Robin's Egg Macarons

Ingredients

• 100 gegg whites
• 100 ggranulated sugar
• 100 galmond flour
• 100 gicing sugar
• 1 dropblue food colouring
• 1/2 droppink food colouring
• 5 drops + 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon)brown food colouring + water
• 57 g (4 tablespoons)unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 25 g (1/4 cup)cocoa powder
• 120 g (1 cup)icing sugar
• 10–15 ml (2–3 teaspoons)milk
• a pinchsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the trays

   Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Line two baking trays with baking parchment and set them aside.

2. 2

   Warm the egg whites

   Bring a small pan of water to a steaming simmer over a medium heat. Combine the egg whites and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, then set it over the pan to make a bain-marie.

3. 3

   Whisk the mixture

   Whisk for 1–1½ minutes, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites look pale and frothy. Take the bowl off the heat and return it to the stand mixer.

4. 4

   Make the meringue

   Fit the mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on high for 2–3 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

5. 5

   Sift and colour

   Sift the almond flour and icing sugar together, then gently shake them into the meringue. Add the blue and pink food colouring.

6. 6

   Check the batter

   With the whisk attachment fitted, mix on medium for 10 seconds. Adjust the colouring if needed, taking care not to overmix. Stop the mixer and lift some batter with a spatula: it should fall in a continuous stream that lets you draw a figure eight without breaking. If it breaks, mix for another 3–5 seconds and test again; the consistency should be like slow-moving lava.

7. 7

   Pipe the shells

   Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a 2.5 cm (1-inch) tip. Pipe silver-dollar-sized rounds onto the lined trays, spacing them about 4 cm (1½ inches) apart. Tap each tray on the work surface three times to release air bubbles.

8. 8

   Speckle and bake

   In a small bowl, mix a few drops of brown food colouring with a little water. Use a dry brush to lightly splatter the shells. Bake straight away for 13 minutes, turning the trays halfway through, then leave the shells to cool completely on the trays before lifting them off.

9. 9

   Cream the butter

   While the shells bake, beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

10. 10

    Whip the buttercream

    Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract and salt. Beat for 60 seconds, until fluffy. If the frosting seems too dry, mix in another teaspoon of milk.

11. 11

    Fill the macarons

    Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1.25 cm (½-inch) star tip. Once the shells are completely cool, pipe buttercream onto the flat side of half of them and sandwich with the remaining shells. Repeat with all the macarons.

What are robin’s egg macarons?

Macarons are French confections made from almond flour and meringue, baked as smooth shells and joined with a filling. This version borrows the robin’s egg look for an Easter-ready finish.

The recipe uses a Swiss meringue, warmed over steaming water before whipping. The method helps dissolve the sugar before the dry ingredients are folded in, while the cocoa buttercream gives the sweet shells a chocolate centre.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 79 calories, 1g protein, 12g carbs, 3g fat.

The main carbohydrates come from the sugars and icing sugar, while almond flour contributes some protein and fat; the butter adds most of the buttercream’s fat. Serve a macaron or two alongside fresh fruit for a more varied snack.

The almond-sugar base

Sifted ingredients: almond flour and icing sugar need to be combined and sifted before they go into the meringue. This helps avoid lumps and makes it easier to mix the batter evenly.

Colour: add the blue and pink colouring with the dry ingredients, then check the shade as you mix. A small amount goes a long way in keeping the shells pale.

Getting the batter right

Figure-eight test: lift a little batter with a spatula and let it fall back into the bowl. It should form a continuous figure eight without breaking; if it does not, mix briefly and test again.

Gentle mixing: stop as soon as the batter flows slowly and smoothly. Overmixing can leave it too runny to hold its shape when piped.

Piping and speckling

Even rounds: pipe shells to a similar size and leave about 4 cm between them. This gives them room on the trays and helps the batch bake more evenly.

Light splatter: use a dry brush and just a little diluted brown colouring for the speckles. The recipe sends the shells straight into the oven, so there is no separate drying stage.

Baking and cooling

Oven timing: bake at 150°C for 13 minutes, turning the trays halfway through. Keep an eye on the shells, as oven performance can vary.

Full cooling: leave the shells on the trays until completely cool before removing them. Filling them while warm can soften the buttercream.

Filling and serving

Chocolate buttercream: beat the butter first, then add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract and salt. If it is too stiff or dry to pipe, add milk a teaspoon at a time.

Serving idea: arrange the finished macarons on a platter with tea or coffee, or add them to an Easter dessert spread. Handle them gently once filled, as the shells are delicate.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use room-temperature egg whites and butter so they combine readily.
• Rub a little meringue between your fingers to check that the sugar has dissolved before whipping.
• Keep the brown-colouring mixture fairly concentrated so the speckles do not make the shells wet.
• Use a template under the parchment if you want more uniform circles, then remove it before piping.
• Let the macarons cool completely before adding the buttercream.
• Add any extra milk to the buttercream gradually so it stays thick enough to pipe.

Variations

• Deeper blue: add a little extra blue colouring while mixing, checking the shade as you go.
• Vanilla filling: replace the cocoa powder with extra icing sugar for a vanilla buttercream.
• Different speckles: use another food-colouring shade for a different decorated look.
• Smaller shells: pipe smaller rounds and check them closely, as they may bake faster.
• Flavoured filling: mix a small amount of finely grated orange zest into the buttercream.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Undissolved sugar: keep whisking over the steaming water until the mixture feels smooth between your fingers.
• Overmixed batter: stop as soon as it flows in an unbroken figure eight, rather than continuing to whisk.
• Uneven shells: pipe steadily and use a consistent amount of batter for each round.
• Heavy speckles: load the brush lightly and flick gently so the colouring does not pool on the shells.
• Removing shells too soon: wait until they are completely cool before lifting them from the parchment.
• Runny buttercream: add milk a little at a time and stop when the frosting is easy to pipe.

How to store

Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring them towards room temperature before serving; reheating is not recommended.

Frequently asked questions