Pure White Macarons

These gorgeous white macarons, filled with silky smooth white chocolate ganache, are pure dream for every macaron lover! Grab a coffee and read my recipe testing notes to get these pure white macarons.

Since my very first basic macaron recipe, I’ve shared many different flavored macaron shells and fillings. Can you tell I absolutely love baking macarons?! Even though things don’t always go smoothly and macarons come out disastrous sometimes (yes, it happens!!), they’re so worth it, because no matter how they look, they always taste delicious!

And the joy of perfect macarons is addicting too!

Anyway, today we’re baking simple macarons without any bright flavors. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity, white macarons are actually one of the biggest challenges among macaron bakers!

WHITE MACARONS RECIPE TESTING NOTES

In the quest for the best baking technique to create these beautiful white french macarons, I’ve tested 4 different methods. 

• TEST #1. Baked a tray of macarons as usual, on middle rack, for 18 minutes at 300°F.
• TEST #2. Baked a tray of macarons, on middle rack, for 18 minutes at 300°F, but placed a parchment paper over the macarons after initial 10 minutes.
• TEST #3. Baked a tray of macarons, on middle rack with an empty baking sheet place on top rack, for 18 minutes at 300°F.
• TEST #4. Added white gel food coloring in the batter and baked a tray of macarons, on middle rack with an empty baking sheet place on top rack, for 18 minutes at 300°F.

Test 1 notes: As you can see in the photo below, macarons from test #1 browned the most. 

Test 2 notes: Then macarons in test #2 browned less than in test #1, but they got awful dimple in the middle from the weight of the parchment paper. I even placed the parchment paper half way through baking, hoping that the shells are set. But even then, they still browned.

Test 3 notes: Much better result. Almost no browning!!!!

Test 4 notes: Added white food coloring definitely made a difference in brightness of the macarons. And combined with shielding the top heat, the macarons had flawless white color! Winner!!

HALLOWEEN MACARONS

And since it’s almost Halloween (and my 3-year-old thinks entire month of October is Halloween month!), I dressed some of the macarons accordingly! 

How cute are these mummy macarons and ghost macarons? I used these food-grade edible markers to draw the eyes and mouth. And drizzled melted white chocolate to make mummies. 

HOW TO MAKE MACARONS (FRENCH MERINGUE METHOD):

I love french meringue method to make my macarons! It’s the easiest no-fuss way for us, home-bakers. And once you learn to make a stable french meringue, you’ll get great results as well!

Also I think, french meringue method works especially well for those who live in a relatively dry climate. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work for those who are in humid climate. You’ll just need to dry those shells longer before baking.

I’ve shared so many tips on making meringue in this post, so I won’t repeat myself here again. But I’d like to share 3 additional tips:

1. Cream of tartar is optional, but it helps to make strong and stable meringue. But you can totally omit it, but do make sure to bring the egg whites to room temperature before whipping.
2. Add sugar sloooooowly 1 tablespoon at a time. If you add the sugar too fast, it won’t have a chance to dissolve into the meringue, will deflate the meringue and you’ll end up with weak meringue. And poor meringue causes all kinds of issues.
3. Make sure your meringue reaches hard peaks. You want to see those sharp edge and pointy ends when you lift the whisk. See photo below.

HOW TO TEST IF MACARON BATTER IS THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY

A lot of recipes, including mine, say that the macaron batter should be lava-like consistency. But what does that mean exactly?

Here’s a great way to test the consistency of macaron batter:

Scoop the batter with a spatula and drop it back into the bowl. The batter should fall in a continuous ribbon, then the next drop won’t fall immediately. And keep an eye on the ribbon in the bowl. If the edges of the ribbon dissolve into the batter within about 10 seconds, the batter is ready!

Once you pipe the shells, don’t forget to tap the baking sheets on the counter a few times to get rid of the trapped air bubbles. If needed, use a toothpick to burst the stubborn ones.

With french meringue method, it’s crucial to dry the macaron shells before baking. And don’t forget to place an empty baking sheet on top rack to shield the heat from the top and prevent browning.

