Easter Macaron Recipe

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Resting time: 30

Total Time: 1 20

Servings:

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Becky Hardin - Easy Dessert Recipes

These super pretty Easter macarons are sure to bring some color to your table! Filled with a vanilla buttercream, they are light, airy and perfectly chewy.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional, but recommended!)
Baking Sheet
Silpat Mat (optional)
Stand Mixer
Piping Tip Set
Oven Thermometer (optional, but recommended!)

Ingredients

For the Shells

3 large egg whites 90 grams
½ cup granulated sugar 90 grams
⅘ cup powdered sugar 95 grams
1 cup almond flour 95 grams
Gel food coloring optional

For the Vanilla Buttercream

½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, softened (1 stick)
2¼ cups powdered sugar 254 grams
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams

Instructions

For the Shell

Line two large baking pans with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
Heat a small saucepan of simmering water over medium-low heat. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2 minutes.
3 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar
Transfer the egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed (Kitchenaid #8) until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into the egg white mixture, making sure to discard any large lumps.
⅘ cup powdered sugar, 1 cup almond flour
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, making sure not to deflate the egg whites at this point.
Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the gel food coloring, if using. (see notes)
Gel food coloring
Continue to fold the meringue, but this time gently smush the batter against the sides of the bowl before folding it back together.  Continue to smush and fold the meringue a few times before testing to see if it has reached the Figure 8 stage. The meringue is ready to pipe when you can draw a figure 8 without the stream breaking.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I like a Wilton #10). Pipe 1-inch macaron shells onto the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2 inches apart. Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Drop the tray another 5-6 times, or until it looks like any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat with the second tray.
Set the trays aside to rest for at least 25 minutes. They’re ready to bake when you can touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger.
While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325°F. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven reaches 325°F. Most ovens run hot, so you may have to set the temperature a little lower to actually reach 325°F.
Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, for 13 minutes. If your oven has hot spots, make sure to turn the tray halfway through baking so the feet rise evenly.
Allow the macarons to cool to room temperature before trying to remove them from the pan. This will help prevent sticking.

For the Vanilla Buttercream

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until it has lightened, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar slowly followed by the vanilla extract. If the mixture seems too dry, add a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.
½ cup unsalted butter, 2¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip. Set aside until ready to use.

Assemble and Age

Place the macarons in similar-sized pairs. Pipe a small dollop of vanilla buttercream onto one of the macaron shells. Press down gently, just until the filling reaches the edges.
To decorate the macarons, you can use white chocolate or food markers. Or to make the macarons speckled, combine 1 teaspoon of water with a few drops of black food coloring and use a pastry brush to splatter the food dye on the macarons (be careful not to get it on your clothes; it stains).
Transfer the filled macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftover macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Temperature: Your oven must be at 325°F. Use an oven thermometer!
Shape: To get evenly round macarons, hold the piping bag perpendicular to the tray while you pipe the shells. Don’t try to draw a circle!
Macaronage: The process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue is one of the most important steps when making macarons. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking. There are lots of great videos online if you aren’t 100% sure what the meringue should look like.
Food Coloring: You must use gel food coloring in macarons, not liquid! To color the macarons, I divided the batter in thirds. One third I kept white, one third I added one drop of purple gel food color to, and the last third had one drop of royal blue and one drop of yellow (to create green)— but feel free to color the macarons however you like— just make sure to use gel coloring!
I recommend using a kitchen scale and gram measurements for this recipe since macarons are a pretty specific recipe.

Nutrition