Matcha Macarons Recipe

Recipe at a Glance

Makes 20 to 24 sandwich cookies. Active time 1 hour, rest and bake time 1.5 hours.

What You Need

For the shells: - 1 cup (100g) almond flour, finely ground - 1.75 cups (210g) powdered sugar - 1.5 tbsp (9g) culinary grade matcha - 3 large egg whites, aged at room temperature for 24 hours - 1/4 tsp cream of tartar - 3 tbsp (36g) granulated sugar

For the matcha buttercream filling: - 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened - 1.5 cups (180g) powdered sugar - 1 tsp culinary matcha - 1 to 2 tbsp heavy cream - Pinch of salt

How to Make the Shells

1. Age egg whites: separate eggs and leave whites uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours. This reduces moisture and produces more stable meringue. 2. Sift almond flour, powdered sugar, and matcha together three times. Discard any large pieces that do not pass through the sifter. 3. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks. 4. Add the dry ingredients to the meringue all at once. Fold using the macaronage technique: press the batter against the sides of the bowl and fold from the bottom. Continue until the batter flows like lava and a ribbon falls from the spatula and disappears in 10 seconds. 5. Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe 1.5-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. 6. Tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter 3 to 4 times to release air bubbles. 7. Rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes until a dry skin forms -- the surface should not stick to your finger. 8. Bake at 300F (150C) for 14 to 16 minutes. The feet (ruffled edges) should form after 5 to 7 minutes. 9. Cool completely on the pan before removing.

Matcha Buttercream Filling

Beat softened butter until fluffy. Sift in powdered sugar and matcha. Add heavy cream and salt. Beat on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Pipe onto the flat side of half the shells and sandwich with the remaining shells. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving -- this is called maturing and significantly improves the texture.

Troubleshooting

No feet: batter was undermixed, shells did not rest long enough, or oven temperature was too low.

Cracked tops: batter was overmixed, shells did not rest long enough, or oven temperature was too high.

Hollow shells: oven temperature too high, or batter was overmixed.

Sticking to parchment: underbaked. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer.