Today during the demonstration at Williams-Sonoma, the theme was Parisian desserts. How can you do a Parisian desserts based class and leave out their most famous sandwich cookie, Macarons.

Macarons are essentially just meringue and almond flour/meal. They are then flavored and filled with a variety of flavors, jams, ganaches, buttercreams, and so much more. When you take a bite of one of these little morsels, it’s like biting into a delectable little cloud. That’s how they get you, before you realize it you’ve already eaten a dozen!

Parisian Macarons

2 Cups of Almond Flour

1 2/3 Cups Powdered Sugar

7 Egg Whites at room temperature

½ Tsp of Cream of Tartar

1 Cup Granulated sugar

¼ Cup Water

Procedure:

1. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. Whisk the whites on high speed until they begin to froth. Once the whites are foamy, turn the speed to low and begin slowly integrating the powdered sugar in stages. This is so that you do not deflate the whipped whites.
3. While whipping the egg mixture, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Swirl the pan do not stir. Once the mixture is rapidly boiling and reaches 240 F, slowly stream the hot mixture into the whites with the mixer running. Be sure to pour without hitting the beater or the side of the bowl. This step prevents hard sugar crystals from being incorporated into the final mixture.
4. Once you achieve stiff peaks, add in the almond flour ½ Cup at a time. Once fully mixed you can divide the mixture and begin flavoring.

**TipTime: The peaks should be super stiff. If you hold the bowl upside down over your head and it doesn’t fall on you, it’s ready. If not, happy cleaning.

Flavor options:  If adding flavored powders such as cocoa powder do so by adding ¼ cup of said powder. Zest of citrus 1 tbsp, or extracts  1-2 tbsp

5. Preheat the Oven to 350F.
6. On a half sheet pan place a piece of parchment or silpat. Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, pipe rounds of the batter about the size of a quarter spaced ½ inch apart to cover the sheet.
7. Bake on the top rack for 4 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake another 4 minutes. The macarons should not brown or really take on any color, but they should be crisp, dry, and hollow.
8. After cooling the cookies, you may choose any filling you like. Buttercream, chocolate ganache, curds, and jams are all acceptable for sandwiching your macarons together.

Bon Appetite!