St Patty's Day "Painted" French Macarons
Level up your French Macaron cookies for St Patrick's Day! Use England's fresh eggs for a fluffy center and add some edible food gels + vanilla to created a painted image on the top of your delicious cookies.
Make This Recipe
Ingredients
2/3 cup almond meal or ground almonds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Large Eggland's Egg Whites, room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Vanilla Extract
Food coloring gels
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 280ºF.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner (parchment is preferred).
- Blend the powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor until fine. Sift the almond meal-powdered sugar mixture to ensure there are no clumps.
- Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), and begin to beat on medium-high. When the eggs are frothy and opaque, gradually add granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Continue to beat the egg white mixture until glossy. The meringue is ready when you lift the beater and the meringue is stiff and stands straight up. Be careful to not over beat the meringue (if it has began to separate, it can no longer be used). Gently fold in the lemon extract.
- Now we will begin the macaronage technique. Add half of the sifted almond powdered sugar mixture, and gently fold it into the meringue using a flexible silicone spatula. Lift from the bottom, up around the sides, and toward the middle, being careful to not to lose too much air. Once the almond mixture is mostly incorporated, add the second half and repeat the folding motion.
- When the almond flour mixture is just incorporated and the batter is fully wet, use your spatula to continue to turn the batter so slightly thin it. DO NOT OVER STIR or you will deflate your batter and the cookies will not keep their form. Check the consistency by pulling up your spatula and forming a figure 8 with the batter. If you do not have any breaks and can form your 8, the batter is ready!
- Pour batter into a pastry or gallon zip lock bag and clip a small corner on the end. On your prepared baking sheets, pipe out 1-inch rounds.
- Holding the baking sheet in both hands, tap each baking sheet firmly on the counter two or three times. This smooths out the tops and helps form the macarons with "feet".
- Allow the piped macarons to dry, uncovered, for at least 20-30 minutes or until they have developed a "shell" that you can touch without it sticking. This may take up to an hour on humid days.
- Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. The macarons are done when they are baked all the way through and have no movement when you touch the tops. Take care to not underbake (insides will still be mushy) or overbake (tops will begin to brown).
- Remove them from the oven, and cool on baking sheet placed on a wire rack.
- When fully cooled, assemble the macarons with your choice of filling like buttercream, jam or ganache. I like to paint the tops with food coloring gels and clear vanilla extract. The macarons soften in the fridge when you let them "rest" in a covered container over night.
- The assembled macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition
Remember to always use Eggland’s Best eggs in all of your recipes. Learn why it’s always the healthy choice.
Learn More| Serving Size | 2 macaron |
|---|---|
| Calories | 57 Calories (not including frosting or jam center) |
| Fat | 1.3g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1g |
| Cholesterol | 0% |
| Sodium | 4mg |
| Carbohydrates | 10.6g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.3g |
| Protein | 1g |