Smooth, footed almond meringue shells by the French method, ready to sandwich with ganache, buttercream or jam. Weigh everything.
French Macaron Shells
Baking
Cookies bars
Vanilla: Extract
Medium
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Smooth, footed almond meringue shells by the French method, ready to sandwich with ganache, buttercream or jam. Weigh everything.
Prep
40 min
Cook
16 min
Cooling
15 min
Total
1 hr 11 min
Yield
24 cookies
Diet
Dairy free
Ingredients
Adjust yield
cookies
Scales from a half to a double batch. Laminated and yeasted doughs are easiest to handle one batch at a time; bake extra pans in rounds.
- 1 ¾ cups (200.0 g)powdered sugar
- 1.0 cup (110.0 g)almond flour, superfine
- 3.0 (100.0 g)large egg whites, aged overnight at room temperature
- ¼ cup (50.0 g)granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp (0.5 g)cream of tartar
- 1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together twice; discard any coarse bits. Line two sheets with parchment.
- Whip the whites with the cream of tartar to soft peaks, add the sugar gradually and whip to stiff, glossy peaks; whip in the vanilla.
- Fold the almond mixture into the meringue in three additions, then keep folding until the batter flows from the spatula in a thick ribbon that settles in 10 seconds.
- Pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds, tap the sheets hard on the counter and rest 30 to 45 minutes until a skin forms. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 14 to 16 minutes until the feet set and the tops do not wobble. Cool on the sheet.
Tips
- Underfolding makes peaked shells; overfolding makes flat ones. Stop at the 10-second ribbon.
- Filled macarons need a night in the fridge to soften; eat within 3 days.
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Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to make french macaron shells?
Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 16 minutes of cooking, plus 15 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 48 shells (24 macarons).
How should I store french macaron shells?
Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Can I make french macaron shells ahead?
The dough keeps 3 days in the fridge; bake fresh the day you need them.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.
69
Calories / serving
2.3g
Fat
11.4g
Carbs
1.4g
Protein
10.5g
Sugar
Whole recipe (24 servings): ~1656 cal · 55g fat · 274g carbs · 34g protein · 252g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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