Bouchon Bakery’s Pastry Chef Nick Bonamico 5 Tips to Make the Perfect Macaron

The head pastry chef at the critically acclaimed Bouchon Bakery, Nicholas Bonamico has a very “sweet” job. We made macarons with the pastry chef and got his pro tips for making the perfect macaron. Read on for his 5 macaron-making pro tips and then watch the video to learn more about how to make the perfect French dessert.

1. Follow the recipe.

Make sure not to use substitutions or approximations.  This is a recipe that requires accuracy, so an accurate scale and thermometer are essential.

2. Don’t overmix.

A loose batter is worse than a stiff one.  If the batter is too stiff the shell will be a little bumpy.  A loose batter, however, may result in macarons that dry out before baking, which could cause them to explode during the bake, or have large “feet.”

 

3. Don’t overfill.

It’s common for people to try to fit all their mix into one piping bag so they don’t have to refill.  This makes it much more difficult to pipe, and possibly quite messy if the bag overflows.

4. Be sure to use enough filling.

This is where the flavor is! It’s also a big part of the mouthfeel of a good macaron. The biscuit is crunchy and has a slight chew, while the filling is soft and creamy. Also important is to fill the macaron, wrap and/ or freeze to store, and then allow to come to room temperature before eating. The flavor of your buttercream or ganache filling will be much more pronounced.

5. Set a timer!

Very, very important.  This step ensures you don’t over bake your hard-won macarons while you’re busy completing other tasks while they bake. A couple of minutes extra and the macaron becomes very hard and dry.  They will also loose the color and turn brown.

Check out the complete recipe for Chef Bonamico’s robin’s egg macarons here.