Intro

Macarons (the delicate French sandwich kind — not to be confused with amacaroon, the coconut one) have a reputation for breaking hearts. I won’t pretend they’re not fussy, but here’s the reassuring part: they fail inpredictable ways. Cracks, hollows, no feet — each has a cause you can learn to read and fix. This guide gathers my macaron masterclass, the bakes that show them off, and the technique behind every step, so the mystery turns into method. Bake them for their own sake, or borrow them as a bakery-window finish on cupcakes and cakes.

Start here — the masterclass

  • Raspberry French macarons — the full step-by-step: the French meringue, the all-importantmacaronage, resting for feet, and a white-chocolate raspberry ganache. Naturally gluten-free.This is the one to learn first.

Macarons as a finish

Once you can make shells, they become the prettiest décor:

  • Red velvet cupcakes with macaron tops — a mini macaron crowning each cupcake.
  • Chocolate celebration cake — macarons and fresh berries over glossy ganache (bake it at home).
  • Prefer us to make the celebration cake for you? That’s ourbespoke cakes service — an enquiry-and-quote, made to order (never a “buy now”). The link above is the free at-home recipe; the bespoke gallery is the made-for-you version.Two different things — kept separate on purpose.

The Craft — the make-or-break steps

Weigh, don’t count. Macarons are a ratio (equal almonds, icing sugar and — near enough — whites and caster sugar). A “medium egg” isn’t precise enough.(See:macaron ratio.)

Build a stable meringue. Whites to soft peaks, then sugar a spoon at a time to stiff and glossy. Gel colour only — liquid throws off the balance.(See:meringue (French).)

Master themacaronage. Fold until the batter falls in a thick ribbon that melts back in about ten seconds — “flowing lava.” Underfolded is lumpy; overfolded is flat. This one step decides more than any other.(See:macaronage,ribbon stage.)

Rest for a skin. Leave the piped shells until dry to a light touch — that skin is what forces the rise up intofeet rather than out.(See:macaron feet.)

Mature them. Filled and rested overnight in the fridge, the shells soften to the right chew. They’re genuinely better on day two.

Glossary — the terms, defined

Each links to its own page (DefinedTerm schema):

FAQ

Each also lives on its own page (FAQPage schema):

Free-from

The shells arenaturally gluten-free — a lovely one for that theme page. They arenot nut-free (ground almonds are structural, with no reliable swap), so rather than promise a substitute we signpost readers to anut-free bake instead.(Dietary themes only — never a packaging theme on a bake.)

The Kitchen — tools that make macarons easier

Recommended, not sold by us —affiliate links out to partners; buying through them supports the site at no extra cost.

  • Asilicone mat or macaron template for even, same-size shells(theme: reusable) — add partner link (rel="sponsored").
  • Piping bags + a plain round nozzle — add partner link (rel="sponsored").
  • Digital scales (0.1g if you can) — add partner link (rel="sponsored").
  • Anoven thermometer — macaron temperatures are unforgiving — add partner link (rel="sponsored").

Affiliate recommendations only, never in our cart. The one thing that goes through checkout is our own ebooks.

Go deeper — the ebook

Ebook CTA (placeholder — wire up once published). e.g.“Macarons, Mastered” — every step, the troubleshooting tree, and flavour pairings. Sold on-site, instant download.Commerce model: on-site cart via our payment provider (Stripe / Lemon Squeezy), not affiliate. Button:Get the ebook → — a real buy flow (the only place we use one).

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