French Macarons

DIRECTIONS:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. When egg whites are foamy, add salt and continue to whisk.

Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is still running. Allow the sugar to dissolve after each add.

If you’re making colored shells, add food coloring when the meringue reaches soft peaks. Continue beating until hard peaks form.

Sift almond flour mixture into the meringue. Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight. Be careful not to over-fold or under-fold the batter.

Transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets.

Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter 3 times to get rid of any air bubbles. Let the macarons sit out on the counter for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely before filling.