What are macarons? Secrets of making macarons and fillings

January 30, 2019
Tips for tourists
Blackwhisker Rose

Have you already tried small French fluffy cookies called macarons? Immediately before your eyes, round cakes of all colors of the rainbow pop up and simply melt in your mouth. This delicacy was invented by French chefs. True, a dessert made from almond flour with such an interesting name - macaroons - has a very capricious disposition.

We will try to figure out what this is in our article. You will learn about their composition, rules for choosing ingredients, and filling. You will also understand the name of the “correct” macarons, how they are served and presented.

The main thing about macaroons

The photos in our article demonstrate to you in the best possible way what macarons are. You will find out what these small round cakes with cream filling, similar to multi-colored confetti, are made of a little later. If you take a bite of this cookie, it will surprise you with a barely audible crunch, then a sugar explosion, the fragments of which will settle on your lips, and the sweet taste of the filling, spreading on your lips. The taste of the cookie can be compared to an almond delight that fits between your thumb and forefinger. What are macarons? This is the best that French confectioners could come up with.

This favorite delicacy is enjoyed by gourmets from all over the world. Increasingly, cookies made from crushed almonds and meringue appear as dessert on the holiday table. Some people think that making macarons is very simple: just beat the egg whites, powdered sugar, almond flour and place the circles on a baking sheet. But preparing them is quite difficult. It is important to strictly follow the directions and strictly adhere to the recipe.

What macarons are and how to cook them is of interest to many contemporaries. After all, the success of cookies among family and friends depends on this knowledge. The first thing you need to make macarons is almond flour. You can prepare it yourself from dry almonds. The second important ingredient is aged proteins. The finished cookie circles are combined with cream. Food coloring is used to add color.

What macarons are currently being produced?

One of the key popularizers of macarons today is Pierre Herme. The French pastry chef and chocolatier, who became the heir to a famous family of Alsatian bakers, was even awarded the nickname “Picasso of the pastry arts.” Erme works tirelessly to create unusual macaron flavors, presenting new products to the general public. The Frenchman came up with the idea of establishing an international holiday dedicated to macarons.

The list of the most popular macaron flavors includes raspberry, mango and passion fruit, black currant, lychee, pistachio, coconut, rose, strawberry, chocolate with orange or banana. In modern Europe, macarons have become a cult dessert. They are bought for themselves and taken as sweet gifts that they are not ashamed to present to a loved one or bring with them when visiting. For macarons, special packaging is produced, where the cakes can be laid out in compact rows.

Typically, boxes for macarons are made of cardboard - an environmentally friendly material that is absolutely safe for humans. It is ideal for a low-fat dessert that does not oil the paper. Some types of packaging include a special backing with cells. Often, a window is cut out on the lid of the box and covered with transparent plastic. Macarons are a recognizable cult dessert that needs to be shown to the buyer “in person”.

Legends and facts about colored cookies

The popularity of French miracle cookies came very quickly. Connoisseurs of delicious desserts immediately tasted what maracoons were and appreciated them. Many regions of the Mediterranean dispute the right to be considered the birthplace of these cakes. But it is France that is called the place where the delicious almond delicacy took root.

One of the legends says that macarons were developed by the Carmelite sisters living in the monastery of the Nancy district. Their patron Teresa of Avila ordered to somehow diversify the meager diet in the monastery. Almonds were just supposed to cope with this task and replace meat for the girls. Soon the nuns began baking macaroons not only for themselves, but also for sale. The popularity of the delicacy has increased at lightning speed.

According to another version, it is believed that macarons were brought to France by Italian cooks. They were brought there by Catherine de Medici when she married Henry II.

History of origin

This dessert gained worldwide fame relatively recently, about seven to eight years ago. At the same time, the recipe for making such cakes was developed a long time ago. The first mentions of them are found in the 16th century in France. The famous Catherine de Medici, after her marriage to the French king, brought with her an Italian pastry chef along with her court retinue. It was this craftsman who amazed the entire high society with his unique desserts. To this day, macarons are extremely popular in France, and local confectioners have achieved unprecedented skill in their preparation.

Macaron fashion: how it happened

Look at the bright color photos of macarons. What it is can only be assessed after tasting. It is important to note that the cookie recipe has been constantly improved and continues to change in our time. At first, the cookies were glued together using hot steam, creating a cake of two halves. This dessert was crumbly, crispy, but a bit dry. At the beginning of the 20th century, confectioner Pierre Desfontaines introduced the idea of smearing macarons with chocolate cream. Dry macaroons with cream have become more noble.

