Funfetti Macarons

This month I participated in Love & Olive Oil’s April Kitchen Challenege, and April was dedicated to tackling macarons. I know in the past I have expressed my dislike for macarons, but after enjoying the meringue cookies I made and therefore debunking my dislike for meringue, figured I should give macarons another shot. And in light of this macaron extravaganza, I am giving away an 8 piece Signature Macaron Collection from Sucré to one lucky reader! (Details at the end of this post.)

Most recipes I’ve seen call for specific weight measurements, which is understandable in an effort to get more consistent results with a notoriously finicky treat. Although I do own a kitchen scale, for some reason decided to be stupid brave and go without. This is where I admit that my macarons were not perfect. They didn’t have the typical edges of a macaron cookie, and some were cracked or concave underneath. In the future since the batter was quite easy to make, I will take the extra minute and weigh everything.

That being said…  Sweet glory they were delicious! What have I been doing with my life, hating macarons all this time? I’ve only had one macaron in my life from a coffee shop and was unimpressed by their dry cruchy-ness, but these babies were not dry at all and perfectly chewy. Of course, the funfetti flavor probably was a significant factor in their desirability. Regardless, I’m very glad I decided to partake in this challenge and can’t wait to see what’s up in May!

Two years ago: Mexican Mac and Cheese

FUNFETTI MACARONS

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

MACARONS

5 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1-3/4 cups almond flour

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp rainbow sprinkles

CAKE BATTER BUTTERCREAM FILLING

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup dry white or yellow cake mix

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Rainbow sprinkles, placed in a small shallow dish

Directions:

1. On three pieces of parchment, use a pencil to draw 1.5-inch circles about 2 inches apart. Flip each sheet over and place each sheet on three baking sheets; set aside.
2. Place the egg whites in your mixer’s bowl and whip on medium until frothy. Increase the speed to high and gradually pour in the superfine sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form.
3. Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in 1/4 of the meringue into the almond mixture. Continue folding the rest of the meringue until completely incorporated. Fold in sprinkles.
4. Fit a piping bag with a 3/8-inch round tip and fill it with the macaron mixture. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheets, in the previously drawn circles. Tap the underside of the baking sheet to remove air bubbles and allow to dry at room temperature for 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 315. Bake the macarons for 12 to 15 minutes; cookies are done when they no longer jiggle when you touch them on top. Rotate the baking sheet after 6 minutes for even baking.
6. Remove macarons from oven and transfer to a cooling rack; do not remove from baking sheets. Let completely cool. When cool, slide a metal offset spatula or pairing knife underneath the macaron to remove from parchment.
7. While the macarons cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Turn to low and slowly add in powdered sugar and cake mix. Turn speed up to medium and beat for 1 minute until smooth. Add in milk and vanilla, continue mixing until desired consistency is reached, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary.
8. Pair macarons of similar size, and pipe about 1/2 tsp of the filling onto one of the macarons. Sandwich macarons and roll the sides in sprinkles.

Source: Adapted from Diethood and Serious Eats.

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Disclosure: Giveaway provided by Sucré. I was not compensated for this post.