Learning How To Make Macaron in A Professional Kitchen

Macaron is known as a tricky cookie to make. This French cookie may look dainty, but to get that signature macaron feet and texture requires certain techniques. External factors such as air humidity level also have a part in the success of making a good macaron shell. 

Although there are thousands of macaron tutorial videos on the internet, not many people can get this cookie right when they attempt to make it at home, including me. Luckily as a hospitality student, I got to do an internship as a pastry trainee a while ago and I could finally learn how to properly make macarons. Here are a few tips that I've learned making macaron in a professional kitchen:

• Make sure to sift the dry ingredients
  

Aside from breaking up any lumps, sifting also helps aerates the dry ingredients, making them lighter and easier to incorporate. This is a crucial step, especially when making macarons. If you have any lumps in the dry ingredients, you won't have a smooth macaron shell. It is also easy to overmixed a macaron batter, so aerating the dry ingredients will make it easier for you to incorporate them into the meringue and prevent overmixing the batter.

• Whip the meringue until it reaches a stiff peak

They say you'll know the meringue reaches a stiff peak if you place the bowl upside down and it stays put, but that's not the case. You know the meringue reaches a stiff peak if the tip of it stands straight when you lift up the whisk. For this, you will need to put the meringue under the whisk on a stand mixer for no less than 10-15 minutes. You'll know if the meringue is ready when it gathers in the center and looks glossy. If you use a hand mixer, then you will probably need more time. 

• Add food coloring to the meringue before folding in the dry ingredients to avoid overmixing

This is an optional stage, but I found coloring the meringue is better than adding the food coloring later in the process. When you add the food coloring after adding the dry ingredients, it requires more folding and it will risk overmixing the batter. That's why as a newbie, I found it safer to color the meringue once it reaches a stiff peak under the whisk, then folding in the dry ingredients. This is optional though, so if you're confident in your macaronage technique and will not overmix the batter, then feel free to add food coloring last.

• Rest the macaron shells for 2 hours prior to baking

Leaving macaron shells to sit at room temperature will help them form a thin skin, which will help the macaron to rise nicely in the oven and form their signature feet. This process usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour. Since Indonesia typically has a high level of air humidity, I found that leaving the macaron shells for longer is better. I usually let them sit near an oven for 2 hours and when I bake them each of the macarons will have well-formed and high feet.

• Preheat the oven 

Having a preheated oven will ensure the macaron will bake nicely. Having the right temperature set will ensure when you put the macaron into the oven it will rise nicely and the feet would not spread outwards.