Birthday Cake Macarons

🧂 Ingredients

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

  (at room temperature)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 80 grams sugar
• rainbow nonpareil sprinkles

  (optional)
• gel food coloring

  (optional)
• ½ cup butter

  (at room temperature)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 pinch salt

  (optional, as needed to reduce sweetness)
• 2 tablespoon rainbow nonpareil sprinkles

Instructions

• 1 In the bowl of your food processor, add the 125 grams almond flour and 125 grams
  confectioners sugar.
• 2 Blend with the food processor on low speed until the mixture has become
  extra-fine. Then, use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the mixture into a large mixing
  bowl. Set aside.
• 3 In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk
  attachment to beat the 100 grams egg whites until foamy.
• 4 Add ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and continue beating until you have soft peaks.
• 5 Gradually add 80 grams sugar to the egg whites while continuing to mix, until
  everything is fully distributed.
• 6 Pour in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and the optional gel food coloring and
  continue mixing on medium-high speed until you have stiff peaks.
• 7 Scoop ⅓ of the whipped egg mixture into your flour mixture and use a rubber
  spatula to gently fold it in until it is combined.
• 8 Repeat this process with the remaining ⅔ of the egg whites, only adding ⅓ at a
  time, and gently folding in between each addition.
• 9 After the last bit of the egg mixture has been added, continue to gently and
  slowly fold the macaron batter until the batter falls from the spatula in
  ribbons. *The consistency should be similar to honey or lava. If you let the
  batter fall from your spatula, it should only take about 10 seconds to sink back
  into itself.
• 10 Once you have reached the perfect consistency, transfer the batter into a piping
  bag that has been fitted with a round tip (or a storage bag with the corner cut
  off). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• 11 Pipe the macarons onto your parchment paper (or mat) in 1½-inch circles, making
  sure to space them at least ½-inch apart from each other.
• 12 Firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter 5 times to get rid of any air
  bubbles. Then, use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles that you might see.
• 13 Sprinkle the macarons with rainbow nonpareil sprinkles if desired.
• 14 Allow the macarons to rest on the counter at room temperature for 30-60 minutes,
  or until they are dry to the touch and no longer tacky.
• 15 While the macarons are resting, go ahead and preheat your oven to 300˚F
  (140˚C/Gas Mark 2).
• 16 Once ready, bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes, or until the macarons don’t
  move if you tap on them slightly.
• 17 Remove the macarons from the oven and let them cool completely before removing
  them from the baking mat.
• 18 In a large mixing bowl, add ½ cup butter. I recommend butter that is between
  68-70°F (20-21°C), and not so soft that you can easily indent it with your
  fingertip.
• 19 Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat it for 1 minute until the butter has
  become light and fluffy.
• 20 Add half of your 2 cups confectioners sugar, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½
  teaspoon almond extract and continue mixing until well combined.
• 21 Add the remaining confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon heavy cream and beat at
  medium-high speed until combined and fluffy. Taste and add 1 pinch salt if the
  frosting is overly sweet.
• 22 Pour in 2 tablespoon rainbow nonpareil sprinkles and mix until combined.
• 23 Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag with your preferred tip.
• 24 Match the macarons up based on size and pipe the buttercream onto half of the
  shells.
• 25 Gently press the top shell on to form a sandwich and repeat with all of your
  macarons.
• 26 For best results, place the macarons into an airtight container in the fridge
  for 24 hours. Then, allow them to come up to room temperature and serve.

Nutrition Info