Quick Macaron Recipe – Swiss Method + Oven Drying

This is a life-changing macaron recipe (at least for me it is!🥰)  I’ve been baking macarons for 13+ years and I’m still learning new techniques.  I’ve come up with a recipe & method that takes under hour to make a batch of macarons, this includes the time it takes to prep, mix, dry & bake.  If you’ve made macarons before, you know that just drying the macarons before baking usually takes 30+ minutes, so to get everything done under an hour is mind blowing 🤯  I’ve tested this method with ≈30 batches to make sure it was consistent, because the technique is very unconventional.  I use the Swiss meringue method, which creates a more stable meringue compare to the French method, but it’s much quicker and easier to do compared to the Italian meringue method.  I also use the stand mixer to partially mix the macaron batter + use the oven to dry the macarons before baking.  Yes, it sound’s crazy, but it works – it only takes 3 minutes 30 seconds to dry the macarons!  I’ll share the few tips & tricks I’ve learned along the way, hopefully it helps you out – with macarons, you just have to be persistent and figure out the techniques that work for you – and perfect macarons will just come with experience.

Tips & Tricks:

🌸 Using a kitchen scale (purchase here) is a must to measure out all the correct proportions

🌸 If you’ve made buttercream or anything with oil/fat in your mixing bowl recently, wipe down your bowl and whisk with a paper towel that has a little bit of vodka or vinegar on it to remove any residue – any type of fat may inhibit the egg whites from forming stiff peaks.  Make sure the egg whites you are using have absolutely no yolks in them.

🌸 If the weather anything above 50% humidity, you may have issues making macarons, the meringue may not form stiff peaks or the shells won’t dry which will result in cracked macarons.  You can monitor the humidity inside your house using a Digital Hygrometer

🌸 If you’re new to baking macarons, it’s a good idea to watch this short clip of what stiff meringue  should look like.  Indulge with Mimi also has a good video on what the batter should look like (macaronage)

🌸 An oven thermometer (purchase here) is also important to have, so you can make sure you oven temperature is accurate or if it’s inaccurate you can adjust the temp to compensate.

🌸 Baking times will vary slightly depending on your oven, the baking pan you use and if you use parchment vs silicone mat vs teflon sheet.

🌸 Only use Gel Food Coloring or Powdered Coloring for macarons, liquid food coloring will add water and  has a negative effect on the batter 

With this recipe, you want to mix until stiff peaks form.  The meringue should be stiff enough that it clumps up inside the whisk  and it has long stiff peaks.  If the peak is drooping, it’s under mixed, if the peaks are short and pointy, it’s over mixed.

When the batter is ready, it should flow off the spatula in a single ribbon & start to blend back into rest of the batter within 10 seconds.  If it’s under-mixed, you usually end up with points or lumps on top the macacrons and very hollow shells.  When they are over mixed the macarons will turn out too flat and have little or spread out feet.  Indulge with Mimi also has a good video on what the batter should look like (macaronage)

I use a Wilton #12 Tip 5/16 in with a pastry bag to pipe the macarons. It may seem like a small detail, but using the proper size tip will help with the success of your macarons.  Watch this short video clip from Mimi on how to pipe macarons, it also shows you what the batter should look like once it’s piped

With a silicon mat / silpat you get the most perfect circular macarons and the interiors usually turn out fuller and softer. I usually avoid using parchment paper, because the macarons turn out uneven. If you only have parchment, flatten it out as much as possible.

This batch was baked on a Teflon Sheet, I typically get slightly higher feet compared to a silicone mat, but they seem to come out more crisp compared to ones baked on a silicone mat (they also cook a little faster on a teflon sheet). Here is a 1.5 inch macaron template you can use under parchment or a Teflon sheet.   Print out 2 copies and tape them together, the template has 40 circles and is designed for a standard baking sheet. 

While the macarons rest in the fridge for 24 hours, the interior of the shells will slightly soften and the flavor of the filling will meld with the shells.