Description
These vanilla bean macarons are delicate French sandwich cookies featuring crisp shells, soft chewy centers, and a rich vanilla bean buttercream filling. Elegant and bakery-worthy, they’re perfect for special occasions, holidays, or gifting.
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 1 cup (100 g) almond flour
- 1¾ cups (200 g) powdered sugar
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste)
- Pinch of salt
Vanilla Buttercream Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Prepare baking sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and enable even baking.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar, discarding any large pieces to ensure a smooth batter.
- Beat egg whites: Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt until foamy to create volume.
- Add granulated sugar: Gradually add granulated sugar while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, indicating properly whipped meringue.
- Incorporate vanilla: Fold in vanilla bean seeds or vanilla bean paste gently to distribute flavor evenly.
- Fold dry ingredients: Carefully fold the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the meringue until the batter flows like lava, indicating proper consistency.
- Pipe macarons: Pipe 1-inch circles of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, maintaining even spacing for baking.
- Remove air bubbles: Tap the pans firmly on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles in the batter for smooth shells.
- Rest the macarons: Let the piped macarons rest for 30–60 minutes until their tops are dry to the touch, which helps form a proper crust.
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) to ready it for baking.
- Bake macarons: Bake for 15–18 minutes until the shells have developed “feet” and are set but not browned.
- Cool macarons: Allow macarons to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheets to prevent breaking.
- Make buttercream: Beat softened unsalted butter with powdered sugar, heavy cream or milk, and vanilla extract or paste until smooth and fluffy for the filling.
- Assemble macarons: Pipe the buttercream filling onto half of the macaron shells and sandwich them together gently.
- Mature macarons: Refrigerate assembled macarons for 24 hours to improve texture and flavor before serving.
Notes
- Weigh ingredients for best results and accuracy.
- Avoid baking on humid days as moisture can affect macaron texture.
- Mature macarons overnight for ideal chewiness and flavor development.
- Store filled macarons refrigerated up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
