Monster Macarons

Instructions

Macarons

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and set them aside. Add 4 room temperature egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer at high speed using the whisk attachment. Then add a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Once the egg whites begin to get foamy, slowly add 41g cup granulated sugar. Beat for another 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, sift the blanched almond flour and icing sugar into a bowl and mix to combine. Sifting is crucial because you want to get rid of any larger pieces of almond. Tip: To get really smooth macarons, you can pulse the almond flour in a food processor to make it super fine. This is optional but definitely results in a prettier macaron.

Now add the whisked egg whites into a large bowl, then add 40g of the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Once you don’t see any more patches of almond flour, add another 40g of the almond flour mixture. Fold again, and add in the remaining third. Fold the macaron mixture just until the batter looks like brownie batter. You want to be careful not to over mix this mixture or the incorporated air will cause your baked macarons to have air pockets. A good way to know that you are done mixing is by letting the batter drip off the spatula and you should be able to make the figure 8.

Next, place a round piping tip into a pastry bag and begin filling it with the batter. This step can be very messy so twist the bottom end to keep it closed so the batter doesn’t ooze out. Now pipe out 1-inch mounds of the macaron batter onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave 1-2 inches between each piped macaron since they will continue to spread a little.

To get rid of air bubbles, take the cookie sheets and bang them onto the counter a few times to get rid of any air. I hit them pretty hard, about 10 times. Now let the macarons dry at room temperature for about 30-50 minutes or until they are no longer tacky to the touch. The dry time may differ depending on the humidity of the current day. If you live in an area with a lot of humidity, it may take longer for the macarons to form the “skin” before baking.

Preheat oven to 150C. Make sure your oven is on the conventional setting. (or in other words, if your oven has a fan inside of it, avoid having the fan on). Bake 1 tray at a time for 16-18 minutes. Be careful NOT to underbake or else they will stick to the parchment paper. I found that the second batch that sat out while the first was baking tended to burn a little since it sat out longer. So you may want to remove the second batch from the oven a minute or two earlier. Once the macarons are done baking let them cool down to room temperature.

To make the vanilla buttercream, add the unsalted softened butter, softened cream cheese, icing sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into a large bowl. Then use an electric hand mixer to mix until the buttercream is light and creamy. Place a round piping tip into a pastry bag and fill half of the macaron shells. Then place the other half on top to complete the macrons. Decorate with sprinkles and edible eyes!