Cotton Candy Macarons

Cotton candy macarons of your dreams! Beautifully marbled macaron shells filled with cotton candy flavored Swiss meringue buttercream.

For shells:

• 100 g super fine almond flour Note 1
• 65 g powdered sugar/confectioners sugar Note 2
• 70 g egg whites at room temperature Note 3
• 75 g fine granulated sugar Note 4
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar optional, Note 5
• ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• Gel food coloring if desired

For filling:

• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ¾ cups (170 g) unsalted butter softened and cubed, Note 6
• cotton candy

To make macaron shells:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or a Teflon sheet, or a silicone mat.
2. To prepare dry ingredients, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Note: If you have up to 2 tablespoons of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don’t have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.
3. To make meringue, in a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt and beat the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. (I set it to speed 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. It takes 30-40 minutes to whip the meringue, but it’s well worth it for nice and full shells.)
4. If you’re making colored shells, add gel food coloring at the soft peak stage. Check out this marbled macaron tutorial for detailed guidance.
5. Continue beating the egg whites on the same medium-low speed until hard peaks form. Visual cues: The meringue should ball up inside the whisk, and when you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy end and have sharp ribs.
6. To make batter (macaronage), sift the almond flour mixture into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight. To test, take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on their own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold a couple more times and test again. Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP: Making French macarons is all about the technique. Macaronage is one of the most crucial steps. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. If you’re a beginner macaron-baker, I suggest counting every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple folds.)
7. To pipe macaron shells, transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. (I used this Wilton 2A tip.)
8. Hold the pastry bag at a straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (TIP: I’ve created a perfect macaron template for you. Simply pipe the batter to fill the inner circle.)
9. Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or using your hand) a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops and prevents cracking.
10. Let the macarons rest on the counter for 15 minutes before baking. This drying period helps form the “skin” necessary for developing feet.
11. To bake, working one baking sheet at a time, place one tray with macarons on the middle rack. (TIP: To prevent browning, place an empty baking sheet on the top rack to shield the heat.) Bake for about 15-18 minutes. It’ll take longer for larger macarons. To test for doneness, touch a macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move. (TIP: It’s always better to slightly over-bake macarons than under-bake them!)
12. Cool the macarons on the sheet for 10-15 minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Attempting to remove them too soon can cause them to break.

To make buttercream filling:

1. In a small saucepan, bring a small amount of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer.
2. In a medium heat-proof bowl (I used my stand mixer bowl), whisk together egg whites and sugar and place it over the saucepan with simmering water. (This is a makeshift double boiler. Make sure the bottom of the top bowl doesn’t touch the water.)
3. Cook the egg white mixture, stirring continuously, until the sugar is completely melted and it reaches 160°F (70°C), about 5 minutes. (This’s my favorite thermometer for accuracy!)
4. Now, remove the bowl with the egg white mixture from the heat. Then whisk it on medium speed for a minute, then slowly increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture is cool to touch, about 10 minutes. (It may take longer with a hand-mixer.)
5. Once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, scrape the side of the bowl with a spatula and add the salt.
6. Turn on the mixer to medium speed and start adding butter, one tablespoon at a time. Make sure the butter is fully incorporated before adding the next piece. (NOTE: It’s normal if the buttercream starts to curdle halfway through adding butter. Keep adding the butter – it will come together!)
7. Keep whisking the buttercream until it transforms into a smooth, light, and fluffy consistency, typically around 10 minutes.
8. Now, switch to a paddle attachment and add the cotton candy directly to the buttercream. Beat the buttercream until the cotton candy is well combined and dissolved, about a minute.

To assemble macarons:

1. Pair the macaron shells by size and arrange them on a wire rack. Line them up so that the bottom shells are upside down.
2. Pipe a dollop of the delicious cotton candy buttercream filling onto the center of each bottom shell.
3. Place the matching top shell over the filling and press lightly, allowing the filling to spread gently towards the edges.
4. Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature. This crucial step allows the filling to soften the shells and for the flavors to meld beautifully.
5. To serve, bring the macarons out about 30 minutes prior to serving to allow them to reach optimal room temperature for the best texture and flavor.