Macarons are the perfect French treat. Hailed as a difficult (but decadent dessert cuisine) macarons are actually quite easy to make once you nail down the technique. Watch the video for step by step instructions as to how to make these orange macarons!
I am not sure I recall the first time I was introduced to macarons but I remember when I had my first orange macarons. We visited a shop in Georgetown near Washington DC while shopping for my wedding dress.
The orange macaron had a bright orange shell (not sure if it had orange extract in it – realistically, you do not need orange extract if your recipe is done properly), but it was filled with orange buttercream frosting. I was determined after visiting that shop to establish a foolproof macaron recipe and I am happy to say that I have with this!
Macaron recipes generally share similar components, i.e. a powdered sugar mixture, a macaron filling, almond flour, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and voila, perfect macarons will be born. Baking macarons is intimidating at first but I promise if you follow the seps, you will become so much more comfortable with it. Once you nail down this recipe, you can play with macaron flavors and have plenty of successful macarons! Let’s dive in.
FAQ
What tools do I need for these orange macarons?
You will need (in addition to your ingredients):
- rubber spatula
- baking sheets
- medium bowl or a large bowl
- piping bag (if you do not have a pastry bag then a Ziploc bag can act as a piping bag)
- stand mixer (if you do not have a stand mixer then a hand mixer)
- whisk attachment
Troubleshooting Making Macarons
- You can use room temperature egg whites but it is not necessary. If you find your macaron shells are not yielding the results you want, then give it a try.
- You need to use fresh egg whites, do not use carton egg whites. They will not yield the results you want. They will crack very easily and not be the beautiful macaron shells that you are used to.
- How do I get rid of air bubbles in my macaron shells? Can you release air bubbles?
You get rid of air bubbles by hitting the baking pan against a flat surface and by making sure that the macaron batter is smooth. - It looks like a macaron shell has beaked at an angle. Why is this?
This is likely that the heat of your oven is uneven. Sometimes to solve this problem, I put a baking tray on the top rack of the oven. - Are there macaron tips for piping bags?
No. You just need an open ended piping bag- it will form a circle as you pipe - My filling is oozing out, why is this?
You need to let macarons cool before you fill macarons. If you do not, the filled macarons will soon become empty macarons. Properly assembled macarons will be done when the shells are cool and you do not overuse the filling. - My egg whites are not stiff peaks. How can I make stiff peaks form?
See above, make sure you are using the correct type of egg whites. Make sure that no yolk or fat has gotten mixed in to the egg whites. If you follow the instructions, it should work out just fine! - Help, I only have almond meal and not almond flour. What do I do?
You’re in luck! Almond flour and almond meal are exactly the same thing! The name is fairly interchangeable. - My macaron batter seems not smooth, can it be fixed?
Sometimes it just requires a bit more mixing. However, it can also be indicative that your almond flour and powdered sugar were not made fine enough before being folded into the egg whites.
How can I store my orange macarons?
You can freeze macarons so long as they are in an airtight container. I suggest an airtight container and not a ziploc bag because an airtight container will protect them. You can freeze them for up to three months. If you want, they can be kept on the counter for a few days and or in the fridge for up to a week.
Can you flavor macaron shells?
Yes. In many recipes you can definitely flavor macaron shells. All you do is add the spice you like to the egg whites. Some flavors I really love are chai, ground up pistachios, cinnamon, etc. You can really play around with it once you get a handle on how to make French macarons.
Can you color French macarons shells?
Yes, however, you need to be careful as to what type of food coloring that you use. The gel food coloring is what you want and not the liquid food coloring. Liquid food coloring can cause issues with your egg whites and after all the trouble you go to to get them looking so beautiful, you do not want anything to get in the way of that.
Another option is to use powder food coloring if you want those vibrant flavors. Again, I still do not feel that they will give you the same “wow” factor as the orange food coloring (the orange gel food coloring) but you can play around with it and see exactly what it is you like!
Can I add a topping to these orange macarons?