Since then, many have realized that macarons are a great delicacy with various fillings, additives, flavors, and colorings. Paris became the capital of macarons. They are most widely distributed by the confectionery shops of Pierre Defaultin. They sell up to 15,000 cakes every day. Today, the fashion for macarons has spread throughout the world; sales of macaroons are resulting in mind-boggling numbers. Every confectionery house has a dozen recipes for almond dessert with various fillings.

The latest recipe is macaroons with olives, cheese, chili, gherkins, capers, goose liver, mushrooms, basil. Making macaroons has already become an art. Many housewives are experimenting with its recipe. The French even distribute this delicacy at McDonald's. So this is a very trendy dessert!

Let's figure out the correct name

It's not surprising that many people don't know what macarons are or how to cook them. After all, if you delve into their history, you can come across several names for these cookies. Sometimes it is called "macaroni", "macarons", "macaroons". In French the name sounds like this - macaron. It inspired the most common words "macaroon" and "macaroon". It is acceptable to use both names. We use the word "macarons". Everyone chooses a convenient option from these two. The main thing is to pronounce it confidently!

It's macaron!

Macarons are small, light meringue cookies, shaped like small hamburgers. They are made from egg whites, ground almonds and sugar, and baked in the oven. The resulting halves are sealed with a soft, creamy layer. It can be anything, from chocolate ganache to fruit jam. The perfect macaron is characterized by a smooth, dome-shaped top with a flat base and ruffled circles. Usually these “ruffles” are called “foot” - that is, “leg”, “leg”. However, in Russia it is most often called a “skirt”.

The macarons should feel slightly moist inside, with a crispy crust, and melt easily in your mouth, mmm. However, if you manage to prepare even the perfect macaron, unfortunately, it cannot be stored for long.

Macarons are very varied in taste. They come in fruit, pistachio, vanilla, coffee, coconut, mint, and also in cotton candy, gingerbread, or green lemon and ginger flavors.

Sometimes there are more exotic variations, such as violets, or with foie gras and white truffles. French pastry chefs even came up with macaroon ice cream! But this is not a complete list. Only the classic round shape remains permanent.

Despite its popularity in Europe and France, macarons have not had much success in the United States. One of the reasons is expensive prices.

And if it was sold at a reasonable price, it was most likely not as good as it should be: either too dry, or prepared with cheaper ingredients. But among Americans, another representative of macaroons is loved and popular - macaroon.

The secret of the “correct” macarons

We invite you to get acquainted with the signs of an ideal almond meringue with filling:

smooth, strictly round neat shape;
flawless surface, without grains or cracks;
glossy shiny halves that do not stick to your fingers;
crispy crust;
size - up to 5 cm in diameter;
tender, sweet and moist texture under the crust;
“skirt” at the bottom of the cookie;
delicate filling, slightly extending beyond the meringue.

Anglo-American vanilla macaron

The traditional American dessert “macaroon” is well known to many.
Its prototype is ordinary macaroons. According to various sources, both Foggy Albion and the United States of America can call macaron cookies their homeland. In an unequal battle for supremacy, pasta and macaroons collided long ago. Both types of cake have plenty of adherents. The recipe for making vanilla macaroon is quite simple. It can be done even in a hurry (despite the fact that this trick definitely won’t work with French macaroni). You will need egg whites, coconut and sugar. The inside of the cakes is soft and chewy. The top is covered with a crispy crust. An additional advantage is that you don’t have to worry too much about the appearance of the macarons dessert. A little carelessness will only benefit him. Speaking about the differences between cakes, we can highlight the following:

Macarons do not have a form strictly prescribed by culinary traditions: they are often poured with chocolate and cut into slices;
They usually contain grated coconut and cashews;
Sometimes macarons are prepared with filling; it could be, for example, berries, fruits or honey;
Initially they contain a small amount of fat.

In America, a popular service is the delivery of bouquets of marshmallows and macaroons. Small, originally designed coconut cookies have long been a desired gift for birthdays, anniversaries or children's parties. In addition, they can be prepared at home and do not require special skills. Only the necessary ingredients and the desire to please your loved ones.

Making miracle cookies

There are two basic recipes for making macarons: French and Italian meringue. Other cooking instructions contain a variety of additives. We offer you the easiest way to make French meringue:

Prepare 160 g almond flour, 160 g powdered sugar, 150 g sugar, three egg whites.
Sift almond flour and powdered sugar through a large sieve.
Using a mixer, beat the whites with sugar.
Add a few drops of gel dye of the desired color.
Using a spatula, gently fold the meringue and almond-sugar mixture until smooth, allowing the batter to flow continuously.
Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a round tip up to 1cm in diameter.
Place dough circles on parchment paper.
Leave the baking sheet with cookies for half an hour to form a crust on it.
Place the meringue in the oven preheated to 150°C. Cooking time: 15 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, wait until it cools, and remove the cookies from the parchment.
Glue the halves together using cream.

