Flower Macarons

These Flower Macarons are filled with a vanilla buttercream and decorated with a simple royal icing design. They're so pretty and perfect for spring!

Prep Time45

Cook Time15

Resting time20

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: flower macarons, french macarons, macarons

Servings: macarons

Calories: 130kcal

Author: The Tipsy Macaron

Sift powdered sugar and almond flour using a whisk to break down any clumps. Set aside.
Line sheet pans with silicone mats and place templates under mats.
Insert the piping tip into the 16 inch pastry bag.

Whisk the egg whites on medium speed (speed 4) until you start to see small bubbles (this can take as little as 15 seconds sometimes).
Slowly add 3 tbsp of granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time.
Whisk until you start to see tracks in the meringue.
Increase speed to 6 and continue slowly adding the remainder of the granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until you’ve added all the sugar.
Once you have soft peaks, stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla.
Whisk for about 2 minutes, or until medium peaks, and add 4 drops of pink food coloring.
Whisk for another 5 minutes or until stiff peaks.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the meringue and fold the batter until you can't see any of the dry ingredients.
When folding the batter, slide the spatula under the batter, lift it in a U motion, go over the top of the batter, and slide it under again. This way you make sure to get the batter at the bottom of the bowl.
Once fully combined, add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and repeat the process of folding.
Add in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and fold until fully combined.
Once all of the powdered sugar/almond flour mixture has been added, continue folding a few more times to make sure all the ingredients are combined well.
Now you need to deflate some of the air in the batter by taking the spatula and smearing the batter on the sides of the bowl two or three times, and then folding once or twice.
Continue this process of smearing some of the batter on the side of the bowl and folding once or twice until the batter starts to run off the spatula in ribbons.
You can test the consistency by lifting the spatula and letting the batter run down. If it falls in ribbons and sinks into itself within 30 seconds, it's ready.

Transfer the batter to the 16 inch pastry bag.
Holding the pastry bag at a 90° angle, pipe the macarons according to the template, piping the petals first, then adding a little bit of batter in the center to fill in the middle of the flower.
Let the macarons rest until they form a skin and are no longer sticky.
While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°-305°F.
Remove the templates and bake the macarons for 14-15 minutes.
Macarons are ready when they no longer shift if you touch the tops.

In a medium bowl, whisk the butter until smooth.
Add half of the powdered sugar and whisk until combined.
Add the remaining powder sugar and whisk until fully combined.
Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and pink gel color and mix until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
Transfer to an 8 inch pastry bag and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and a few drops of water and stir.
Continue stirring until fully mixed, adding a few drops of water at a time if you need to thin the icing.
The perfect consistency is when the icing sinks back into itself within 20 seconds when you lift the spoon.
Transfer the icing to an 8 inch pastry bag and cut a very small opening at the tip and decorate half of the macaron shells. (OPTIONAL: add pearl sprinkle in the center)
Let the icing dry at least 30 minutes.

Take the piping bag with the buttercream, cut a ¼ inch opening at the tip, and fill half of the macarons.

Top the filled macaron shells with the decorated halves and refrigerate for at least 24 hours so macarons can mature.
Remove from refrigerator and let macarons come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes, before enjoying.

*Calories reflected are for macaron shells only

Mixing bowl should be clean and grease free

Weigh all ingredients in grams for accuracy

Use room temperature egg whites (to bring eggs to room temperature quickly, put them in a bowl filled with hot water for about 5 minutes)

Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together because almond flour is moist and doesn't sift well alone

Whisk the meringue until you have stiff peaks

Let macarons dry before baking so they don't crack

Calories: 130kcal