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Macarons with Salted Honey Buttercream

Annette Zito, KitchAnnette™
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert

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.