Glossary
Macaronage
Macaronage is the controlled folding of meringue into almond-sugar paste that defines the macaron's smooth shell. Underfolding leaves peaks; overfolding spreads the shells flat.
The verb behind the term — macaronner, in French — describes a single physical motion: scraping a flexible spatula along the bowl’s wall while turning the bowl with the other hand, deliberately deflating the meringue into the almond paste. Done well, the batter falls from the spatula in a slow ribbon that holds for a count of three before melting back into the surface.
Pastry schools call the visual endpoint the “lava stage.” Underdeveloped batter holds spikes when piped — the meringue is still too elastic — and produces shells with peaks and cracks. Overdeveloped batter pours rather than ribbons, the air structure is gone, and the shells spread into thin discs without the characteristic pied (foot) along their base.
A typical macaronage takes between 20 and 50 spatula passes, depending on humidity, almond meal grind, and meringue style. The Italian-meringue method tolerates more passes; the French-meringue method punishes the smallest mistake. Either way, the cook is making a single judgment call repeated dozens of times in slow motion.
