Macarons

Ingredients

Directions

1. 1
   

   Sift the almond flour finely. If it won't pass through, don't rub it with your hands — add more almond flour equal to what didn't sift and pass it again. Rubbing it through can make the shells blotchy.

2. 2
   

   Whip the egg whites into a stiff meringue, adding the sugar in three additions. Mix in the food coloring at this stage.

3. 3
   

   Adding the dry mix to the meringue in batches deflates the meringue easily, so instead add the meringue to the dry mix in two additions.

4. 4
   

   First add half of the meringue to the dry mix and fold it in.

5. 5
   

   If the batter is stiff, add the remaining half of the meringue and fold gently. Starting the macaronage while it's still slightly under-mixed keeps the meringue from deflating too much.

6. 6
   

   The macaronaged batter is right when it drops off the spatula and folds down in ribbon-like layers that settle slowly.

7. 7
   

   Pipe into rounds of the size you want (about 4.5 cm); this amount makes about 16. Let the surface dry for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

8. 8
   

   Bake in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) for 12 minutes. When done right, they lift off the tray easily and stay moist inside.

9. 9
   

   They come out smooth, with no blotches.

10. 10
    

    Cut one shell in half to check that the inside is baked through and full.

11. 11
    

    Pair up shells of similar size.

12. 12
    

    Make the ganache: melt 50 g dark chocolate with 15 g milk briefly in the microwave, then stir smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut powder if you like.

13. 13
    

    Pipe ganache onto one shell and top with another to sandwich them.

14. 14
    

    Done. They taste even better after resting in the fridge for a day.