Key Lime Macarons

🧂 Ingredients

• 125 grams almond flour
• 125 grams confectioners sugar
• 100 grams egg whites

  (room temperature)
• 80 grams sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• green gel food coloring
• ¼ cup butter

  (softened, at room temperature)
• 4 oz cream cheese

  (softened, at room temperature)
• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon key lime juice
• 2 teaspoon key lime zest
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs

  (optional)

Instructions

• 1 Prepare your work area by lining your baking sheet with parchment paper or
  silicone baking mats. Get a piping bag ready with a large round tip or a storage
  bag with the corner cut off.
• 2 Add 125 grams almond flour and 125 grams confectioners sugar to the bowl of your
  food processor and pulse it a few times until well combined.
• 3 Sift the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
• 4 Add 100 grams egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer.
• 5 Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy,
  then add ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar.
• 6 Continue to beat until soft peaks have formed (usually when you can see the
  lines left by the whisk).
• 7 Very slowly add 80 grams sugar while continuing to mix on medium speed. You
  don't want to add the sugar too quickly, or it could cause the meringue to
  deflate.
• 8 After all of the sugar has been added, add your ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and
  green gel food coloring.
• 9 Continue beating on medium to medium-high speed until you have reached stiff
  peaks. When you life the whisk out of the meringue, it should stick straight up
  and not droop down at all.
• 10 Transfer ⅓ of your meringue to the bowl with your dry ingredients. Using a
  silicone spatula, gently begin folding the ingredients together.
• 11 Once combined, repeat this process with the second and then final portion of the
  meringue.
• 12 After all of the meringue has been added to the bowl, continue folding by making
  a J shape with the spatula, turning the bowl 90°, and repeating the process. As
  you fold, the mixture will become thinner and more runny. You know you are done
  folding when it moves similarly to lava and falls off the spatula in a ribbon
  just long enough to form a figure 8.
• 13 Transfer the batter to your prepared piping bag. Holding the bag about ¼-inch
  above the baking sheet at a 90° angle, squeeze the batter until it fills the
  inner circle of your template (or reaches your desired size), then stop
  squeezing and make a quick C shape to break the batter. Repeat with the
  remaining batter.
• 14 Once the macarons are piped, lift the baking sheet about 5 inches above the
  counter and drop it 5-8 times to bring any air bubbles to the surface.
• 15 Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
• 16 Leave the macarons to rest on the counter for 30-60 minutes, or until they form
  a skin and are no longer tacky to the touch.
• 17 Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C/Gas Mark 2).
• 18 Bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes, or until they no longer slide on their feet
  if you nudge them gently.
• 19 Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes
  before removing them.
• 20 In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together ¼ cup butter and 4 oz cream
  cheese until smooth and creamy.
• 21 Add ½ cup confectioners sugar and mix, slowly at first, until well combined.
• 22 Add 1 tablespoon key lime juice, 2 teaspoon key lime zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt
  and beat again at medium speed until fluffy and fully mixed. Taste and adjust
  the salt if needed.
• 23 Transfer your frosting to your prepared piping bag.
• 24 Match up your macaron shells based on size.
• 25 Pipe a ring of frosting onto one of the macaron shells and top it with 2
  tablespoon graham cracker crumbs if using.
• 26 Firmly press on the top shell to form the cookie and repeat with all of the
  remaining shells and frosting.
• 27 For best results, let your macarons chill in the fridge for 24 hours before
  letting them come to room temperature and serving them.

Nutrition Info