{UPDATED} Basic Macarons

It's been quite a while since I've updated my recipe blog. A goal of mine is to catch up on a few favorite recipes this summer. I had a dear friend text me tonight requesting a recipe for macarons that she could pass along with a shower gift tomorrow morning, so I thought I'd update my basic macaron recipe with a few new tips and tricks I've learned along the way.

{UPDATED} Basic Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 T. granulated sugar
3/4 t. vanilla (or almond) extract
gel coloring

Heat oven to 280-300 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly (cut corners too). I no longer draw circles. I found it to be a very time consuming task that I quickly tired of. I learned how to pipe the macarons in a way to keep the perfect shape of a circle (description below).

Place 2/3 c. almond flour (packed tightly) with 1.5 c. powdered sugar in a food processor and process until very smooth and mixed together thoroughly. DO NOT do this in a blender, as it somehow adds moisture. If you don't have a mixer, you can sift your almond flour before measuring, then whisk the flour and powdered sugar together. This avoids little pieces of almond in your cookies.

After separating the egg whites (keep yolks for buttercream and curds), add them to the bowl of a mixer (I love my Kitchenaid). If you're like me, and always forget to set out the eggs so they're at room temperature when you begin, here's a tip. Put the egg whites in the mixer bowl, and swirl around atop of your cooktop's flame (requires a gas stove). Using a clean finger, I will swirl the egg whites around until they are not hot or cold, but room temperature--works like a charm! Add 5 T. of granulated sugar to your egg whites. Using your heavy duty mixer, start with speed 4 and beat for 2 minutes, then go to speed 6 for 2 minutes, and finally at speed 8 for 2 minutes. At this point, add the extract and coloring, then set the mixer to speed 10 and and continue to beat until stiff peaks appear. You will notice that the egg whites start to gather in the middle, which indicates it's ready. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg white's peak at the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become dry and clumpy--if that happens, start over with new egg whites).

Leaving the beat egg whites in the original mixing bowl, add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. I use a silicone spatula and scrape around the sides of the bowl, then push down the middle twice, and continue that until you can't see the dry ingredients anymore. As soon as they are mixed in, add another 1/3 of the mixture and continue. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. This last step is a little harder and will require you to scrape the sides and then push down in the middle a few times. When it starts to smooth out and thin out, start testing it by lifting your spatula, and dropping the batter into the bowl. The mixture should pour off the spatula like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing. If you Google videos of stirring macaron batter, you can watch the experts do it and see the desired consistency. That helped me a lot when I was learning.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works, but #12 is better). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is to hold the pastry bag just over the pan (not touching) and squeeze slightly to let the batter come out until a circle is perfectly formed. This takes practice, but you will get it quickly. Make sure your pastry bag is straight up and down, and squeeze just until the batter flows out of the tip. As soon as you have the desired size (about the size of a quarter or half dollar), then stop squeezing. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least an hour, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.) **If your batter spreads too much when you pipe the cookies, or they spread when you tap the pan, your batter is too thin and next time you need to stir less. If the cookies still have a little bump on the top of them, and it won't go away no matter how many times you tap the pan, you have too thick of a batter and you need to stir a few more strokes next time.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 30 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then close the door and set the timer for 6 minutes. **This is the BIG moment in macaron making. When you open the oven, you will see if your macarons have the oh so important "feet" at the bottoms. If they have cracked or have a dome, that means you didn't let them dry long enough. Continue to bake and see if you can salvage any.

Once the initial 6 minutes is up, switch the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, lightly press on the top of the cookie. If it is gooey underneath and moves a lot, it needs a couple more minutes. If it feels firm, then carefully try to lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before lifting any off the pans. If they all come off perfectly, pat yourself on the back! If they stick a little, just be careful and try your best. If they stick a lot, use a thin metal spatula and try to scrape underneath them to salvage the cookie's important bottom.