If you want to add a topping to your orange macaron shells you can. You just need to be careful as to what it is because you do not want your orange macaron shells to break in the process. The orange macaron will get its flavor from its filling, but, what pairs beautifully with an orange macaron is chocolate. Macaron flavors often will combine some of our favorites and orange and chocolate is a classic.
If you want, you can make a chocolate ganache (you can add this to the center of the macaron filling along with the curd) or you can place a dollop on top before serving to someone. Chocolate ganache can be a bit heavy though so you can also do a chocolate drizzle. In order to do this, you can take dark chocolate and melt it. You will want chopped chocolate in order to speed up the melting process. Melt the dark chocolate either on a pot on the stove and or in the microwave in 30 second increments. If doing so in the microwave, stir every 30 seconds until it comes together. Drizzle is on top of the shells. If you want to infuse even more orange flavor with the chocolate, you can add some orange marmalade to the mix!
How do you dye macarons without food coloring?
The simple way to do this without food coloring is with ground up natural food coloring sources (such as beetroot powder if you wanted something in the pinkish tones). You will not get the same vibrant colors that you would if you use synthetic gels but if you want to be more health conscious, then, this is the way to go!
What ingredients do I need for my orange macarons?
- 2 large egg whites (you need to make sure that no yoke gets into the whites- it will not allow the egg whites to properly rise)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (also known as confectioners sugar)
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoon almond flour
- 5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- Orange Curd, this is for your filling
- gel food coloring (this is optional)
- Baking mats and or parchment paper
How do I make orange macarons?
- Place your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add your whisk attachment. Start them on a low speed and make your way up to a medium speed. At first the egg whites will foam, and then the egg whites whip up and begin to really come together. Add your cream of tartar. Start the machine on medium. Once the egg whites begin to look frothy, change it up to high speed. Once you see stiff peaks form in the meringue, add your granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time. To see if your meringue truly does have stiff peaks, we do the meringue test. Take your bowl, flip it upside down. If the meringue stays in its place, it is ready. If you are adding orange gel food coloring you would add it now before you stop whipping the egg whites.
- While your egg whites are beating, mix together your almond flour and powdered sugar. If you want to make sure they are super fine, pulse the together in your food processor and use a sieve to sift them.
- Once your egg whites are ready add one third of your dry mixture to the whites. You are going to want to gently fold them in the shape of a “J”. This means to cut down the middles of the bowl with your spatula, and curve up as you would a J. Continue to do this until all of the dry mixture is incorporated. You want your mixture to be smooth and to slide off of the spatula. Once it is like that, transfer the macaron batter it to a piping bag.
- In order to get perfect circles, you may want to use a baking mat with circles printed on it (these are easily found on amazon). Pipe your filling onto the baking mat or parchment paper (place these on your baking sheet before you bake them).
- You are now going to bang your baking tray against the counter. 5 x per side. This will allow the meringue to flatten and get rid of any potential air bubbles. Once you have done this, you need to let the macarons rest. Letting the macarons rest is a fundamental step. By letting the macarons sit, you allow the shell to harden just slightly and this helps with the bake in the oven.
- Set your oven to 310°F, when ready, place macarons in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 11-13 minutes. You will want to see little “feet” grow on them. This is the little extra bit that bubbles up when they bake under the top part of the shell. Once you haver removed your shells from the oven, allow them to cool completely.
- Once the macaron shells have cooled completely, place a bit of the orange curd on one macaron shell, and then place the top on it. Gently press together and you now have successful macarons!
What if I do not have curd and still want an orange creamsicle filling?
For this macaron recipe, I love the curd filling. However, if you do not want to make orange curd, then you have a few options!
- For your orange macarons make an orange buttercream frosting! For this, you will need room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and here is where we can make a choice. you can add blood orange juice and make a blood orange buttercream filling. If you do use blood orange juice, it will likely give you a beautiful color. You can use regular orange juice to get the orange macarons flavor that you are craving. (Blood oranges are in season for a short period of time every year so if you do give this a go, take advantage!)
