Macarons with Salted Honey Buttercream – 2022 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®!
It’s the 2022 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®! For Drive My Car, it’s Hive MaCaron!
Our Mid-Century Dinner Party is turning to the sweets!
Is it wrong to say this movie did not DRIVE my movie joy? The story certainly had depth and complexity but seriously… it draggggggged on. The driving was a lot too. What can I say – every movie isn’t going to appeal to everyone. And this didn’t appeal to me.
But that didn’t daunt my fervor to find the best selection to celebrate the Academy Award Best Picture Nomination achievement.
It is more than safe to assume this is a STRETCH to relate it to the movie. They drove in a Saab… Sob…
Salty tears… salt… salted honey buttercream. As for choosing this delicate and delightful cookie, it’s as simple as – the car was red so the cookie is in a red tone. My CAR – MaCAR(on). And that’s pretty much the only reason this dessert exists! Hey – they all can’t be the perfect aha dish sensation!
HOWEVER these cookies are soooo incredible. I’ve had the macarons from the famous Ladurée. I know a good one when I taste one. These are pretty darn tootin’ good!
I did my research to make sure I got them just right. There wasn’t one recipe or blog or description 
anywhere that didn’t have so many warnings about getting the cookie’s foot right… the dramatic slamming of the tray to get the bubbles out. It was DAUNTING! But I was going to get it done. It wasn’t half as hard by far! In fact, it was fun! I’ve never been the best piper but I was very proud of how I did!
Do not be intimidated by making these macarons. Sugar concoctions are supposed to be a blast! They are pure joy! I made these small so they would be the perfect bite.
Give ’em a shot. Reach out to ask me any question you like. You’re going to be so happy you did!
Happy Oscars!
Annette
Macarons with Salted Honey Buttercream
Ingredients
The Cookie:
- 1-3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- gel or powdered food coloring (never liquid)
The Buttercream:
- 1/4 cup butter room temperature
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Sift powdered sugar and almond flour twice through. Make sure there are no clumps. Whisk well and set aside.
- Whisk egg whites until foamy. Add sugar about half at a time. Add extract and food coloring - whisk. Add salt and mix until stiff peaks form. You should be able to turn the bowl over and nothing moves!
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in the dry mixture a little at a time in an up-and-over figure-8 motion - this is called macaronage. It’s ready when it falls from your spatula in ribbons. Gently place half the batter in the piping bag with a .25" or .5” tip. You don’t want to lose the volume by squeezing more than necessary.
- Prepare baking pan using a 1.5” macaron template under baking mat or smooth piece of parchment paper (you can add a drop of batter to the corners to hold it down). Create macarons by piping from the middle - when it hits the edge of the circle, cleanly release. Fill piping bag as needed. Carefully remove the template. Bang the pan a few times to remove any air bubbles. Gently pop any left with a pin. Let sit in a dry place uncovered for 30-90 minutes until a “skin” forms. They will be dry to the touch.
- Bake at 300° for about 15-18 minutes. Check for doneness by lightly tapping the “foot”, or bottom edge, with spatula - it should be firm. If not, put back in the oven for one minute at a time, checking again. When they’re done, remove parchment/mat with cookies from the hot pan and let cool flat before gently removing them.
- Make the buttercream by mixing the butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix in the honey. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Pour in 2 tbsp milk and mix until smooth - if it’s too dry, add a bit more milk. Stir in the salt and place in a piping bag. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before use.
- Pair up the cookies. turn one over and pipe buttercream in the center, leaving the edge clear. Add the other on top to make a sandwich. Repeat for all. For the best flavor, refrigerate overnight so the buttercream flavor sinks into the cookies. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
