Ever since I really got the hang of making French macarons, I've been making them a lot...a lot a lot...and sharing about them on social media or serving them at parties. And whenever I do, someone asks how they can make them too.
And you can, really! All it takes is lots of time, a few tools, and more practice than you think you need. I rounded up some of my favorite supplies for making French macarons. (And scroll all the way down to see a really cute video my dad made about macarons!)
1. KitchenAid mixer - Not strictly necessary (as you can see in the video below, my sister and I used egg beaters on Christmas Eve), but for me, the standing mixer was a game changer. We got one as a wedding gift and have used it for almost everything we cook or bake -- but it comes in particular handy when making macarons!
2. Les Petits Macarons - My friend Brian gave me this book as a gift (in order, I think, to eat more French macarons in the future) and it's full of different flavor combinations and ideas I would have never dreamed of. But I've only just started giving these creations a try -- I'd only recommend this once you have the basics down.
3. Silicone baking mats - I'm so grateful my friend Cara gifted these to me! They're the kind of thing I don't know that I would have purchased for myself, but now that I've used them, I can't possibly imagine going back to parchment paper for these recipes. It's easy to remove the cookies once they've cooled, the mats are see-through which is crucial when using templates, and they help mellow out the mood swings of my crazy-unreliable oven.
4. Atly French macaron class - I've already written about this. You've heard how much I adore this class already. So...one more time. Take it. You won't be sorry. Atly isn't a sponsor or anything, I just truly would not have gotten this far without this class!
5. Digital kitchen scale - When you're measuring things in super finicky amounts, like 35 grams, it really takes a lot of the stress out to use a digital kitchen scale. My parents gave me one for Christmas.
6. Nesting bowls - I can't tell you how much it helps my confidence to weigh, measure, and set out all of my ingredients ahead of time.
And wow, I just realized that literally everything on this list was given to me as a thank-you, birthday, Christmas, wedding, or "just because" present. Where would I be without my friends and family?! Not eating homemade French macarons, that's for sure.
My younger sister Phoebe and I started a new tradition of making French macarons on Christmas Eve last year, and my dad made this awesome video of this year's treats! (We used this recipe -- and obviously not enough green food coloring.) You'll see a few of the things I mentioned in this list, but as we were at my parents' house, I didn't have access to all of my favorite tools.
PS - A few of the tips and tricks I rely on when baking French macarons.
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