Cotton Candy Macarons

Learn how to make these adorable cotton candy macarons! They're filled with cotton candy buttercream and taste just like a day at the carnival.

📝 Ingredients

• 70 g superfine almond flour - blanched (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 63 g powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
• 55 g aged egg whites, room temperature - about 2 large eggs
• pinch cream of tartar - optional
• 55 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup + 1 tsp)
• gel food coloring - optional
• 56 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
• 4 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
• 1 g fine salt (1/8 tsp)
• 4 g cotton candy extract (1 tsp)
• pink gel food coloring - optional
• 125 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
• 10 g heavy whipping cream, room temperature (2 tsp)
• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
• 1 Large Piping Bag (18-inch)
• Round Piping Tip - Ateco 805

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Cotton Candy Macarons ---
2. 2Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
3. 3Pour 55g 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 your reach the soft peak stage.
4. 4Add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. If desired, add in pink gel food coloring at this point, then increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
5. 5Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in two additions using circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. Be careful not to over mix the batter!
6. 6Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/4 inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
7. 7Bang 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.
8. 8Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes to develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.
9. 9As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 300 F.
10. 10Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-17 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through.
11. 11Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.
12. 12--- Cotton Candy Buttercream Frosting ---
13. 13Beat 56g of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for 1-2 minutes with a whisk attachment until it becomes lighter in color and smooth.
14. 14Mix in 4g vanilla extract, 1g salt, 4g cotton candy extract and a drop of pink gel food coloring on a low speed.
15. 15Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 10g heavy cream on a low speed.
16. 16Continue to mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
17. 17If the frosting is too thick, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
18. 18Place in a piping bag with a small french tip and set aside.
19. 19--- Assembling These Cotton Candy Macarons ---
20. 20Pipe a thick dollop of cotton candy buttercream or frosting of your choice around one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
21. 21Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then let them warm to room temperature and enjoy!