French Macarons & Petite Sweets Recipe

Prepare dry ingredients

Weigh and sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a large bowl at least twice to ensure there are no lumps. Discard any large particles. Set aside.

Age and warm egg whites

If using freshly separated whites, leave them loosely covered in the refrigerator for 1–3 days (optional). About 30 minutes before starting, bring 4 aged egg whites to room temperature on the counter.

Make Italian meringue

Combine 50 g granulated sugar with 50 g water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil until it reaches 118°C (244°F) on a candy thermometer. While the syrup heats, place the room-temperature egg whites and 1 tsp cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form. When the syrup reaches 118°C, with the mixer running on medium-high, slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the whites, avoiding the whisk. Continue whipping until the bowl has cooled to lukewarm and the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks (about 5–7 minutes).

Color and combine

If using gel color, add it to the meringue and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gently fold one third of the sifted almond/powdered sugar mixture into the meringue using a flexible spatula to lighten the mixture. Add the remaining dry mixture in two additions and macaronage: fold and press the batter against the side of the bowl until it flows in a thick ribbon and when lifted it settles back into the batter in about 10–15 seconds. Be careful not to overmix.

Pipe shells

Fit a piping bag with a 1 cm (¾ inch) round tip and transfer batter to the bag. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mat. Pipe rounds about 3.5–4 cm (1.5 inches) in diameter, spacing 2–3 cm apart. Rap the trays firmly on the counter 2–3 times to release any air bubbles. If peaks remain, pop them with a clean damp finger.

Rest shells

Let the piped shells rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes, until a skin forms on top and they are no longer tacky to the touch. Rest time varies with humidity; in humid conditions it may take longer.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 14–16 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. The shells should rise and develop feet; they will be set and easily lift off the parchment when done. If they crack or don’t have feet, adjust oven temperature +/- 5–10°C next time.

Cool

Allow shells to cool completely on the tray (10–15 minutes) before removing to a rack.

Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

Heat 120 ml heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute to soften the chocolate.

Gently stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Add 20 g cubed butter and 1 tsp corn syrup (if using) and stir until incorporated and shiny. Allow ganache to cool and thicken to a pipeable consistency (about 30–45 minutes at room temperature or chill briefly, stirring occasionally).

Transfer ganache to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pair macaron shells by size. Pipe small mounds of ganache onto half the shells and sandwich with the matching tops, pressing gently to spread the filling to the edges.

For best texture, refrigerate assembled macarons in an airtight container for 24 hours to mature, then bring to room temperature before serving.

Make tartlet dough (pâte sucrée)

In a food processor, pulse 160 g all-purpose flour, 40 g confectioners' sugar and 0.25 tsp salt to combine. Add 90 g cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 cold egg yolk and 1 tablespoon ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together. Do not overwork. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Blind-bake tartlet shells

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Cut rounds slightly larger than your mini tartlet pans (about 7.5 cm). Gently press dough into tartlet pans, trim edges. Prick bottoms with a fork, line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12–15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 5–7 more minutes until golden and set. Cool in pans on a rack.

Prepare lemon curd

In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, whisk together 90 g granulated sugar, zest of 2 lemons, juice of the lemons (about 120 ml), 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and registers 75–80°C (167–176°F) or coats the back of a spoon (about 8–10 minutes). Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and zest if you prefer smooth curd.

Finish curd

While the curd is still hot, whisk in 60 g cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, until completely incorporated and glossy. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and cool to room temperature, then chill until firm enough to pipe (about 1–2 hours).

Assemble tartlets

When tartlet shells are cool and curd is set, spoon or pipe curd into each shell. Garnish with a fresh berry and a light dusting of powdered sugar, and/or sprinkle a few chopped toasted almonds if desired.

Arrange macarons and tartlets on a platter. Lightly dust tartlets with the 1 tsp powdered sugar and top with fresh berries. Sprinkle chopped toasted almonds over tartlets or around the plate for texture.

Store assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3–5 days; bring to room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving. Tartlets are best served the day they are filled (curd can be refrigerated separately up to 5 days).