Once all the cookies are off the sheets, you can find each of them a match. If you are the only one who piped them, they should be fairly consistent sizes and you can usually make a perfect match when pairing them up. I line them all up and then fill them with a buttercream or curd (recipes below). You should use a pastry bag with the same size of tip to fill the macarons, and only pipe the filling in the center, filling half of the macaron. Once you put the top on, squish just so you can see the edge of the filling sandwiched between the cookies.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated (in a tight fitting container) for a couple of hours, or frozen up to 3 months. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. If frozen, take out of the freezer an hour before serving, and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Basic Buttercream Filling

7 T. unsalted butter, cold

2 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 1/2 T. milk or cream

1 t. vanilla or almond extract

Put cold butter in a ziplock freezer bag and hit it with a rolling pin until completely flattened. In your mixer, start beating the egg yolks on high, and add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the milk or cream, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Be VERY careful not to get too hot or it will cook the egg and you will have burnt spots. Whisk constantly and very quickly while waiting for it to thicken. Pour the thickened egg mixture back into its bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature or it feels cool when touching the bottom of the bowl. Add the butter in three batches, beating on high until each addition is mixed in. Once all the butter is mixed in, add the extract, and desired coloring; stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. This basic recipe can be flavored and colored however you'd like and can be doubled or tripled. **If the buttercream curdles, that means the mixture was too hot or the butter wasn't cold enough. You can sometimes warm the mixing bowl with a hot blow dryer, or keep whisking and it usually will come together. Google troubleshooting with buttercream if you run into troubles.

Curd Filling

4 lg. egg yolks

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. lemon juice, lime juice, or passionfruit puree
3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Prepare an ice water bath; set aside. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the fruit juice and butter. Place over a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, about 15 minutes. Transfer bowl to ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Transfer to refrigerator until completely cold, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. **Use leftover on pancakes!

Coconut Macarons

I had to make a bunch of macarons for a Relief Society evening and thought it would be as good of a time as any to try my hand at a coconut macaron. I've been wanting to try them for a while now, and I'm happy with this result. I'm going to play around and tweak my recipe a bit, but for now, here is what I came up with.

Coconut Macarons

1/3 c. almond flour
1/3 c. coconut flour
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites (at room temperature or slightly warmed)
5 T. granulated sugar
1 t. coconut extract

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly. If you are not familiar with hand piping macarons, you can trace 1 1/2 inch circles all over the parchment, leaving 1/2 inch in-between circles. If you choose to do this, make sure to turn the paper over so pencil marks don't get on the cookie shells.

If your almond flour seems coarse, run it through a food processor to make it more fine. When measuring, make sure to pack it in, as it will be very light weight. Process the sifted almond flour, coconut flour and powdered sugar together in the food processor for a minute or so and set aside.

Place egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on low (Kitchen Aid speed four) with the whisk attachment for two minutes. Increase the speed to medium (Kitchen Aid speed six) and continue to beat for an additional 2 minutes, and then once again at a high speed (Kitchen Aid eight). Add the teaspoon of coconut extract and beat for 30 seconds on the highest speed (Kitchen Aid ten).

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl (I often use the same bowl they were originally in). Add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing. This is the trickiest part, but after experience, you will know when it's perfect. If you're having trouble with this step, there are a lot of videos on the internet that help.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works perfectly). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching), perfectly straight up and down, and let the batter flow out naturally, until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate-mine sometimes takes up to an hour in Virginia.)

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what works best for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 15 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 6 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Be extremely careful and watch closely, as these coconut ones can easily brown. Cool the macaroons completely before lifting them off the parchment paper. Once they are cool, start matching up the sizes and place both halves next to each other and then fill and sandwich together.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated for a couple of hours, or frozen up to a month in a sealed container. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the freezer and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Coconut Buttercream Filling

8 T. unsalted butter, softened

3 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 T. heavy cream
1/2 c. dried unsweetened coconut flakes 

1 t. coconut extract

Cut butter into pieces and mash with a spatula until the consistency resembles mayonnaise. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the cream, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Pour the egg mixture back into its original bowl and whisk constantly until the bottom of the bowl is at room temperature. Whisk in the butter in three batches, add the coconut extract and the coconut; stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or spread onto half of one macaron shell and carefully place the same size shell on top. Put just enough pressure so that the filling reaches the edges. (If filling is too fluid, put in refrigerator or freezer for 5-10 minutes until it's set and easier to work with.) If desired, roll the filled macarons in a bowl of unsweetened coconut flakes.

Crème Brûlée Macarons

I have been dreaming of creating these macarons but couldn't think of exactly how to go about it. When I was putting glitter on the holiday macarons, I realized that I could put the granulated sugar on the tops and then it would stay in place until I torched it. I used a crème brûlée recipe I had that cooks on the stovetop instead of baked in the oven.

