Cupcake Jemma’s Italian Meringue Macarons
Classic French macarons made with a stable Italian meringue method. Finely ground almonds and icing sugar are combined with egg whites, then folded with glossy meringue made from a 118°C sugar syrup. The piped shells are rested before baking to create smooth tops, crisp shells and the characteristic macaron feet.
Classic French macarons made with a stable Italian meringue method. Finely ground almonds and icing sugar are combined with egg whites, then folded with glossy meringue made from a 118°C sugar syrup. The piped shells are rested before baking to create smooth tops, crisp shells and the characteristic macaron feet.
Ingredients
7 ingredients- 205 g icing sugar
- 190 g finely ground almonds
- 144 g egg whites, divided into two 72 g portions
- 60 ml water
- 190 g caster sugar
- Gel or paste food colouring, optional
- Ganache, buttercream, curd or another firm filling, as needed
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scales
- Food processor
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small heavy-based saucepan
- Sugar thermometer
- Silicone spatula
- Piping bag
- 1cm round piping nozzle
- Flat baking trays
- Parchment paper or silicone macaron mats
- Cocktail stick
- Oven thermometer, recommended
Substitutions
Ground almondsFinely milled blanched almond flour
Use the same weight and sift it thoroughly.
Gel or paste food colouringOmit it
Liquid colouring is not recommended because it can loosen the batter.
Ganache or buttercream fillingLemon curd, jam or another firm filling
Avoid very wet fillings, which may soften the shells too quickly.
Method
24 steps- Line two or three flat baking trays with parchment paper or silicone macaron mats. Fit a piping bag with a 1cm round nozzle.
- Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor. Pulse briefly until the mixture is very fine, taking care not to process it long enough for the almonds to release oil.
- Sift the almond and icing sugar mixture into a large mixing bowl. Discard any coarse pieces that remain in the sieve.
- Add one 72g portion of egg whites to the almond mixture. Stir with a spatula to make a thick, smooth almond paste.
- Add food colouring to the almond paste if using. Choose gel or paste colouring rather than liquid colouring so the consistency is not diluted.
- Place the remaining 72g egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Put the caster sugar and water into a small saucepan. Heat without stirring and monitor the temperature with a sugar thermometer.
- When the sugar syrup reaches about 110°C, begin whisking the egg whites at medium speed until they become frothy.
- As soon as the syrup reaches 118°C, remove it from the heat.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot syrup down the inside of the bowl, avoiding the moving whisk.
- Increase the mixer speed and whisk for about 5–6 minutes, until the Italian meringue is glossy, holds a soft peak and has cooled to around room temperature.
- Mix one generous spoonful of meringue firmly into the almond paste to loosen it.
- Add the remaining meringue and fold gently with a silicone spatula, scraping around the bowl and cutting through the centre.
- Continue folding only until the batter falls from the spatula in a slow ribbon and gradually settles back into the mixture. Avoid overmixing.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared piping bag.
- Holding the bag vertically, pipe evenly sized rounds onto the prepared trays, leaving about 2.5cm between them.
- Tap each tray firmly against the worktop several times to release trapped air. Pop any visible surface bubbles with a cocktail stick.
- Leave the piped macarons uncovered for approximately 30–60 minutes, until the surface feels dry and does not stick to a fingertip.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. For the most reliable result, check the temperature with a separate oven thermometer.
- Bake one tray at a time for approximately 12 minutes.
- Check the shells gently. If the tops still slide separately from the bases, bake them for another 1–2 minutes.
- Slide the parchment or silicone mat off the hot tray and leave the shells to cool completely before removing them.
- Pair shells of similar size. Pipe a small amount of ganache, buttercream, curd or another firm filling onto one shell and sandwich it with a matching shell.
- For the best texture, refrigerate the filled macarons in an airtight container overnight, then allow them to return towards room temperature before serving.
Helpful tips
- Weigh every ingredient accurately because small differences can significantly affect macaron batter.
- Use clean, grease-free bowls and whisks when making the meringue.
- Do not over-process the ground almonds because released almond oil can spoil the shell texture.
- Pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixer bowl rather than directly onto the whisk.
- Stop folding once the batter flows in a slow ribbon and begins settling back into itself.
- Keep the piping bag vertical to create round, evenly shaped shells.
- Tap the trays after piping to remove air bubbles that could crack during baking.
- Rest the shells until a dry skin has formed before putting them into the oven.
- Macaron ovens vary considerably, so confirm the actual temperature with an oven thermometer where possible.
- Do not remove warm shells from the parchment because their bases may stick or tear.
- Filled macarons usually improve after resting overnight in the refrigerator.
Storage
Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes before serving. Unfilled shells can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month; thaw them while still covered to reduce condensation.
Additional tips
- Contains egg and almonds. The filling is not specified by quantity, so the displayed nutrition covers one pair of macaron shells only and excludes all filling. Any filling must be added separately when assessing calories or allergens.
Turn any YouTube recipe into a beautiful, printable recipe card.
Get 6 free recipes every month.
