Citrus Sunset French Macarons

A margarita-inspired flavor with a lesson in using silicone baking mats.

The cute, curvy peak of a firm meringue. The way the batter flows back into the bowl like a waterfall. The flick of the piping bag as you create each circle of batter on the pan. I figured after fifteen years of baking French macarons, I couldn’t get it wrong. Until a new silicone baking mat made me question my life’s existence macaron prowess.

When in Doubt, Blame the Mat

It all started with salt and the idea for a margarita-inspired macaron. Wouldn’t it be cute to sprinkle a few sea salt granules on top of the shells to mimic a salt-rimmed glass? So I carefully topped one pan of piped batter with a few crystals on each—a pan boasting a new silicone baking mat. Into the oven they went, and out they came twelve minutes later, looking like a sea of tiny erupted volcanos.

The shells on the second pan without salt turned out perfect. Sigh. I guess salt causes the shells to crack. Even though my instinct told me it shouldn’t interfere, the next day, batch numéro deux. No salt, same exploding problem.