I have a friend that ordered macarons from me (my first official order!) and I thought it would be fun to do a variety for her, and also decided to experiment with the crème brûlée ideas. She bought them for her mom, who was visiting, and they both loved the crème brûlée the most! My husband, and son Harrison, also declared them to be their new favorite!

Crème Brûlée Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites (at room temperature or slightly warmed)
5 T. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch or 1.5-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles (I found something in my drawer that looked like an inch and traced it).

If your almond flour seems coarse, run it through a food processor to make it more fine. Sift the almond flour before measuring out 2/3 c. When measuring, make sure to pack it in, as it will be very light weight. Whisk the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar together and set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high with the whisk attachment. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed and continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the peak at the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Once you reach the desired stiffness, quickly mix in the vanilla extract.

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl (I often use the same bowl they were originally in). Add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing. This is the trickiest part, but after experience, you will know when it's perfect. If you're having trouble with this step, there are a lot of videos on the internet that help.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works perfectly). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter flow out naturally, until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.)

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 15 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before lifting them off the parchment paper. Once they are cool, start matching up the sizes and place both halves next to each other and then fill.

When all the macarons are filled, use a non-toxic paint brush to brush a thin layer of simple syrup (1 part water to 1 part sugar, dissolve on stovetop) to the entire top shell. Generously sprinkle the shell with granulated sugar, so that the entire shell is covered (use the paint brush and syrup to fix any bare spots). Using a kitchen torch, torch the tops until they are a deep caramel color and almost burnt.

***These macarons do not hold up well in the refrigerator once they are torched. If you need to store them, do so before you brûlée the tops and then torch them at the very last minute. They can be stored, in an airtight container, in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. If frozen, leave out on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until they are thawed, before opening container (so moisture can return after they thaw). Once they are thawed you can then cover in sugar and brûlée them.

Crème Brûlée Filling

1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 vanilla beans
15 egg yolks, at room temperature
9 T. sugar

Pour the cream into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the pan, toss in the pod, and stir to mix. Bring just barely to a boil over low heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together just to blend. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk, continuously and energetically, until the mixture is very pale and hot to the touch. Remove the yolks form the heat. Gradually, but steadily, whisk the cream into the yolks, pod and all.

Put the bowl back over the hot water and let it sit there, with the heat turned off, whisking occasionally, from 5-10 minutes, until the cream thickens. Set the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water and allow the mixture to cool, whisking now and then. When the custard is cool to the torch, retrieve and discard the vanilla bean and push the mixture through a strainer into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (can be made a day ahead).

Holiday Eggnog Macarons

I've just come up for air after a very crazy holiday season this year. We did a lot of celebrating in December and then packed everything up to spend Christmas in Utah with friends and family. It was a fantastic trip and we arrived home to Virginia just in time for school to start (and also in time for a few snow days that first week back).

I'm finally getting around to posting recipes for my favorite holiday macarons that I made this year. My very favorite were the eggnog macarons. I'm not even an eggnog kind of girl, but these were probably my second favorite to plain almond macarons. They had such a simple, buttery filling that melted in your mouth and the eggnog flavor came out more than I had anticipated.

Eggnog Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites (at room temperature or slightly warmed)
5 T. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch or 1.5-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles (I found something in my drawer that looked like an inch and traced it).

If your almond flour seems coarse, run it through a food processor to make it more fine. Sift the almond flour before measuring out 2/3 c. When measuring, make sure to pack it in, as it will be very light weight. Whisk the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar together and set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high with the whisk attachment. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed and continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the peak at the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Once you reach the desired stiffness, quickly mix in the vanilla extract.

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl (I often use the same bowl they were originally in). Add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing. This is the trickiest part, but after experience, you will know when it's perfect. If you're having trouble with this step, there are a lot of videos on the internet that help.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works perfectly). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter flow out naturally, until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.)

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 15 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before lifting them off the parchment paper. Once they are cool, start matching up the sizes and place both halves next to each other and then fill.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated for a couple of hours, or frozen up to a month in a sealed container. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the freezer and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Eggnog Buttercream Filling

8 T. unsalted butter, softened

3 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 T. eggnog

1 t. vanilla extract

Cut butter into pieces and mash with a spatula until the consistency resembles mayonnaise. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the eggnog, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Pour the egg mixture back into its original bowl and whisk constantly until the bottom of the bowl is at room temperature. Whisk in the butter in three batches, add the vanilla extract, and stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or spread onto half of one macaron shell and carefully place the same size shell on top. Put just enough pressure so that the filling reaches the edges.