So in summary…

2 key takeaways to achieve that pure white macarons:

1. Use white gel food coloring
2. Shield the heat from the top by placing a tray on top rack.

And can we just admire that perfectly fluffy and full interior! 

Ok, now that we’ve covered everything about macaron shells, let’s talk about the filling.

HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING

This simple white chocolate ganache is divine. Silky smooth and creamy, rich and indulgent!

The success for this beautiful filling lies in 3 things:

1. Quality white chocolate – I used Ghirardelli white chocolate bar and I love it.
2. Precise ratio of ingredients – The ratio of white chocolate and heavy cream is pretty specific to achieve the proper consistency.
3. Proper emulsification and stabilization – After melting the chocolate in cream, we need to emulsify the mixture to create that indulgent creamy smooth texture. And that means mixing it vigorously until smooth. Note, we’re not trying to incorporate air into the mixture, so don’t use a whisk. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a spatula instead. And finally, it’s important to let the ganache set for at least 5 hours in the fridge to thicken and stabilize. 

There you have it, perfectly smooth creamy white chocolate ganache to fill your macarons!

Enjoy!

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Pure White Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache Filling

These gorgeous white macarons, filled with silky smooth and creamy white chocolate ganache, are pure dream for every macaron lover! Grab a coffee and read my recipe testing notes to get these pure white macarons.

Yield: 23-25 filled macarons

Ingredients:

For white chocolate ganache:

• 8oz (227gr) white chocolate
• ½ cup (130ml) heavy whipping cream

For white macaron shells:

• 100gr almond flour
• 75gr powdered sugar
• 70gr egg whites (about 2 eggs)
• 75gr sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, optional
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white gel food coloring

Directions:

1. Since the ganache filling requires long chilling time, we’ll start with the filling.
2. To make the ganache filling, chop white chocolate into small pieces and place them in a heat-resistant bowl/or silicone cup like this.
3. Heat heavy cream until nice and hot. (I microwave it for about 1 minute.) Pour the hot cream over white chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes and the stir until chocolate is fully melted.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until silky smooth, which means the mixture is emulsified. Cover with a plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the ganache. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight, to thicken and stabilize the ganache. After the chilling time, ganache should be nice and thick, and hold its shape when piped!
5. To make macarons shells, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Prepare dry ingredients. Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside.
7. Make meringue. In a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk.
8. Then slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is still running.
9. Add white gel food coloring when the meringue reaches soft peaks. (Read the post above for more tips on making the meringue.)
10. Continue beating the egg whites on medium low speed until hard peaks form. When you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy shape. (See pictures above.)
11. To make batter, sift almond flour mixture into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight. To test, take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on its own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold couple more times and test again. Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP: Making french macarons is all about the technique. This is the most crucial step of all. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. If you’re beginner macaron-baker, I suggest to count every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple folds.)
12. Pipe macaron shells. Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I used this Wilton 2A tip.)
13. Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (I usually get 48-50 shells.)
14. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops.
15. Let the macarons sit out on the counter for at least 15-30 minutes, maybe up to couple hours, depending on humidity. When you lightly touch the macarons and the batter does not stick to your finger, then it’s ready to go into the oven.
16. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
17. Bake. Place the baking sheet with macarons on the middle rack. And place an empty baking sheet on top rack to shield the heat from above and to prevent excess browning. Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for about 18-20 minutes. It’ll take longer for larger macarons. To test for doneness, touch a macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move.
18. Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
19. To assemble macarons, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag with round tip. Pair the macaron shells by size and pipe a dollop of ganache on half of the macarons shells. Place the other shell on top and press lightly so the filling is spread till the edges.
20. Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature. Then bring them out about 30 minutes before serving. These macarons with white chocolate ganache also freeze beautifully.

Freezing Instructions: Freeze the filled macarons in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. To thaw, place the frozen macarons in the fridge and let them thaw slowly for at least 1 hour. Then, bring them out 30 minutes before serving.

Slightly adapted from my Basic French Macarons recipe.

All images and text ©Shinee D. for Sweet & Savory by Shinee

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