Step by step directions on how to make the delicate french Macaron

It's been awhile since I made my favorite macaron....passionfruit.... and since I can't get this flavor of macaron anywhere here in the city I had to make a batch for myself if I wanted some. Most people think that the flavor is in the cookie itself but actually it is mostly if not all in the filling. I love the tartness of the passionfruit to balance out the sweetness of the cookie. I love that it is gluten-free and fat-free (minus the buttercream..lol)

Most people are afraid to make this difficult and finnicky cookie but once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple. Labour intensive, yes, but so worth it!!!!


You will need the following ingredients:


1 cup fine almond flour (I get mine from Provisions by Duchess here in Edmonton)
2 cups of powdered sugar


3 egg whites (best at room temperature)
pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp egg albumin powder (from Provisions)
1/8 tsp of food coloring powder


1/4 cup butter (softened at room temp)
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp. freezed dried passionfruit powder




Start by measuring out 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 cup of almond flour (make sure your ingredients are good quality ingredients because that will help you succeed in making these macarons) and sift them together into a measuring bowl and set aside.

Next crack 3 large egg whites into a large mixing bowl (eggs are best at room temperature so take them out and leave them on the counter for a few hours before hand or you can soak them in warm water to warm them up), add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar,  1 tsp of egg albumin powder, and 1/8 tsp of food coloring powder. Start whipping the eggwhite mixture on low and slowly turn up the speed. Mix until egg whites start to stiffen and soft peaks are formed (like a meringue)

Slowly incorporate the almond flour mixture into the whipped egg whites (sifting through a sieve once again....to avoid lumps) and mix evenly together with a spatula. This process is called "macronage" where you incorporate the two mixtures together until it becomes the consistency of molten lava....thick gooey but still flows. This is the hardest step...since it is hard to know what to look for if you've never made them before and it is easy to over mix and the macarons will crack and not look pretty. It will take practice to get used to knowing when to stop mixing but the more you make them the easier it will be to get the "feel".

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper (You can use a stencil to draw circles to make your macarons even consistent shapes when you are piping). Next fill your piping bag (with a simple round tip)with the macaron mixture....I find it very helpful and less messy to put your piping bag inside a tall glass (in this case a beer glass was perfect) and fold the edges over to hold up the bag so you can fill the bag cleanly.

Next pipe out even round circles 3cm wide  spaced 2 cm apart onto the parchment. One trick to do after piping is to tap the bottom of the cookie sheet (pretty hard) to get out any air bubbles. I usually tap with my hands first then bang the sheet on the table top to make sure. This next step is very important in the success of your macarons and will help create "feet" on your macarons....you HAVE to let it rest for at least 30-45 minutes....you cannot not rush this process.

Once the macarons have rested, it should have 'dried' and formed a skin so that if you touch it gently with the tip of your finger, it should not stick to your finger. Place 1 sheet at a time (do not bake more than 1 cookie sheet at once) in the center middle rack of the oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes....depending on your oven temperature. Keep an eye on it, and take it out as soon as the edges start to turn brown. Let it cool completely for 15-30 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Once you have all your macaron cookies baked, you need to 'twin' them....find the closest matching mate  and pair them together. We're almost there.....

Next is the filling...you can pretty much put anything in the middle from nutella, to jam, salted caramel, buttercream....anything your heart desires:)....it truly is a fat free cookie if you eat it on its own or with jam.


My basic recipe for a buttercream filling is  1/4 cup of butter softened at room temperature and 3/4 cup or powder/icing sugar and I add 1 tablespoon of the freeze dried passionfruit powder and whip it all together. You may add more or less passionfruit powder depending on how tart you like your buttercream to be. You may substitute the passionfruit for other flavors that you wish but I always find myself liking the passionfruit the best.

I hope I was able to simplify this recipe enough for you so that you feel like this is something that you can try yourself. Good luck!!!