If desired, use edible, non-toxic glitter to decorate for the holidays. This can be purchased at a candy/cake supply store. Use a simple syrup (1 part water 1 part sugar, dissolve on the stove) and a clean non-toxic paintbrush to lightly paint the top shell with a "glue" that will make the glitter stick.

Pumpkin Macarons

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are heading to NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, despite the terrible weather prediction. I suppose if we have all the coats, hats, gloves and scarves in the world and expect the worse, it won't be that bad. On top of crossing that off my personal bucket list, we were invited to Thanksgiving dinner with our friends the Weinbergs! A swanky Thanksgiving dinner in a New Yorker's apartment? That's just icing on the cake.

I decided to make some pumpkin macarons for the occasion. Whenever I decide to make a particular macaron, I first Google it and read a ton of recipes and then end up doing my own thing. It's a fun process and they have usually turned out fairly well. My friend Rebecca Rushforth and I got together the other night and created these. Rick and Harrison (my official taste-testers) loved them.

Pumpkin Macaron Shells

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 T. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Wilton copper gel coloring

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then draw 1-inch or 1.5-inch circles all over the papers, with pencil, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles (I found something in my drawer that looked like an inch and traced it).

Sift the almond flour before measuring out 2/3 c. When measuring, make sure to pack it in, as it will be very light weight. Whisk the sifted almond flour, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together and set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 T. at a time. Move to a high speed and continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk; if the egg white's peak at the top and doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Quickly mix in a few drops of coloring and the vanilla extract.

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl. Add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just barely mixed in and you can't see anymore flour. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Add another third and do the same until incorporated. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 or #12 works perfectly). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is to hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter come out until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.)

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times and temperatures, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 15 seconds (to let any humidity escape), then set the timer for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment fairly easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely, on the pan, before removing.  Find pairs that are the same size and shape and start to assemble your macaron sandwich cookie by piping the filling (with same piping bag and size of tip used for shells) and carefully putting the lid on top until filling reaches all the edges. This particular filling was quite runny, so I would do about a dozen, put them on a plate in the freezer and continue to work until they were all in the freezer.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated for a couple of hours, or frozen up to a month in a sealed container. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the freezer and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Pumpkin Buttercream Filling

7 T. unsalted butter, softened

2 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 1/2 T. milk (I used eggnog for fun and it was wonderful!)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 c. pumpkin butter

Cut butter into pieces and mash with a spatula until the consistency resembles mayonnaise. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar (I use my Kitchen Aid). Add the milk, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan over low heat, whisking frequently to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Pour the egg mixture back into its bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature. Whisk in the butter in three batches, add the vanilla extract and pumpkin butter; stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. 

Tiffany Blue Almond Macarons

Tiffany Blue Almond Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 T. granulated sugar
1 t. almond extract
Wilton teal gel coloring

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch or 1.5-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles (I found something in my drawer that looked like an inch and traced it).

Sift the almond flour before measuring out 2/3 c. When measuring, make sure to pack it in, as it will be very light weight. Whisk the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar together and set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 T. at a time. Change to a high speed and continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg white's peak at the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Quickly mix in a few drops of coloring and the almond extract.

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl. Add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works perfectly). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter come out until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.)

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 15 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before filling.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated for a couple of hours, or frozen up to a month in a sealed container. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the freezer and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Almond Buttercream Filling

7 T. unsalted butter, softened

2 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 1/2 T. milk

1 t. almond extract

Cut butter into pieces and mash with a spatula until the consistency resembles mayonnaise. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the milk, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low, whisking frequently to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Pour the egg mixture back into its bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature. Whisk in the butter in three batches, add the almond extract, and stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or spread onto one macaron half and sandwich between the other. This basic recipe can be flavored and colored however you'd like.

If desired, use Wilton sugar pearls to decorate the Tiffany macarons. When I did this for a wedding shower, I only did a few for display, as I thought they wouldn't taste as good.

