Go-To Gluten-Free Macarons

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add confectioners' sugar and almond meal to a food processor fixed with a metal blade. Run until a fine powder forms. Sift four times, discarding any tiny lumps or almond meal “pebbles” between sifting. Set aside.

Whip room temperature egg whites using a stand mixer fixed with whisk attachment, on medium speed until foamy.

Add granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Once mixture thickens and all of the sugar is added, stop mixer.

Add cream of tartar, scrape down sides of bowl, then turn mixer back on, increasing speed to high.

Whip mixture for about 5 to 6 minutes or until a peak at the end of the whisk attachment holds its form. (Test this by turning off the mixer and checking to see if the mixture at the tip of the whisk attachment doesn’t drip).

Remove bowl from stand mixer and set it on a counter or table. Add a third of the almond meal-confectioners' sugar mixture and fold gently to combine. Add another third of the almond meal-confectioners' sugar mixture, then fold again.

Add final third once mixture is incorporated, as well as gel food coloring. Fold one final time. The batter that forms after three rounds of folding should be firm with a glossy shine. Test batter by lifting the spatula; if batter drips very slowly from spatula like lava, it’s ready. If not, continue to fold batter for another 30 seconds. Be careful not to overmix. 

Affix a pastry bag with a No. 12 plain round tip. Fill bag with batter until 3/4 full. Pipe into 1.5-inch rounds on lined baking sheets at least an inch apart. Take care to pipe so that the bag is perpendicular to baking sheet, not at an angle. After piping a circle of batter, flick wrist quickly to the side so that a point doesn’t form at the top of the macaron. (If a tip does form, no worries, smooth it out with a small spatula later).

Firmly tap baking sheet on work surface to get rid of any air bubbles potentially stuck in batter. Let prepared baking sheets sit at room temperature until a dry shell forms on the macarons. Test by touching batter with fingertip. If fingertip doesn’t stick to batter, macarons are ready for the oven. The “resting” phase can take 20 minutes to 40 minutes, depending on the humidity in the room.

Bake macarons, one baking sheet at a time, in lower third of oven for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. When done, the tops will be firm to the touch and the center won't jiggle like jelly. 

Remove macarons from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Gently peel macarons off parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack. (Do not do this while macarons are still hot, they'll come apart). Repeat with remaining macarons and allow them to cool completely before filling.

Arrange macarons by twos, top side down, making sure to match sizes best you can. Depending on the size of the macaron, squeeze a nickel- to quarter-sized amount of filling onto the bottom of the macaron. Lay second macaron on top, and very gently press together so that filling expands but doesn’t come out the sides.