French Macaron Shells

These finicky little cookies are what made my little dessert business so successful. Being one of the best sellers, I can safely say that practice makes (almost) perfect. They may give you a migraine, but once you get them right you'll feel accomplished & determined to perfect them. They're very versatile & make lovely gifts & favours. At the end of the post, I've included a YouTube video I did which shows each step of the process. DISCLAIMER: The video was shot with my iPhone 6S & is definitely NOT professional. Enjoy! :)



Ingredients:
1. 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2. 1 1/8 cup almond flour
3. 3 large egg whites
4. 6 tbsp white sugar

Method:
1. Sift powdered sugar & almond flour together. Set aside.
2. Whip egg whites, starting on low speed & gradually increasing the speed to the highest.
3. When egg whites start to form foam, start adding white sugar (in 2 batches)
4. Continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed, but not too stiff as they make it difficult to fold & may result in hollow macarons with very big, ugly feet.
5. Once egg whites are properly whipped, fold dry ingredients into the meringue in 2 batches, gently folding but making sure to take some air out of the whipped egg whites.
6. Continue folding until batter starts settling within itself in about 5 seconds. If nothing happens after 5 seconds of leaving batter alone, continue folding.
7. Once properly folded, pour batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (my favourite is the Wilton #12)
8. Lay stencil on baking tray (optional) & rest a sheet of parchment paper on top.
9. Pipe macarons onto baking sheet.
10. Remove stencils & secure parchment paper to baking sheet by placing a tiny bit of batter on each corner to glue them together.
11. Either hit the bottom of the tray with your bare hands until air bubbles are popped & peaks are gone or drop the tray on a flat, strong surface.
12. Bake at 300 degrees F for 16 to 19 minutes.
13. Fill & enjoy!


Tips:
1. Practice makes perfect!
2. The "perfect" meringue consistency for me is when the whipped egg white mixture forms a little curl when held straight. It should not topple over & melt back into the meringue on the beater.
3. In my experience, I get the best results making them in air conditioning. This helps the meringue whip nicely & assists in forming a skin & making them on a rainy day is no issue as humidity is their worst enemy.
4. When filled, letting them sit for 24 hours allows them to moisten & this is when they're at their best!
5. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right the first time :)