Salted Caramel Macarons

A couple of weeks ago, I was teaching a macaron class to some ladies in my ward. I had really been wanting to come up with a great salted caramel macaron, so I played around until I got the perfect combination. The caramel buttercream is amazing and really makes these macarons dreamy!

Thanks to my awesome friend, Heather Palmer, who took a photo of her macarons
the next day because I totally forgot to photograph them before they disappeared!

Salted Caramel Macarons



2 T. cocoa powder
2/3 c. almond flour

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar


3 egg whites (room temperature)


5 T. granulated sugar


1 t. vanilla extract


gel food coloring


flaked salt (purchased at World Market)

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles. With practice, you will be able to skip this step and pipe your macarons without the circles, while maintaining a fairly consistent size of circles. Also, silpat baking sheets are so much easier than parchment, if you want to make the investment.



Whisk cocoa powder, almond flower and powdered sugar together in a bowl. 

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg whites peak and the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Add vanilla and mix very quickly.

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl. Add half of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing.

Use a piping bag with a large round tip. Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter come out until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. If you'd like, you can sprinkle a couple flakes of salt onto the tops of the cookie. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 7 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before filling.

To assemble the macarons, fill cooled shells with salted caramel buttercream (below). Try to match up sizes and shapes (easier when your cookies are all symmetrical) as you go.Before you sandwich the cookie with the top shell, sprinkle a VERY small amount of flaked salt on top of buttercream. 

Once they are filled, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days and freeze for up to a month. They are best after aging in the fridge for at least a couple of hours so the filling chills and they meld together a bit. Let them come back to room temperature before serving. If they are frozen, let them thaw completely in their original covered containers to avoid condensation from forming.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

(Start 2 hours before filling shells)

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt

1 cube salted butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Heat the water and sugar in a larger heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over  low heat for 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir! Increase heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, until the sugar starts to turn a light brown/warm chestnut color (about 350 degrees on a candy thermometer). This will take about 5 minutes, but once it turns the light brown, it will burn very quickly, so don't let it get too dark. Do not stir at all, but you can swirl the pan a few times to get it mixed together. As soon as you feel it is a warm chestnut color, pull off heat immediately and add cream, vanilla and salt. Stand back and be very careful, as it will bubble violently. Quickly add back to the burner and stir, while on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until it is all combined and solidified. Take off heat and pour caramel into a glass jar. Refrigerate (freeze if you are in a hurry) and wait until it is thick. Usually about an hour or two is sufficient.

Pour half of the caramel sauce into a mixer with the whip attachment (save the other half for another batch or use as a caramel topping). Start beating caramel sauce on high speed until it is smooth and whipped. Add a cube of salted, room temperature butter and continue to beat. Add a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and whip until creamy. The powdered sugar amount can be adjusted as needed to obtain the perfect consistency. 

Strawberry Macarons

My friend's daughter had a wedding reception and they were wanting the food to be part of a French market. I offered to make some macarons and wanted to try a few new flavors. I created a strawberry one, using the same method I used for my blackberry ones. I also created a passionfruit macaron (see previous recipe) and added my all-time favorite, a plain almond macaron (use the original recipe with almond extract instead of vanilla and almond extract in the buttercream). I made two batches of almond and strawberry and ran out of time, so I only made one batch of the passionfruit. Because a few were either ugly, or stuck to the silpat (I've realized they aren't cooked enough when they stick, or need to cool.), I ended up making about 160 in all. It made for a fun Saturday, but my kitchen is now a wreck!


Strawberry Macarons



1 c. freeze dried strawberries


2/3 c. almond flour (minus 2 T.)


1 1/2 c. powdered sugar


3 egg whites (room temperature)


5 T. granulated sugar


1 t. vanilla extract


gel food coloring



Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles. With practice, you will be able to skip this step and pipe your macarons without the circles, while maintaining a fairly consistent size of circles. Also, silpat baking sheets are so much easier than parchment, if you want to make the investment.



Using a blender or food processor, blend the freeze dried strawberries until they are a fine powder. Sift the powder, or strain, to remove the large chunks and seeds. Whisk 2 T. of strained powder into the almond flower and powdered sugar. (If you'd like to use the dried strawberry buttercream, reserve the chunky pieces, the seeds, and any extra powder.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 T. at a time. Continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg whites peak and the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Add vanilla and pink gel coloring (small amount to make pink).

