Intro

Macarons have a reputation for being temperamental, and I won’t pretend they’re not fussy — but they’re fussy inpredictable ways, and once you understandmacaronage (that’s the folding stage) they stop being scary. This is the French method: a plain meringue folded into almonds and icing sugar. Get the batter to “flowing lava,” rest the shells until they form a skin, and you’ll get those smooth tops and little ruffledfeet.

At a glance

  • Makes: ~24 filled macarons(base for the scaler)
  • Prep: 30 min ·Rest: 30–60 min ·Bake: 16 min
  • Difficulty: Advanced (but learnable)
  • Pillar: The Bake → French Fridays / The Craft
  • Themes (dietary): gluten-free · contains egg, tree nuts (almond), dairy (filling)

Ingredients

Shells

  • 100g ground almonds
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 75g egg whites, aged overnight and at room temperature weigh, don’t count
  • 75g caster sugar
  • pink gel food colour(gel, never liquid)
  • optional: 1 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder, sifted in

Raspberry filling(white-chocolate raspberry ganache)

  • 150g white chocolate
  • 60ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberry powder

Method

  1. Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar together twice; discard any big bits.
  2. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time to a stiff, glossy meringue. Add the gel colour now.
  3. Macaronage: fold the dry mix into the meringue, pressing the batter against the bowl, until it falls in a thick ribbon that melts back in about 10 seconds — “flowing lava.”This is the make-or-break step. underfolded = lumpy, overfolded = flat.
  4. Pipe 3–4cm rounds onto lined trays. Tap the trays firmly to release air bubbles.
  5. Rest at room temperature 30–60 minutes, until a skin forms and they’re dry to a light touch.
  6. Bake at 150°C / 130°C fan / gas 2 / 300°F for 15–17 minutes, until the feet are set and the shells don’t wobble. Cool completely on the tray.Macarons are oven-specific, so treat this as your starting point: if the shells brown or crack, drop 10°C; if the feet won’t set, give them another minute or two.
  7. Filling: warm the cream, pour over the chocolate, stir smooth, add raspberry powder; chill to a pipeable ganache. Pair shells by size and sandwich.
  8. Mature in the fridge overnight — they’re better on day two.

Allergens & swaps

  • Contains: egg, tree nuts (almond), milk (filling).
  • Naturally gluten-free — a lovely one to tag for the gluten-free theme page.
  • Nut-free: macarons rely on ground almonds; there’s no reliable swap, so signpost readers to a nut-free bake instead rather than promising a substitute.

Baker’s notes

Weigh the whites — this is a ratio recipe, not a “2 eggs” one. Humidity is the hidden enemy; on a damp day the skin takes longer to form. If they crack, it’s usually not enough rest; if they’re hollow, it’s usually overfolding or too hot an oven (both are their own FAQ pages).