These adorable Easter egg macarons are the perfect spring cookie. Light and delicious, super adorable, and easy to make!
Are you looking for an adorable way to celebrate Easter?
You have to give these Easter Egg macarons a try! I know macarons seem intimidating but really they are super simple to make!
I give you all the deets you need in the post.
How to make macarons.
How to decorate macarons.
How to eat macarons.
Ok, I don’t tell you how to eat them but you get the drift.
I have your back!
These macarons are a basic vanilla flavor and sandwiched with a sweet vanilla buttercream. It’s a classic pairing that tastes delicious and is super simple to make!
Table of Contents
What is a macaron?
A macaron is a delicate meringue-based cookie that is slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle.
They are made with almond flour, egg whites, and sugar.
Super light and airy and often sandwiched together with buttercream, Nutella, ganache, fruit curd, or jelly.
They are often confused with macaroons which are coconut-based cookies.
What is the difference between French and Italian macarons?
While both variations make delicious macarons it comes down to the way the meringue is made. I personally find the French version to be easier to make.
The French version starts with whipping uncooked egg whites with granulated sugar and then folding in an almond flour mixture.
For the Italian version, you heat up granulated sugar with water to create syrup. You then drizzle the hot syrup into the uncooked egg whites while beating with an electric stand mixer.
Both versions create a delicious cookie with only a few small differences in texture.
Italian macarons are a bit more stable than French macarons and are often used in bakeries since they are less fragile.
When do I stop folding my macaron batter?
The biggest thing to watch while making French-style macarons is the folding of the macaron batter.
It is definitely one of those things you need to be careful about and not get overly eager to keep folding.
The first tip I learned about folding macaron batter was to stop when you reach the molten lava stage. The first time I heard that I was super confused. BUT after I explain what you’re looking for you’ll see why this stage was given its “lave” based name.
You are looking for a batter that is thick and moves slowly when you pull a spatula through. It should resemble what you see when you see flowing molten lava. It makes sense when you see it batter form.
The second tip to check if your macaron batter is ready is to pick up some of the batter on your spatula and draw a figure 8. The batter should not break off and flow solidly back into the batter.
How do I decorate Easter egg macarons?
To color your macarons you’ll want to make sure to use GEL FOOD COLORING.
I know, I’m yelling. I just want to make sure you see my recommendation.
To decorate the macarons, you can use white chocolate or food markers. If you’ve never heard of food markers you can find them on Amazon or at your local cake-decorating shop.
If you’re looking to make the macarons speckled, combine 1 teaspoon of water with a few drops of black gel food coloring and use a pastry brush to splatter the food dye on the macarons – be careful not to get it on your clothes, it stains.
How do I store macarons?
Store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator and eat them within 3 days.
Can I freeze macarons?
Yes! But don’t fill your cookie sandwiches.
Lay the macarons flat onto parchment paper in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
When you’re reading to fill your macarons take them out of the freezer, let them defrost for about an hour, and then fill them with desired filling.
Love these Easter egg macarons?
Why not try a few of my other delicious desserts?
- Birthday Cake Macarons
- Carrot Cake with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vanilla Bean Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Homemade Lemon Bars
- No Bake Raspberry Lemon Mini Cheesecakes
- Mixed Berry Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Olive Oil Cake
Easter Egg Macarons
Equipment
Ingredients
For the shells
- 90 grams egg whites
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 95 grams powdered sugar
- 95 grams almond flour
For the vanilla buttercream
- 8 ounces 110 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 2-1/4 cups 252 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the shell
- Line two large baking pans with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
- Heat a small saucepan of simmering water over medium-low heat.
- Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water.
- Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the egg mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into the egg white mixture, making sure to discard any large lumps.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, making sure not to deflate the egg whites at this point.
- Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the gel food coloring, if using. (see notes)
- Continue to fold the meringue but this time gently smush the batter against the sides of the bowl before folding it back together.
- Continue to smush and fold the meringue a few times before testing to see if it has reached the Figure 8 stage. The meringue is ready to pipe when you can draw a figure 8 without the stream breaking.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #10).
- Pipe 1” macaron shells onto the tray, making sure to pipe them at least 2” apart.
- Once you’ve finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down. Drop the tray another 5-6 times, or until it looks like any large air bubbles have popped. Repeat with the second tray.
- Set the trays aside to rest for at least 25 minutes.
- They’re ready to bake when you can touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, for 13 minutes. If your oven has hot spots, make sure to turn the tray halfway through baking so the feet rise evenly.
- Allow the macarons to cool to room temperature before trying to remove them from the pan. This will help prevent sticking.
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until the butter is light in color, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar slowly followed by the vanilla extract.
- If the mixture seems too dry, add a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.
- Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip. Set aside until ready to use.
Assemble and Age
- Place the macarons in similar-sized pairs.
- Pipe a small dollop of vanilla buttercream onto one of the macaron shells.
- Press down gently, just until the filling reaches the edges.
- (Optional) To decorate the macarons, you can use white chocolate or food markers. Or to make the macarons speckled, combine 1 teaspoon of water with a few drops of black food coloring and use a pastry brush to splatter the food dye on the macarons (be careful not to get it on your clothes– it stains).
- Transfer the filled macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.
Notes
