Heart Shaped Macarons

Learn how to make perfect heart shaped macarons! My step by step tutorial & detailed recipe will help you master these delicious little cookies.

📝 Ingredients

• 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)
• 70 g superfine almond flour - blanched (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 63 g powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
• pink 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)
• 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)
• Pink Gel Food Coloring
• 1 Large Piping Bag (18-inch)
• Round Piping Tip - Ateco 805

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Heart Macarons ---
2. 2Pour 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 it reaches the soft peak stage.
3. 3Add 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.
4. 4Sift 70g superfine almond flour and 63g powdered sugar into the meringue.
5. 5Fold 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 this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
6. 6Streak your piping bag with lines of red gel food coloring, then fill it with the macaron batter. Pipe heart shaped macarons onto the prepared baking sheets using a template to ensure they all turn out the same size.
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, 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.
9. 9Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 16-19 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through.
10. 10Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.
11. 11--- Buttercream Frosting ---
12. 12Beat 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.
13. 13Mix in 4g vanilla extract and 1g salt on a low speed.
14. 14Slowly mix in 125g of powdered sugar and 10g heavy cream on a low speed.
15. 15Continue to mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
16. 16If 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).
17. 17Place in a piping bag with a small round tip and set aside.
18. 18--- Assembling These Heart Macarons ---
19. 19Pair up the macaron shells then pipe an even layer of buttercream on one macaron shell then top it with a second shell.
20. 20Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then let them warm to room temperature and enjoy!