Eggnog Macarons

Adapted from: Ladurée’s Sucre: The Recipes 
Eggnog Macarons
Yields approximately 50-60 1″ cookies


Macaron shells

• 275g (2 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp) ground almonds (almond flour)
• 250g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) confectioners (icing) sugar
• 210g (6 1/2) egg whites (I used fresh egg whites)
• 210g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg

Eggnog Buttercream Flilling

• 2 sticks of unsalted room temperature butter
• 4 cups of confectioners sugar (weighed and then sifted)
• 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tbs of fresh Eggnog
• 1 tbs of rum/ alternatively 1 tsp of rum flavor

Method:

For the Macaron Shells

Preheat your oven to 300°F (be sure to use an over thermometer to get the correct temperature reading). Move you oven rack to the lower third of your oven.

Combine almond flour and confectioners sugar together in a food processor and blend thoroughly (until finely milled). Sift through a medium gauge sifter to remove any lumps or large pieces of almond.

In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat your egg whites (on a medium speed) until foamy and then slowly add the granulated sugar, continue to beat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and continue to beat until the mixture forms thick, glossy peaks. Add the grated nutmeg and gently mix until incorporated.

Take a large flat rubber spatula and fold one third of your sifted almond/sugar into the egg whites until combined. Repeat this process, until you’ve added all the almond mixture.

The next part is the tricky part- macaroning is the process of pushing out some of the air, or (deflating the mixture). This is achieved by pressing the batter against the bowl with a flat spatula. How many strokes depends on the stiffness of the mixture. The mixture should fall in a gentle ribbon and smooth flat with a few, firm taps of the bowl.

If when you pipe your macarons, the batter doesn’t smooth out after tapping the cookie sheet, you can scrape it back into the bowl, and using the spatula, continue to stroke the mixture and deflate some of the air.

Fill a large pastry bag (fitted with a round Ateco #11 tip) with the batter, and pipe even sized cookies in rows along a cookie sheet (lined with parchment). You can also use a non stick silicone mat, like a Silpat. Some mats even come with the macaron circles pre-printed, as a guide.

When all the cookies have been piped, give the sheet a few, firm taps on a work surface to smooth out. If there are any remaining peaks, these can be flattened with your finger tip (just dip your finger in water and press down on the peak.)

Leave the shells to sit at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes and up to an hour, before placing them into a pre-heated oven, one cookie sheet at a time, for 15 minutes.

To check for doneness, remove one cookie from the sheet and break open, if the cookie is still too moist, leave the macarons for another 1-4 minutes.

Allow the cookies to completely cool on the baking sheet before storing in an air tight container.

For the buttercream filling

Place the unsalted butter in a clean, dry mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until lightened and fluffy, slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to mix.

Add the eggnog, nutmeg and rum (flavor) and continue to mix at a medium speed with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy.

To Assemble.

Pipe a small circle of the buttercream filling onto one half of the cookie shell and place the other half on top, pressing to seal. Refrigerate the cookies for at least several hours before serving. Macarons are better if refrigerated overnight, this allows for the process of maturation, which gives the cookies their signature chew.