Summer is steadily winding down and finally coming to a close. As a lover of pumpkin spice and everything nice, I am ecstatic to see fall roll on through. Before we officially call it quits on summer, I had to address another important component of the season for me.
In the summer, the warm weather drives me and most people outside for activities. In the summer I especially love outdoor movies, picnics, brunches, barbecues, rooftop and day parties. The most important experiences of summer above all are the music festivals. Summer is simultaneous for music festival season and this year served as a rebirth for most major music venues. I was super excited after a two year hiatus to return to music festival season. Nothing beats (pun intended) being outside with fellow music lovers in warm weather dancing and vibing out.
In the summer there are many popular festivals across the globe. I appreciate that music festivals try and incorporate a variety of cuisines to suite different tastes. I have been to a few different festivals internationally and had the chance to enjoy food from the South to Singapore. Even though there is so much food to choose from at these fun-filled festivals, I never can seem to find the one thing I'm looking for.
Macarons are the missing piece to a perfect festival cuisine. These French invented cookies are super flavorful and colorful. These naturally light, gluten-free cookies would be the best accompaniment and contrast to all the heavy and probably greasy food that is consumed during the day. My summer sweet tooth has found ice cream, cupcakes, dessert empanadas, etc. to munch on in between music sets, but never macarons. Since I have not been able to find any of these French fantasies during music festivals, I decided to make my own to enjoy. I made the decision to make these macarons even more special by combining two desserts into one. These Music Festival Macarons are cotton candy flavored and chromatic. I took these cookies even further with flavor by decorating them with our Cotton Candy flavored Sprinkle Mix.
This macaron recipe is the classic French style and is easy to make using a stand mixer and a kitchen scale. I absolutely loved how these macarons tasted and looked once they were finally completed.
You can find the complete recipe and step by step video below.
Recipe adapted from La Cuisine Paris.
Makes about 20-30 cookies
Ingredients
French Macarons:
90g ground almonds
75g egg whites
50g granulated sugar
135g confectioners sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. cotton candy flavoring (I got mine from Michaels)
Buttercream:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. heavy cream, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½. tsp. cotton candy flavoring
pinch salt
Cotton Candy flavored Sprinkle Mix, for decoration (optional)
Pink food coloring (optional)
Blue food coloring (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 160C or 320F.
For macarons: Sift the ground almonds into a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Measure out egg whites into clean mixing bowl. Using hand or stand mixer whisk attachment, start whipping egg whites on medium speed. Slowly start to add granulated sugar one spoonful at a time.
Gradually increase speed, slowly add the confectioners sugar one spoonful at a time. Continue to whisk egg whites until they form glossy stiff peaks and the sugar is dissolved. (Approximately 10-15 minutes). Add flavoring.
Carefully fold the ground almonds into the meringue one half at a time using a spatula. Be careful not to over mix.
Divide macaron mixture into two bowls. Add food coloring into each bowl. Carefully fold in coloring to the macaron mixture until even. Be careful not to over mix.
Put the mixture into a pastry bag. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Pipe and form small even similar sized rounds on the parchment paper. Allow macarons to. rest on the counter for 15 minutes. Bake at 160C or 340F for approximately 12 minutes. Allow macarons to completely cool on cooling rack. Once completely cooled, remove from parchment paper. (Cookies should come off paper easily if cooked enough and completely cooled.)
While cookies are baking make buttercream frosting.
For frosting, in a medium bowl, or stand mixer, whisk butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar using mixer on low speed until frosting is smooth. Add heavy cream. Add vanilla extract. Add cotton candy flavoring. Add salt. Add food coloring (optional). Whisk frosting on medium-high speed until combined and frosting is light and fluffy.
Pipe buttercream onto macarons and sandwich cookies together. Roll macarons in Cotton Candy flavored Sprinkle Mix.
Devour and Enjoy!
*to make sure stiff meringues form in your recipe, make sure all your utensils are completely fatless. Wipe everything down (mixing bowls and whisk) using a paper towel and white vinegar to remove any oil from baking supplies.
