Italian Macarons

4.95 from 55 ratings

Learn how to make perfect Italian macarons! My step by step tutorial & detailed recipe will help you master these delicious cookies.

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Rest Time30

Total Time1 8

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 20 macarons

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Italian Macarons

160 g finely ground, blanched almond flour 1 2/3 cup
160 g powdered or confectioners sugar 1 1/4 cups
120 g egg whites, room temperature - divided 4 large egg whites
160 g granulated sugar 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp
40 g water 3 Tbsp
a pinch cream of tartar - optional 1/4 tsp
gel food coloring - optional

White Chocolate Ganache Macaron Filling

170 g finely chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips 1 cup
95 g heavy whipping cream, room temperature 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp

Instructions

White Chocolate Ganache

I like to fill these macarons with white chocolate ganache, but you can use any type of filling you prefer! The white chocolate ganache filling needs about 4 hours to set, so I recommend making it first! It can also be made up to a week in advance. I usually make it the night before.
Place 170g of white chocolate in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Pour 95g heavy cream into a heat-proof bowl and heat in 15 second intervals in the microwave until it just begins to bubble (this usually takes me about a minute). If you don't have a microwave, heat the cream over a medium-high heat in a saucepan until it starts to bubble and steam.
Pour the heavy cream over the white chocolate. Make sure all the white chocolate is submerged beneath the cream. Let the mixture sit for a couple minutes.
Use an immersion blender or a spoon to mix the ganache until the mixture has come together and is smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap flush against the ganache and place the bowl in the fridge to chill.

Italian Macarons (adapted from my friend Matt Adlard's recipe)

Next, make the Italian macaron shells. Sift 160g almond meal and 160g powdered sugar into a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in 60g of egg whites. Fold the mixture together until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Next, heat 160g granulated sugar and 40g water in a pot over medium heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side.
Heat over a medium heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, pour the remaining 60g of egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed.
Add in 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar to help stabilize the meringue and continue to mix at a medium speed until soft peaks form.
Continue cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches 238°F/114C°. Then slowly pour the syrup between the edge of the bowl and the whisk attachment while mixing on a medium speed. The syrup might splatter a bit around the bowl as you pour, but that's ok! Just do your best to avoid having the syrup hit the whisk attachment.
Once the syrup is fully mixed in, increase the mixing speed to a high speed and mix until glossy, stiff peaks form (this usually takes me 6-7 minutes). There should be a tiny bend in the peak of your meringue when the whisk is lifted. If you want to color your macarons, mix in the gel food coloring during this step. Then mix the meringue into the almond/powdered sugar mixture in two additions.
Once the meringue is mixed in, fold the batter in a circular motion until thick ribbons of batter run off the spatula when it is lifted. Be careful not to over-mix the batter!
Transfer batter to a large piping bag fit with a medium sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds on baking sheets lined with silpat mats, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C, then let the macarons rest for 30 minutes to allow a skin to form. They should look matte and be dry to the touch once they're ready to be baked.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and let the macarons cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

Assembling These Italian Macarons

Place the ganache in a piping bag fit with a large round piping tip. It should be thick enough to scoop into the piping bag and hold its shape.
Pipe a thick dollop of white chocolate ganache on one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top of the ganache to create a sandwich.
If desired, drizzle a bit of white chocolate over the macarons and top with rainbow sprinkles.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then let them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes and enjoy! Store any leftover macarons in the fridge.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes about 40 macaron shells, which can be used to make 20 macarons. You can double this recipe to make more macarons if needed. Just make sure you use a large enough mixer to whip up that much meringue!

The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 1/2 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Italian Macarons

Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps, and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
Use gel food coloring to color these macarons. If you try to use liquid food coloring, it can throw off the consistency of the batter.
Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
FIRMLY bang your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevents cracked or hollow shells.
Rest the macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
Pipe a small number of macarons on a mat to test your oven for hot spots and see if it bakes accurately. This way, you won't waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
Let your filled macarons mature in the fridge overnight! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
If your macarons don't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!

Making These Italian Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

French macarons need to mature overnight (or ideally 24 hours) in the fridge before being eaten! They taste best 24 hours after being made.

Macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Filledmacarons can be frozen for up to a month, but the length can vary based on the filling.

Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.

Nutrition