Macarons: cooking secrets

Revealing the secrets of creating macarons, let's start with almond flour , which is ground almonds. Without exaggeration, we can say that the result of cooking depends on its quality. Dry and well crushed - this is how it should be ideally.

Please note that almond flour is not similar to regular wheat flour in terms of storage. Keep it only in a tightly closed container and only in the refrigerator.

If it seems oily or damp, you should spread it on baking paper and put it in an oven preheated to 100 degrees. Naturally, the flour must cool before baking.

This is what almond flour for macarons looks like

IMPORTANT: Many people are interested in whether it is realistic to prepare such flour on their own. Of course, you can try, but it is very difficult to achieve industrially accurate standards regarding grinding.

However, it may well happen that you simply haven’t found almond flour. Then carefully do the following:

Remove the skin from the almonds
Place it on baking paper spread on a baking sheet
Dry the almonds for 20 or 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 100 degrees . The door should be opened slightly
Allow the product to cool
Grind it in a coffee grinder , adding a little powdered sugar
Sift thoroughly through a sieve. Do this for at least 20 minutes

IMPORTANT: The grid of the sieve must be medium.

Carefully crushed almonds are the key to successful macaron baking.
Beating the egg whites for the dough is the next extremely important point. Many chefs recommend achieving the state of “bec d'oiseau” - “bird's beak” , which is formed when the shoulder blade is removed from the mass.

A condition of whipped egg whites for macarons called bec d'oiseau

However, it is best to hold out for 10 minutes , since in some cases “bec d'oiseau” is not enough.

“Where to beat the whites?” is also an important question. Only stainless steel containers are suitable In it, the required mixture is obtained relatively quickly, does not settle, and has the required density. And nothing penetrates into the structure of such material.

IMPORTANT: Aluminum will give the mixture a grayish tint, and the proteins will begin to slide on plastic and glass. And, most importantly, plastic absorbs grease, even if the dishes are thoroughly washed. In such a container, the whites will never rise properly.

Stainless steel utensils for whipping egg whites are one of the secrets of making macarons.
Aging the egg whites is an extremely important step. Aging means that the night before baking, you need to remove the whites from the eggs, carefully separating them from the yolks , and cover the bowl with them with cling film. The bowl with its contents remains untouched all night.

This procedure helps remove excess moisture from the proteins and they whip better . Also, the aged product forms a smooth surface of the macarons, their uniform skirt.

However , do not allow the proteins to cool too much - the meringue may not turn out well. Room temperature is ideal.

The meringue still didn’t turn out strong? Try adding lemon juice or cream of tartar.

IMPORTANT: Yolks, fat, water - all this should not end up in the whites.

When baking macarons, it is highly advisable to use a special device that will separate the whites from the yolk.
For macarons, syrup is also needed. Please note that the syrup with the proteins must be prepared in parallel! And when the syrup heats up to 113-115 degrees, the whites should ideally be brought to a state of fluffy foam.

Coloring additives are included in the whipped stiff egg whites before the flour . Stir the whites and dyes with leisurely movements towards the center from the edges . And only at this time gradually add flour - this helps all components to be distributed evenly.

Many novice cooks are puzzled by how much rotation and stirring they need to do. Professionals advise doing at least 35-40 , otherwise you won’t get the much-needed airiness.

Give preference not to the currently popular silicone mats, but to baking parchment - the almond mass will not stick to it.

IMPORTANT: Do not use oil to avoid sticking - this will negatively affect the taste of the cakes.

Use baking parchment to prepare macarons.
Some chefs recommend baking macarons strictly at 180 degrees. However, do not forget that there are different ovens , and therefore the difference in temperatures can always fluctuate within 10 degrees in one direction or the other. Here you are allowed to experiment, but remember that it is better to give preference to a longer baking time at a low temperature.

In order for the skirt to turn out correctly , consider the following:

Do not let the whites sit for long before adding the almond mixture.
Do not use liquid dye.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to beat the whites to the desired state, but do not do it too vigorously - this can knock the air out of the mass.

Let the halves sit on the baking sheet before putting them in the oven - this should take approximately 20-40 minutes. Focus on their appearance - the shine should disappear.

Do not allow the almond mass to heat up in your hands - to do this, avoid squeezing it out of the pastry bag for too long.

Try to squeeze out the almond macaron mixture quickly

If, when squeezing the almond mass, air bubbles form on the halves of the future cakes, get rid of them with a toothpick.

Try to check the readiness of the macarons every minute - they should not sag. The finished cakes are hard.

IMPORTANT: Including flavoring additives in the dough will be a mistake - the structure of the dough will be disrupted. Only the filling is suitable for creating flavor shades.

