Tie Dye Macarons

French macarons are one of the most beloved desserts! They're light, not too sweet, and the perfect little treat.

If you've ever tried making macarons at home, you know they can be tricky and sometimes really frustrating. Today, we are making tie dye macarons, which are a fun spin on the classic French macaron.

Even if you've made macarons in the past and had trouble, I want to help guide you through the process so you can finally master how to make French macarons.

Be sure to check out the macaron troubleshooting guide and video for additional help. As always, feel free to leave comments, so I can try to help you with any possible mishaps.

First things first, you need to know: what is a French-style macaron?

Macaron (pronounced as ma·kr·aan) is a meringue-based dessert made from egg whites, confectioners' sugar (icing sugar), almond flour, and granulated sugar. And, just so we're clear, macarons and macaroons (an American coconut cookie) are NOT the same thing!

You'll often hear macarons called 'French style macarons' and that's due to the style of meringue used in the recipe. Meringue can be made using a French, Italian, or Swiss style. Therefore, macarons can also be made in these three styles.

• Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter allows us to control the amount of added salt in the buttercream.
• Confectioners' sugar: For a silky smooth buttercream, take the time to measure it out, then sift the confectioners' sugar.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream helps to thin out the buttercream. You can substitute with half and half or whole milk if needed.
• Vanilla extract: This ingredient adds just a bit of flavor to the buttercream. You can also use vanilla bean paste as a substitute.

The first step to making tie dye macarons is mise en place. This is a French term that means 'to put in place.' It's the term chefs use to make sure they have all of their ingredients and equipment set up.

Here are the tasks you'll need to complete before baking:

• Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature.
• Measure the dry ingredients using a kitchen scale. Sift the almond flour and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl. This step ensures you have macaron shells without bumps.
• Wipe down all bowls and the whisk attachment with a little white vinegar on a paper towel to remove any leftover oils. Oil will destroy your meringue, so it's important to use an acid to remove any potential oil build-up.
• Print off a macaron template. Place the template on a sheet pan underneath a piece of parchment paper.
• Prepare your piping bag with a round ½ inch tip. Push part of the side of the piping bag into the piping tip to ensure nothing leaks out. Set the bag inside a tall glass, and pull the remaining top of the piping bag out over the outside of the glass to make pouring the batter easy and clean.

Next, it's time to make the French-style meringue.

Add room temperature egg whites to a large bowl, along with the cream of tartar. Whip on medium-low speed with an electric or handheld mixer until the eggs are very foamy. 

Then add ⅓ of the granulated sugar at a time, and increase the speed to medium-high. Adding the sugar slowly allows the egg whites time to stabilize and form a strong network.

Once all the granulated sugar is incorporated, allow the egg whites to continue to whip up on medium-high speed (around 7 or 8 on a KitchenAid mixer) until stiff peaks form.

It's really important to make sure your meringue has reached stiff peaks. If your meringue is under-whipped or over-whipped, your macarons will not turn out correctly.

Here are some visual cues you can use to know that your meringue has whipped to stiff peaks:

• You'll notice the meringue starts to ball up inside the whisk while it's mixing.
• Pull the whisk out of the mixer. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip).
• You can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out.
• The meringue feels sturdy (not flimsy).

Pour a third of the sifted almond flour & confectioners sugar into the meringue mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites using a silicone spatula. I love using this large silicone spatula, especially if I'm making a large batch of macarons.

Continue mixing until all the meringue is fully incorporated and no dry bits of almond flour remain.

Evenly divide the batter into 3 medium-sized metal or glass bowls. Add 1-2 drops of gel food coloring.

In order to color or dye your macarons, you'll want to use gel food coloring. Liquid based food coloring will not work as it will cause your batter to be the incorrect consistency.

When you're adding gel food color to your macaron mix, be sure to do so slowly. Too much food color can cause your macarons batter to be ruined. Be sure to only add a few drops at a time until the desired color is reached.

After adding the food coloring, begin working the batter until everything is fully incorporated. This is called the macaronage process. Slowly, spread the mixture along the side of the bowl, then wipe it back down. Be sure to do this gently.

Repeat this process until the mixture has reached a smooth, shiny, and flowing consistency. You can test this by lifting your spatula and seeing if the batter drops almost like lava.

Once the batter drops back into the bowl, it should take about 10-15 seconds for the ribbon that formed to "disappear" back into the rest of the batter.

The macaronage step is another crucial detail to get correct. With practice, you'll get better at knowing once it's properly macaronaged.

When in doubt, it's better to under macaronage. A batter that's too runny will not produce the macarons you're looking for.

Spoon each color of batter in a straight line on a piece of plastic wrap. Carefully fold the plastic wrap up so all the colors are enclosed. 

Then, snip off the bottom of one end of the plastic wrap and insert it into the prepared piping bag.

Hold the bag vertically, and gently pipe the batter out until it reaches the middle line of the circle template. Piping macarons takes time and practice.

Next, gently tap the sheet pan down on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. This ensures your macarons won't crack during the baking process.

Allow the batter to sit on the counter and dry for 30 - 40 minutes, just until a thin "skin" develops and you can touch the tops without ruining the macaron. This resting time will vary depending on the humidity in your kitchen.

While the macarons are drying, heat your oven to 300°F.

Once the oven has preheated, bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes on the middle rack of the oven, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking process.

If you bake your macarons and notice any wrinkled tops, cracked shells, or browning, be sure to check out my oven temperature guide for further help.

Now it's time for the fun part - making the macaron filling. To make this vanilla American style buttercream, add butter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until it's light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar in multiple batches. Once that's combined, bump up the speed to medium, and add in heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt.

Continue to mix for an additional 5 minutes on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Finally, match up the cooled macaron cookies so they are paired with a similar size/shaped cookie.

Pipe buttercream on one side of the macaron shell using a Wilton 1M tip. Gently place the matching side on top of the buttercream.