- If you want just a hint of orange flavor, try adding orange zest to the buttercream frosting.
- Don’t want orange flavor at all? But want citrus flavor? Then add lemon juice to your buttercream frosting!
- If you want something kind of fun and whacky, you can add orange marmalade to the filling instead! You can also add orange marmalade to your buttercream!
How do I make orange buttercream?
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons juice, orange juice, blood orange juice, lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- orange zest * optional
- While your macarons are cooling on the baking sheet, make the buttercream. Take the room temperature unsalted butter and beat in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer (or you can make it by hand but you will need either a medium bowl or a large bowl). Turn the speed to zero and add your powdered sugar. Start the machine back up slowly and make your way up to a medium speed. Beat them together for 5 minutes.
- Add your juice and continue to mix together. If you find that the mixture is not thick enough and is too “watery” for your liking, add more powdered sugar. If you find the opposite and that your flavor is not exactly where you want it to be yet, you can add more orange marmalade, orange zest, more blood orange juice, etc. Do not add too much of any one thing at a single time because once it is done, you cannot go back. Making macarons can seem overwhelming at first but they come together quite easily, and if you are making a buttercream to go with them (such as a blood orange buttercream filling) you won’t be disappointed with your finished macarons. If you do go with a buttercream filling, it will put the orange creamsicle flavor over the top (if you happen to be a fan of orange creamsicle, then this may be the best option for you!).
Looking for other orange recipes?
Orange Curd
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones
Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins
Orange Olive Oil Cakes
Orange Bundt Cake
Orange Macarons
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites you need to make sure that no yoke gets into the whites- it will not allow the egg whites to properly rise
- 1 cup powdered sugar also known as confectioners sugar
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoon almond flour
- 5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- Orange Curd this is for your filling
- gel food coloring this is optional
- Baking mats and or parchment paper
Instructions
- Place your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add your whisk attachment. Start them on a low speed and make your way up to a medium speed. At first the egg whites will foam, and then the egg whites whip up and begin to really come together. Add your cream of tartar. Start the machine on medium. Once the egg whites begin to look frothy, change it up to high speed. Once you see stiff peaks form in the meringue, add your granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time. To see if your meringue truly does have stiff peaks, we do the meringue test. Take your bowl, flip it upside down. If the meringue stays in its place, it is ready. If you are adding orange gel food coloring you would add it now before you stop whipping the egg whites.
- While your egg whites are beating, mix together your almond flour and powdered sugar. If you want to make sure they are super fine, pulse the together in your food processor and use a sieve to sift them.
- Once your egg whites are ready add one third of your dry mixture to the whites. You are going to want to gently fold them in the shape of a “J”. This means to cut down the middles of the bowl with your spatula, and curve up as you would a J. Continue to do this until all of the dry mixture is incorporated. You want your mixture to be smooth and to slide off of the spatula. Once it is like that, transfer the macaron batter it to a piping bag.
- In order to get perfect circles, you may want to use a baking mat with circles printed on it (these are easily found on amazon). Pipe your filling onto the baking mat or parchment paper (place these on your baking sheet before you bake them).
- You are now going to bang your baking tray against the counter. 5 x per side. This will allow the meringue to flatten and get rid of any potential air bubbles. Once you have done this, you need to let the macarons rest. Letting the macarons rest is a fundamental step. By letting the macarons sit, you allow the shell to harden just slightly and this helps with the bake in the oven.
- Set your oven to 310°F, when ready, place macarons in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 11-13 minutes. You will want to see little “feet” grow on them. This is the little extra bit that bubbles up when they bake under the top part of the shell. Once you haver removed your shells from the oven, allow them to cool completely.
- Once the macaron shells have cooled completely, place a bit of the orange curd on one macaron shell, and then place the top on it. Gently press together and you now have successful macarons!
Notes
Nutrition
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