We really can do hard things together.
If you’re thinking of tackling macarons with your kids, go for it! They might not be bakery-perfect, but they’ll be made with love-and that’s what counts.
Editor’s note: If you have a recipe to share, we’d love to hear from you! Just send it to [email protected].