It is the filling that gives the macaron its taste, and not the cookies themselves.
Some chefs like to fill macarons with ganache - a cream based on chocolate, butter, cream or milk . Please note that if you want a thicker ganache, add more chocolate. It becomes matte when cooled, so reheat if necessary.

In order for the macaron ganache to be dense, include more chocolate in the composition.

A few secrets for gluing macaron halves:

Select the halves to be glued so that they are approximately the same size.
If you decide to use a cooking bag , squeeze out the filling the size of a cherry . As an analogue, you can use a teaspoon.

The ganache from the cooking bag is squeezed out the size of a cherry.

Press down the cake halves carefully so that the filling does not spread.

IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to let the cake sit for a day before eating.

Fillings for almond cakes

Now let's introduce you to the filling. To glue the halves together, you can use jam, ganache, curd, cream, or chocolate paste. Today there are a lot of options for unusual fillers. Many confectioners fill the center with ganache made from dark, white chocolate, or coffee. Mint liqueur, fruit syrups, green tea, citrus juice, and berry puree are often used to prepare creams. Filling recipes cannot do without starch and gelatin. Soft caramel can serve as an excellent filling.

Here is an example of raspberry filler:

Take 30 ml heavy cream, 150 g white chocolate, 150 g raspberry puree.
Mix the cream with the puree and bring to a boil.
Break the chocolate into pieces, add them to the hot mixture, stir until dissolved.
Cover the cream with cling film and refrigerate for 10 hours.

Serving almond cakes

Knowing how to serve macarons correctly is a special kind of skill. Designers have developed many special stands. In coffee shops you can see various dishes and napkins for macarons. Some have been lucky enough to try macaroons on a stick. Birthday cakes are often decorated in this way. This kind of pampering looks very bright and is especially popular with girls.

For your home, you are better off buying unusually shaped plates. On them, colored meringue will look very elegant. Lay out cookies in fancy curves, non-standard lines, make “turrets” and “floors” out of them. French cakes are often used for weddings, celebrations, children's parties, and photo shoots. Confectioners pack them in beautiful decorative boxes. This is a wonderful gift for a girl along with a bouquet of flowers.

Packaging of macarons

Today there are special molds for baking macarons on sale. And their packaging deserves special attention. In Parisian pastry shops they are sold in pastel branded boxes that evoke unspeakable pleasure. They are decorated with numerous ribbons, bows, and consist of textured paper and rustling napkins. The way the macaroons are packaged greatly determines their success. Today, many chefs build their business on making macarons. It brings them a good income, and gives customers a lot of crunchy, tender and tasty pleasure.

And one more thing: macaroons, pasta and cooking for philologists

What is the correct way to say - “pasta”, “macaroons”, “macarons”, “macaroons” or something else? Let's dig into history.

Of course, now you can hardly prove what came first - the chicken or the egg, however, the facts exist: in one form or another, cookies based on whipped egg whites and almond flour exist in many cuisines of the world. That luxury to which we are accustomed, which is found on the beautiful covers of glossy culinary magazines, which decorates the windows of confectionery shops, comes from France.

In the original language, the name sounds like “macaron” (French macaron), although a simple transliteration gives “macaron”. Both words appear so often that if it were up to me, I would have said long ago: say as you want! Alas, this is not in my power, so I will quietly whisper: pronounce it as you feel comfortable, the main thing is to confidently and authoritatively!

“Macarons” and “macaroons” may sound beautiful, but they are definitely not correct: the ending “s” in the original language speaks of the plural, which is formed completely differently in Russian.

In addition to the French gourmet friend, there is also a popular American: the same whipped egg whites, powdered sugar and coconut flakes. In English, cakes are called macaroons, and here there are no two ways about it - they are pronounced exactly like “macaroon”. Or rather, “macarons,” but we’ve already decided that we won’t say that, right?

Apparently, in order not to confuse similar names (and the cookies are somewhat similar, you must agree!), two pronunciation options were popularized - macaroon and macaroon.

The “macaron” option is closer to me - after all, the word “macaron” is associated with pasta, and I don’t want to mix God’s gift and scrambled eggs into one cutlet. Although... according to one version of the origin of the name of the cakes, they are not so far from pasta. They say that there used to be a dessert soup in Italy - pieces of dough mixed with almond flour floated in it. Over time, almonds went their own way, pasta went its own, but the common name (pasta) stuck to each dish.

In general, I propose to consider the question closed: keep in mind the name that is closest to you. The main thing is to cook and enjoy. Pasta or macaroons are both a delicious topic for an article and a challenge for a gourmet. It's hard to resist.

Read: 7 delicious dinner recipes in 30 minutes

Related materials:cooking, macarons, meringues, macaroons, recipes, dough