Adapted from Jessica Segarra for Dixie Crystals
Makes 10-12 macarons
Ingredients
For macaron shells
- 53g almond flour
- 65g powdered sugar
- 4g (1/2TB) cocoa powder (I used dutch process cocoa because I prefer the taste)
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp red gel food coloring
- 45g egg whites (roughly the amount from one extra large egg)
- 32g baker's sugar (aka superfine sugar - same as granulated sugar but ground finer)
For cream cheese filling
- 85g cream cheese, softened
- 28g butter, softened
- 90g powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Special Equipment
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat (I used this silicone mat that I bought from Amazon, which has a template printed on already)
- 2 piping bags fitted with a size 10 or 12 round tip
- food processor or sifter
Line a half-sheet size baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Make sure to use a kitchen scale to measure out ingredients.
Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder in food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds to thoroughly combine and break up any lumps or large chunks of almond flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue whisking until you have firm peaks. Add red gel food coloring and continue beating until meringue is glossy, stiff, and the color is evenly distributed.
Gently fold in dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, giving the bowl a quarter turn each fold. Continue folding until you reach ribbon stage (the batter should fall from the spatula in a "ribbon" and gradually flatten/disappear back into rest of batter after 10-20 seconds).
Transfer the batter to the piping bag and pipe 1" to 1.5" circles on to your parchment or baking mat, making sure to leave about 1" between shells as they will spread a bit. When you are done piping, tap the tray sharply against the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles and smooth out pointy parts on the top part of the shell. Don't worry if they aren't super smooth at first glance - as they rest, they should spread out a bit and any uneven parts should flatten out over time if the batter was properly mixed.
When the macarons are dry to the touch, bake them for about 16 to 18 minutes. I start checking around 16 minutes and sometimes let it go for another minute or two since I tend to pipe closer to 1.5" shells. To test, I take the tray out and gently nudge the feet to see if they are still soft - if they are firm then it's usually fine, and see if there's a lot of wiggle in the top of the shell. If there is, I pop it back in for another minute or two.
Once the shells are done, remove them from the oven and carefully slide a cooling rack underneath the parchment or baking mat so that they do not continue cooking on the hot baking sheet. After a few minutes, I like to flip the mat over and continue cooling the shells upside down on the baking rack, which makes it easier to remove the shells after.
While the shells are cooling, make the cream cheese filling. Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla extract and continue beating until incorporated. Gradually add in powdered sugar until everything is combined.
Fill piping bag with cream cheese filling and pipe onto half of the macaron shells. Sandwich the filling with the other half of the shells. Macarons are best after resting for a day so store them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight before eating (let them sit out of fridge for a bit before serving the next day). In an airtight container in fridge, they are good for several days. They can also be frozen for at least a month - just let them defrost for about 20 minutes on counter when you take them out. Enjoy! (^_^)v
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