Macaron Shells:

Nutella Filling:

How to Make Macaron Shells:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the almond flour on a baking sheet and toast it for 5 minutes. This helps to dry it out and enhance its flavor. Allow it to cool completely before proceeding. Once cooled, sift the toasted almond flour together with the powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve. This crucial step removes any lumps, ensuring perfectly smooth macaron shells. Set this mixture aside.
• In a clean, dry stand mixer bowl (or using a hand mixer), begin beating your egg whites on medium speed for about 30 seconds until they become foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat on high speed. Continue beating for approximately 4 minutes (using a KitchenAid mixer is ideal for this) until you achieve stiff, glossy peaks. The meringue should be firm and hold its shape when you lift the whisk, but still have a slight droop, indicating it’s not over-beaten.
• Gently fold the sifted almond flour and cocoa powder mixture into the meringue using a rubber spatula. This process, known as macaronage, is vital. Fold until the batter reaches a “lava-like” consistency – it should flow slowly and continuously off your spatula in a ribbon, but not be too runny. Transfer the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe out uniform circles onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone macaron mats. Once piped, firmly bang each baking sheet 4-5 times on your counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Allow the macarons to rest and dry at room temperature for 15-30 minutes, or until a light skin forms on top (they should not stick to your finger when gently touched). While drying, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Bake the macarons for precisely 9 minutes. Avoid baking two pans at once to prevent uneven baking and cracking.

It’s surprisingly easy! The secret lies in powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar). This type of sugar naturally contains cornstarch, which acts as an instant and effective thickening agent. When you whip Nutella with powdered sugar, the cornstarch quickly absorbs moisture and provides the necessary structure, creating a stable, pipeable filling that holds up beautifully in your macarons without needing any butter or chilling.

Achieving brown or beige macaron shells is typically done through the addition of a coloring agent to the dry ingredients. For a natural and delicious chocolatey brown, cocoa powder is your best friend! You can also use other dried chocolate mixes like hot chocolate powder, mocha mix, or even finely ground cappuccino mix for varied flavor profiles and shades of brown. These additions not only lend a beautiful color but also infuse the shells with delightful chocolate or coffee notes.

After countless batches and learning from every error, I’ve gathered some crucial insights to help you avoid common macaron failures. Here’s a quick recap of things that can go wrong and how to prevent them:

• DO NOT over-beat the meringue! This is perhaps the most critical step. Over-beaten meringue can result in hollow shells, a bumpy texture, or difficulty with macaronage. For a Kitchen-Aid mixer, beating for precisely 4 minutes on high speed usually yields perfect stiff, glossy peaks that still have a slight “hook” when you lift the whisk.
• My specific recipe works best with COLD egg whites. While many recipes call for room temperature whites, using cold ones here ensures the right meringue consistency for the specified beating time. If you use room temperature egg whites, you’ll likely need to reduce the beating time slightly to avoid over-beating.
• The ideal meringue consistency should droop down just slightly when picked up with the whisk. This “soft peak with a slight bend” consistency is perfect for easy piping and will result in smooth macaron tops. Over-beaten meringues will be very stiff, making them difficult to fold and even harder to flatten by banging the pan, leading to cracked shells.
• Exceed no more than 9 minutes of baking time. The longer macarons bake, the drier and more brittle they become. You want a delicate crisp exterior with a chewy interior, not a hard, dry cookie!
• DO NOT bake two pans at a time! This is a lesson I learned the hard way. Baking multiple trays simultaneously, especially one below the other, often causes the bottom macarons to puff up excessively and crack. This is likely due to uneven heat distribution and steam buildup, disrupting the delicate baking process. Always bake one tray at a time for consistent results.
• And last but not least, this recipe works best for medium to large-sized macarons. Tiny macarons tend to dry out too quickly at this baking time and temperature, so be aware when piping.

Mastering macarons takes practice, but understanding these common pitfalls will significantly increase your success rate.