Vanilla macarons
Macarons with a crisp shell and a soft centre, filled with a Madagascar Bourbon vanilla ganache. The classic recipe, step by step.
- Prep 45 min
- Cooking 14 min
- Total 59 min
- Difficulty Hard
The macaron pairs two smooth, crisp almond shells with a creamy filling. Our version is flavoured with Bourbon vanilla: a whipped white chocolate ganache, infused with the seeds of a whole pod.
Our family grows and prepares this vanilla in the SAVA region, in north-eastern Madagascar. Getting the macaron right comes down to a few precise steps: a well-whipped meringue, folding stopped at the right moment, and resting before serving.
Preparation
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Prepare the ganache ahead: split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Heat the cream with the seeds and scraped pod until it just starts to simmer, then turn off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
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Remove the pod, bring the cream back to the boil and pour it over the chopped white chocolate. Mix until smooth, cover with cling film touching the surface and keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
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Blend the ground almonds with the icing sugar, then sift the mixture to remove any lumps: this is the almond and sugar mix.
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Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk. When they foam, add the granulated sugar in three stages, continuing to whisk until you get a firm, glossy meringue that forms a bird’s beak at the end of the whisk.
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Pour the almond and sugar mix onto the meringue and fold it in with a spatula, scraping the sides and lightly pressing the mixture against the sides of the bowl. Stop when the mixture is smooth, glossy and forms a slowly spreading ribbon.
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Pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle. Pipe circles 3 to 4 cm across onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, in a staggered pattern.
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Leave to form a skin at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes: the surface should no longer be sticky to the touch before baking.
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Bake for 14 minutes in a preheated fan oven at 150°C, turning the tray halfway through. Leave to cool completely on the tray before lifting off the shells.
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Take the ganache out of the refrigerator and whisk it for a few minutes with an electric whisk, until it thickens and turns slightly pale, without overdoing it so it does not separate.
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Fill half the shells with ganache using a piping bag, then close with the remaining shells. Keep the macarons in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving: they are softer and more flavourful the next day.
The little extra that changes everything
Stop folding the mixture as soon as it forms a ribbon that spreads slowly in the bowl: an overworked mixture spreads out during baking, an underworked one keeps a peak on each shell. To scrape a pod properly, see how to use a vanilla pod. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pods
