# French Macarons With Perfect Feet

> Macarons crack and come out without feet because they **were not dried before baking**. They need to sit for **30–60 minutes** until the surface is **no longer tacky to the touch** — that skin forces steam down instead of up, and that is what forms the foot.

**French Cuisine · 78 min · 15 servings · 110 kcal per serving**

Macarons are the most precise French sweet and the one that most demands a scale. They are not difficult once you respect three details: sifting, macaronage, and drying.

## Ingredients

- 100 g — almond flour
- 100 g — icing sugar
- 75 g — egg whites
- 75 g — caster sugar
- 1 pinch — salt
- 2 drops — gel food colouring
- 100 g — chocolate
- 50 ml — double cream

## Method

1. **Double sift** — Sift the almond flour and icing sugar **twice** through a fine sieve and discard any coarse grains. Those grains are what give you a rough rather than glassy top.
2. **The meringue** — Whip room-temperature whites with the salt to a foam, then add the caster sugar **in three additions** and whip to **stiff, glossy peaks**.
3. **Colour** — Add **gel, not liquid** colouring and whip for 10 seconds. Liquid colour adds water that wrecks the batter; gel is concentrated and leaves the consistency alone.
4. **Macaronage** — Fold the dry mix into the meringue, pressing against the sides of the bowl, until the batter **falls from the spatula in a ribbon that disappears within 20 seconds**. This is the most precise step in the recipe.
5. **Piping** — Fill a piping bag with a round tip and pipe **3 cm** circles onto parchment, then rap the tray on the counter **five times** to release trapped bubbles.
6. **Drying** — Leave them **30–60 minutes** somewhere dry until you can touch the surface **without it sticking to your finger**. This is the step that creates the foot and prevents cracking.
7. **Bake** — Bake at **145°C for 16 minutes**. The low heat lets steam escape slowly from underneath, forming the foot; higher heat cracks the top instead.
8. **Cool and fill** — Let them cool **completely** on the tray before lifting them. Heat the cream over the chocolate for a ganache, fill, and rest them in the fridge overnight.

## Tips

- Drying before baking is not optional — it is what makes the foot.
- Weighing in grams is mandatory here; macarons do not forgive cup measures.
- Gel colour, never liquid — liquid adds water and ruins the batter.
- They taste better after a night in the fridge as the filling softens the shell from within.

## FAQ

### Why do my macarons crack?
They did not dry long enough before baking. They need 30–60 minutes until the surface is no longer tacky. Without that skin, steam escapes upwards and splits the top instead of lifting the shell.

### Why are there no feet?
Same cause — insufficient drying. Or the oven was too hot, so the top set before steam could build. Dry them properly and bake at 145°C only.

### How do I know macaronage is done?
Lift the spatula — the batter should fall in a continuous ribbon, and that ribbon should sink back into the surface within about 20 seconds. If it holds its shape it is under-mixed; if it runs off quickly it is over-mixed.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/french-cuisine/french-macarons-perfect-feet
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-23