Earl Grey Macarons

These earl grey macarons are truly a treat! They have the perfect balance of flavors and are filled with an earl grey buttercream that is packed with that distinct, citrusy earl grey flavor.

📝 Ingredients

• 110 g aged egg whites - about 4 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar - optional
• 110 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup + 2 tsp)
• pink and regal purple gel food coloring - optional
• 140 g superfine almond flour - blanched (1 1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp)
• 125 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (60g)
• 2 Bags of earl grey tea
• 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 cup)
• 2 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1/2 tsp)
• 2 g fine salt (1/4 tsp)
• 200 g powdered sugar (1 2/3 cups)
• 30 g earl grey infused cream - recipe above (2 Tbsp)
• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
• 1 Large Piping Bag (18-inch)
• 2 Medium-Sized Round Piping Tips like an Ateco 805
• 1 Small Piping Bag (12-inch)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- French Macaron Shells ---
2. 2Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
3. 3Pour 110g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the mixture has soft peaks.
4. 4Gradually mix in 110g of granulated sugar into the eggs over a few minutes while mixing on a medium-low speed (speed 4 on a KitchenAid). Then increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (speed 6 on a KitchenAid). Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
5. 5Sift 140g superfine almond flour and 125g powdered sugar into the meringue. Add in a small squirt of pink and purple gel food coloring to give the shells a warm, light purple color, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pulls through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.
6. 6Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8's with the batter running off your spatula when it is the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
7. 7Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
8. 8Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
9. 9Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes, or until they develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. While the macarons rest, preheat the oven to 315 F / 157 C.
10. 10Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 17-20 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly.
11. 11Remove the shells from the oven and let them cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the silpat mat and pair them together. If you make the shells in advance, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Set aside.
12. 12--- Earl Grey Cream ---
13. 13Pour 1/4 cup of cream into a heat proof bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until it's just beginning to bubble. Keep an eye on the mixture as it heats to avoid it from bubbling over!
14. 14Add 2 earl grey tea bags into the cream and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes. You will end up with a bit less cream than you started with because the tea bags will absorb some of it.
15. 15Set the cream aside to cool completely before using in the frosting.
16. 16--- Earl Grey Buttercream Frosting ---
17. 17Beat 113g room-temperature butter on a medium speed until smooth.
18. 18Mix in 2g vanilla extract and 2g salt on a low speed.
19. 19Slowly mix in 200g of powdered sugar and 30g of earl grey infused cream on a low speed. If desired, add in a small drop of pink and purple gel food coloring to make the frosting match the color of the shells.
20. 20Mix for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional heavy cream (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
21. 21Once the frosting is the right consistency, place in a piping bag fit with a large round tip and set aside.
22. 22--- Assembling These Earl Grey Macarons ---
23. 23To assemble these macarons, pipe a dollop of buttercream onto one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top to create a sandwich.
24. 24This step is optional, but I chose to drizzle rings of melted white chocolate on the top of the macarons and added a sprinkle of earl grey tea leaves. It gives them such a pretty finished look!
25. 25Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill them in the fridge overnight, then enjoy. Remove the macarons from the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to eat them to let them come to room temperature. Store any leftover macarons in the fridge for up to a week.