Transfer egg whites to a large bowl. Add half of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing.

Use a piping bag with a large round tip. Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter come out until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 7 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before filling.

Fill with strawberry buttercream (below). Try to match up sizes and shapes (easier when your cookies are all symmetrical) as you go. Once they are filled, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days and freeze for up to a month. They are best after aging in the fridge for at least a couple of hours so the filling chills and they meld together a bit. Let them come back to room temperature before serving. If they are frozen, let them thaw completely in their original covered containers to avoid condensation from forming.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Filling

1 egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 c. salted butter, at room temperature, cut in to pieces

1/4 t. vanilla extract 

1/4 c. seedless strawberry puree (I just blended fresh strawberries and strained out the seeds)

pink gel coloring

Add the egg, sugar and salt to the metal bowl of a standing mixer and whisk constantly over a pan of simmering water.  When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch remove from the heat, about 3-4 minutes. 

Beat mixture in the stand mixer using the wire whisk attachment until it's a meringue.  It should look like marshmallow fluff and the bottom of the bowl should be cool.  

With the mixer still running add the butter, one piece at a time.  Once all the butter has been added continue beating until the buttercream is light and fluffy.  If at any time the buttercream looks curdled continue beating and it will come together.  Add the strawberry puree and mix until blended. Add red food coloring, to reach the same shade of pink as the cookies.


Freeze-Dried Strawberry Buttercream Filling


6 T. salted butter

2 T. whipping cream

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. freeze dried strawberries, blended to a powder

1 t. vanilla

milk to thin


Whip butter, then add cream and whip until blended. Add powdered sugar and strawberries and whip. Thin with vanilla and milk until the perfect consistency. 


This recipe is inspired by Cami Goold, a 15 year old young woman that I teach in church. She has a great cupcake blog and sells cupcakes to make money during the summer and holidays. She uses dried strawberries in her buttercream frosting so that it doesn't curdle, which sometimes happens with the fresh strawberries. Check out her blog here.

Passionfruit Macarons

Recently, in my dessert club, a fabulous lady made passionfruit creme brulee and I fell in love. The only problem was that she used a frozen passionfruit concentrated puree, The Perfect Puree from Napa Valley. You can purchase it from Amazon, but since it has to be shipped overnight with dry ice, the shipping rates are insane. So, two other ladies went in on an order with me and now I own my very own jar of passionfruit puree, which should last me a lifetime.

Besides using it for creme brulee, I've been trying to be creative and try new things that call for passionfruit. I thought it would be fun to make some macarons with passionfruit puree and they turned out wonderful!

Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

3 egg whites

5 T. granulated sugar

1 t. vanilla extract
yellow food coloring

Heat oven to 280 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly and then make 1-inch circles all over the papers, leaving at least 1/2-inch of space in between circles. With practice, you will be able to skip this step and pipe your macarons without the circles, while maintaining a fairly consistent size of circles. Also, silpat baking sheets are so much easier than parchment, if you want to make the investment.

Whisk the almond flour and powdered sugar together and set aside.

Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer and start to mix on med-high. When they start to get frothy, add sugar, 1 T. at a time. Continue to beat until glossy, stiff peaks appear. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg whites peak and the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become clumpy). Add a good amount of yellow food coloring and vanilla and beat only until combined.

Add half of the dry mixture to the egg whites and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. When you lift your spatula, the mixture should pour off like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing.

Use a piping bag (ziplock bag with the tip cut does not work) with a large round tip. Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is hold just over the pan (not touching) and let the batter come out until the circle is perfectly filled. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door to let any humidity escape. Then set the timer for 7 minutes. Once the time is up, change the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, carefully lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before filling with the passionfruit curd.

Passionfruit Curd

8 egg yolks

1/2 c. passionfruit juice, or 1/4 c. concentrated puree plus 1/4 c. water

1 c. sugar

10 T. butter, cold and cut into chunks

On medium heat, cook egg yolks, passionfruit and sugar, stirring constantly. Continue to cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, or until it reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time until all the butter is combined. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (I skipped this part because I used passionfruit concentrate and didn't think there would be lumps. However, there were some chunks of cooked egg throughout my curd and I wished I would have strained it.) and put it into a medium bowl. Cover the curt with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to avoid causing a skin to form. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a day.