Description
Classic French pumpkin pie macarons blend autumn spices with delicate almond shells and silky pumpkin cream. Crisp meringue cookies offer a sophisticated twist on traditional holiday flavors, inviting you to savor seasonal elegance.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup (100 g/3.5 oz) almond flour
- ¼ cup (50 g/1.8 oz) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (120 g/4.2 oz) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Orange gel food coloring (optional)
- ¼ cup (60 g/2.1 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g/3.5 oz) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps pumpkin puree
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp heavy cream (if needed for consistency)
Instructions
- Workspace Preparation: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, creating a smooth surface for precise macaron crafting.
- Dry Mixture Creation: Sift almond flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg through a fine-mesh sieve to eliminate lumps and ensure a uniform texture.
- Meringue Transformation: Whisk egg whites using an electric mixer, gradually adding granulated sugar until achieving glossy, sturdy peaks that hold their shape.
- Batter Composition: Fold dry ingredients into the meringue with a rubber spatula, maintaining a delicate technique until the mixture reaches a lava-like consistency.
- Shell Piping: Use a round-tipped piping bag to create uniform 1-inch circular shells on prepared baking sheets with controlled, precise movements.
- Shell Stabilization: Tap baking trays against the countertop to release air bubbles, then let macarons rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to develop a protective skin.
- Baking Process: Preheat oven to 300F and bake shells for 13 minutes, watching for characteristic ruffled feet and pale golden edges, then cool completely.
- Filling Preparation: Whip butter until creamy, blend with powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, warming spices, and vanilla extract to create a smooth, spreadable filling.
- Assembly and Finishing: Pipe spiced pumpkin filling onto shell halves, gently sandwiching with remaining shells and refrigerate for 24 hours to enhance flavor melding.
Notes
- Measure Precisely: Use a digital kitchen scale for accurate ingredient measurements, crucial for achieving perfect macaron texture and consistency.
- Control Moisture: Ensure egg whites are at room temperature and free from any yolk contamination to create a stable, voluminous meringue base.
- Master Macaronage Technique: Fold dry ingredients into meringue with a gentle, figure-eight motion, stopping when the batter flows like lava without breaking.
- Rest and Patience: Allow piped macaron shells to form a protective skin before baking, which helps create the signature smooth top and classic “feet” during baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg