Red, White, and Blue Macarons
 
 
Macarons get PATRIOTIC! Red and blue shells sandwich vanilla buttercream in these red, white, and blue macarons.
Yield: 40 macarons
Ingredients
For the macarons
  • 115 g blanched almond slices, ground, or almond flour
  • 230 g powdered sugar
  • 144 g egg whites
  • 72 g granulated sugar
  • 2 g kosher salt
  • red and blue food coloring gel
For the filling
  • 16 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. If using almond slices, grind in a food processor with the powdered sugar for at least three minutes, but before the almonds start to become almond butter.
  2. Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl. If there are almond flour slices that won't pass through the sifter, then grind them again until they do.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt. Beat on medium (speed 4) for 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high (speed 6) and beat for another 3 minutes. Increase the speed to 8 and beat for another 3 minutes. Increase it to 10 and beat for one more minute. When you lift the whisk, the meringue should be stuck to it. Lightly tap it against the side of the bowl until it falls off.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the meringue. if using. Fold them into the meringue using the "fold-and-smash" method (fold and then subsequently smash and smear against the side of the bowl). Mix until the batter is lavalike and when you spoon some of the batter out and drop it back in, it completely incorporates within about 20 seconds. When the batter is almost at the right consistency, split it into two bowls and add one color food gel to each. Keep mixing until batter is the correct consistency.
  5. Transfer half of the batter to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe the macarons into evenly sized and spaced circles, making sure to keep the piping bag straight up and down as you do so.
  6. Rap the baking sheet hard against the counter, twice. Turn ninety degrees and rap another two times. Let rest for 45-60 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 275F.
  8. Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, on the rack farthest from the oven's flame for 18 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the pans.
  9. Repeat with remaining batter.
  10. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  11. Reduce mixer to low and add in the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, until totally combined. Add the vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt, beating to combine. Beat for 1 minute. Pipe onto either the red or the blue shells and then top with the other color.
Notes
Macaron recipe from Brave Tart, Buttercream from Tide and Thyme
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 macaron
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2015/06/red-white-and-blue-macarons.html