Alex Sumner - French Macarons

When making french macarons, the outcome of the cookie depends on the ratio of almond flour to powdered sugar, the protein structure of egg whites, and the oven temperature. When sifting the dry ingredients together, you need the right ratio of almond flour to powdered sugar. Too much almond flour makes the batter too thick, whereas too much powdered sugar makes the batter too thin. Another crucial step is making the meringue. As the egg whites are beaten, the proteins in the egg whites (specifically ovalbumin) are denatured and form a new network of bonds. These new bonds stabilize the water droplets, signalized by stiff peaks in the egg whites. The next step in the process is macaronage, or the technique of folding the egg whites into the dry ingredients. The egg whites need to be slightly deflated in order to create a lava like textured batter. The piped cookies then need to be set out to form a "shell" and banged on the counter to remove air bubbles. This results in a cookie that is dense and chewy inside and does not rise upwards. It instead rises outwards and has the classic macaron "feet". In the oven, the cookies need even heat distribution in order to rise properly.