Description
These Creme Brûlée Macarons are delicate almond meringue cookies filled with rich vanilla buttercream. The shells are baked to perfection, then one side is caramelized with granulated sugar using a kitchen torch to mimic the classic crème brûlée’s signature crisp caramel topping. Perfect for gourmet dessert lovers wanting an elegant French treat with a twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 1 ⅔ cup (200 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour
- 3 large (100 grams) egg whites
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Buttercream Filling
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (113 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Water as needed
- Granulated sugar as needed (for caramelizing)
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Surface: Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and allow for even heat distribution.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Pulse powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor until smooth and free of lumps, then sift into a mixing bowl to ensure a fine texture for the macaron shells.
- Make French Meringue: Beat egg whites until frothy, then gradually add granulated sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form, yielding a glossy stiff meringue.
- Fold Batter: Gently fold the meringue into the dry ingredients using a spatula until fully combined and batter reaches the proper consistency, ensuring it flows slowly off the spatula in ribbons.
- Pipe Shells: Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe 1-inch diameter disks evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Rest the Macarons: Tap the baking sheet to remove air bubbles, then let the piped shells rest at room temperature for about an hour to form a skin for a smooth top.
- Bake Macarons: Preheat oven to 280°F (138°C), then bake the macarons for 15 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Cool and Match Shells: Remove from oven and allow macarons to cool completely before pairing shells of similar sizes for assembly.
- Prepare Buttercream Filling: Beat softened butter and half of the powdered sugar until creamy. Add vanilla bean seeds or extract, then gradually add remaining powdered sugar. Adjust the consistency by adding heavy cream as needed for piping.
- Caramelize Shells: Lightly moisten one side of a macaron shell with a few drops of water, dip it into granulated sugar, and use a kitchen torch to carefully caramelize the sugar until golden and crisp, mimicking crème brûlée’s signature top.
- Assemble Macarons: Pipe the buttercream onto the flat side of the non-caramelized shell, then sandwich it with the brûléed shell on top. Repeat for all macarons.
Notes
- Resting macarons before baking allows a skin to form for smooth tops and prevents cracking.
- Use aged egg whites at room temperature for whipping the meringue to achieve stable peaks.
- Ensure the kitchen torch is used carefully to avoid burning the sugar or the shells.
- Piping consistent sized shells ensures even baking and matching pairs.
- Store assembled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
