5 Steps to Prep for Perfect Macarons

Macarons are a notoriously difficult cookie to master. Even with years of experience, you will end up with a bad batch every now and then. The best way to ensure your macarons come out beautifully is to prepare your kitchen for success.

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Macaron Menace

 

Who here has been purposefully victimized by macarons? *Hands go flying up* These frustratingly addictive cookies are tough little buggers, but I’ve found that the hardest part is just getting started.

Seriously! Once you start a macaron recipe, things get busy and there’s no time to deal with a messy kitchen or improperly prepared work area. That means you must prep for macaron making with a plan in mind.

 

 

Macaron Prep Checklist

 

I’m a list making, type A kinda gal, so I went ahead and made a Macaron Prep Checklist to make macaron prep soooo much easier. You can find your free copy in the Resource Library. This checklist works great no matter which type of meringue you use to make your macs.

When it’s mac time, I pull out this list and go through each item to make sure I am prepared for making successful macarons. I swear I have macaron anxiety sometimes (‘mkay, most of the time) and this list helps to calm and focus me.

 

Take It Slow

 

Until you start making your meringue, you can take it slow. Breathe, visualize how amazing your macarons are going to be, and work on this list, item by item.  

You can even watch me prep for macaron making! In this video, I’m preparing to make my lavender and blackberry macarons (recipe coming soon). Sometimes, seeing how it’s done can make all the difference.

 

 

Prepare Baking Sheets

 

Line your baking sheets with silicone mats, parchment paper, or teflon sheets. Set the prepared baking sheets aside where they are easily accessible, but not in your way. Personally, I prefer to use teflon sheets over a silicone mat.

 

Prepare Piping Bag

 

Fit a large piping bag with a medium round tip, like a #12. If you use a tip that is too large, you may have trouble controlling your piping. A medium tip also helps reduce air bubbles in your macarons.

Place the prepared bag in a tall glass (reusable Starbucks cups are perfect!) so that it is read to fill. I have small bag clips that I place before the piping tip to prevent batter from leaking and the other closes the bag once it is filled.

 

Related Reading: Classy Food for Your Tea Party

 

Mise En Place

 

Gather and measure out all of your ingredients.  Don’t begin combining your egg whites and sugar yet, but go ahead and pulse and sift the powdered sugar and almond flour.

 

Remove Grease

 

Wipe your bowl and mixer with a small amount of vinegar. If you will be piping onto silicone mats, you may want to wipe them with vinegar too. This will make sure there is no hidden fat residue that could mess up your meringue.

Can you make macarons without doing this step? Yep, probably, but this is a super quick bit of insurance to give your meringue a good shot at success. You definitely won’t taste the vinegar.

 

 

Preheat Oven

 

Set your oven to the appropriate temperature. It needs at least 30 minutes to preheat, but longer is better. If you know your oven takes forever to come to temperature, consider making this your first step. If you aren’t intimately familiar with your oven yet, I suggest getting an oven thermometer to find out how long your oven needs to properly preheat. 

 

More Macaron Tips & Resources

 

Before I made my first batch of macarons, I read every thing I could about the whole process and watched tons of videos. If you’re looking for even more macaron info, check out these other great posts:

• Notes from a macaron class on the Italian method
• Basic Macaron Tools
• Macawrong Brownies (for when things go sideways…)
• Fun Ways to Fill Macarons
• All About Meringue: Covering the Basics

 

 

Ready, Set… GO!

 

You are ready to go! Always make sure you are working in a tidy kitchen because it’s about to get messy and that always makes me feel frantic. You’re going to need space to work and move things around.

Which macarons will you make first? Personally, I suggest these Turmeric Latte Macarons, but I’m also a bit obsessed with these Almond Joy Macarons. 

 

Happy Baking!

 

My Favorite Products For Macaron Prep