Durbar Basu Ray,

One of the most prized and most sought after, dainty tea-time treats is the French macaroon. Macaroons come in beautiful colours and go perfectly well with a cup of coffee or tea and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. One of the reasons why macaroons are so exotic is because it is difficult to get them perfectly done and also because they are delicate and fragile.

Making macaroons is time-consuming. As soon as the egg whites are stiff and ready, add the colouring or flavouring agent, fold in the egg whites a few times and then start adding the almond-sugar mixture. As you mix in the almond-sugar mixture, the colouring or flavouring agent will spread evenly into the batter.

When the mixture with the beaten egg whites, almond paste, etc is ready, allow it to sit in room temperature for about 45 minutes to an hour. The beating of egg whites can cause air to be trapped in the batter, which will come in the way of uniform baking. When all the air bubbles subside, pipe the batter and pop the macaroons in the oven to bake. You will see the macaroons get shaped into perfect discs. The baking time also allows a smooth glaze to form on the top of the macaroons.

Make sure the almond meal has no moisture in it. Use only powdered colours for the shells, as a liquid
colouring agent will affect the consistency of the macaroon.

Tap the base of the pan a couple of times after piping the macaroon batter out, just to settle them.

Make sure the macaroons are dry to touch before putting them in the oven. In a warm dry room, this can take about 15 to 30 minutes.

Don’t give up! Even the ones that don’t come out perfectly still taste good, as macaroons have almonds and egg whites that have been baked. If you don’t get the shape right, just make another batch. The process will only get quicker and easier each time.

Macaroons with fruity fillings are a rage now. So you can experiment with guava, passion fruit or mango. After all, they look just as pretty as they taste.

(The author is a pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Bengaluru.)