I cannot believe I learned how to make Vanilla Bean Macarons.
You will not believe how incredibly easy these Vanilla Bean Macarons are to make.
Okay, so let me tell you how I feel in love with macarons. I remember when I first started really noticing them on the foodie scene, which was about 5 years ago. I would see them all over the place. On food blogs, in bakeries, and even cooking shows but they would look like nothing to me. Macarons look like cute, petite, pastel colored Whoopie Pies. Like, what is the big deal?! How good can these Macaron cookies be? They aren’t gooey, they are sticky, and they hardly smell like anything! Macarons always seemed like the “Mean Girl” version of cookies. That is until recently!
Two weeks ago, I was invited by the Ohio Poultry Association to a blogger event in Columbus, OH where I had the opportunity to learn, first-hand, how the eggs in Ohio are produced, packaged, and delivered. While attending this event and being educated on the farming industry, my new food blogger friends and I had the chance to try several dishes where eggs were the star of the show! We started off being served delicious dishes such as Turkey and Asiago Frittata, Cloud Eggs, Huevos Rancheros with Eggs, BLT Ranch Pizza with Eggs, and Homemade Custard Parfaits. If that wasn’t enough, we attended a progressive four-course meal where we attended four of the most amazing restaurants in downtown Columbus, OH. It wasn’t until the final course, dessert, where my mindset about Macarons changed forever.
We finished our meal in a beautiful small neighborhood park in German Village in downtown Columbus, OH and there I saw a box of beautiful Macarons and my first initial thought was, “Are you serious? These things?” There was a box of Macarons from a bakery in Columbus called Pistacia Vera (if you are in Columbus and have never been there, you are missing out) and glasses of Prosecco. Through my hesitation and secretly rolling my eyes in my mind, I tried one The first Macaron I tried were Vanilla Bean Macarons. I don’t think I put into words the stupidity I felt when I tried these French cookies of how delicious they were! They look pretty but these little babies pack a mean punch of flavor and deliciousness. Oh, my goodness Macarons are AMAZING!
These Vanilla Bean Macarons are insanely good!
When you bite into them they are soft, slightly chewy, and, my favorite part, the slight crisp bite of the Macaron. It all works. The French have done it again! I know there is this ongoing argument amongst the most elite of foodies who are the better cooks. The Italians or the French. Although I will not be a part of that debate, I would like to take the time to thank the French for their contribution in this regard and communicate to them that I hope I made them proud in my attempt of making these Vanilla Bean Macarons.
First, let me say, it took me 4 times to make these to get them right. I don’t want to scare you because they are really not that complicated to make, nor do they take a lot of time. The reason it took me so many attempts is that I wanted to try different baking times and I don’t think I whipped my eggs whites good enough the first time I made them. So to make sure. It was really by my second attempt I had them figured out, but I wanted to be sure before I presented them to you guys and I have it figured out.
I watched a few videos on How To Make Macarons that helped me to understand different techniques and how to properly make my Vanilla Bean Macarons. There are two techniques I found. One using powdered sugar and the other using simple syrup. According to Annie Eats, she loves the simple syrup method, but I don’t find anything wrong with making macarons by sifting together the powdered sugar and almond flour. You can make your own decision about which is better. I put together a recipe video that I hope will serve as a visual aid on how to make these Vanilla Bean Macarons. But to fully understand how to make them read the recipe thoroughly. Don’t be nervous about making these Macarons. I promise it is not that difficult. Let me know they turn out, but I know they will turn out great!
Macaron Cookie Template
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Vanilla Bean Macarons | RECIPE VIDEO
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 24-26 1x
Description
These Vanilla Bean Macarons will have you melting in your seat. Full of vanilla flavor and a recipe video tutorial, these Macarons are amazing and easy!
Ingredients
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- ¾ c. almond flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ c. sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 tbsp. Vanilla extract
- BUTTERCREAM FILLING
- 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ c. shortening
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. Salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse together the powdered sugar, almond flour, and pinch of salt for about 1 minute. Pour the dry ingredients
in a separate bowl. - In a large bowl using a handheld or standing mixer on medium speed, whisk the eggs whites until frothy and slowly begin to add the ¼ c. white sugar. Continue to beat the egg white until soft peaks have formed. Once the egg whites are at soft peaks,
af the vanilla bean scrapings and the vanilla extract. Beat on medium to high speed until stiff peaks have formed. This could take several minutes. - Add about ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the egg whites and very carefully with a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients with the egg whites. Continue to add the remaining dry ingredients to the egg whites. Once all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, continue to gently fold and press the batter against the side of the bowl to help remove some of the air.
- Use a piping bag, cut the tip of the bag and insert a round tip in the opening. Spoon the batter into the bag.
- Place a silicone mat or parchment paper on top of a baking sheet. If you are using macaron template, place the template under the silicone mat or parchment paper. Begin to pipe the batter inside of the macaron template. Remove the template. Bang the baking sheet on top of the counter to remove excess air. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. The macarons are ready to bake once you are able to touch and a skin has been developed. Preheat oven to 325 Degrees.
- Bake macarons for 13-15 minutes. You will see the small feet on the bottom of the cookies Set aside to cool.
- In a separate large bowl, blend together the butter and shortening. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well mixed. Add the pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and vanilla beans and mix until blended.
- Once the cookies have cooled, begin to fill with buttercream using a butter knife or a piping bag. Serve as desired or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
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