I love pumpkin pies, so I created my Pumpkin Macarons which has all the flavors of a pumpkin pie.
These delicious Pumpkin Macarons will make a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table.
Let’s BAKE!
INGREDIENTS
COOKIE
150 grams powdered sugar
124 grams almond flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
100 grams egg whites, room temp (about 3)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
66 grams castor sugar (ultra fine sugar)
orange food coloring gel (enough to make the macarons bright orange)
brown food coloring gel (enough to make the macaron stems dark brown)
PUMPKIN BUTTERCREAM FILLING
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 ounces lowfat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
COOKIE
In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, almond flour and pumpkin pie spice. Sift mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium speed until frothy; add cream of tartar, Whip until eggs start leaving a trail; add castor sugar 1/3 at a time. Whip until stiff peaks form (when you pull out the whisk the peak should be stiff and not droopy, and you can hold the bowl upside down and nothing comes out.).
Pour 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg whites and gently fold in until incorporated. Continuing to fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time, until it is completely blended. Remove 1/4 cup of the batter to a small bowl; add enough brown food coloring gel to the 1/4 cup of batter to make it dark brown (this 1/4 cup of batter is for the stems). Fold in the brown batter until it’s thick like lava. Add orange food coloring gel to the batter in the mixing bowl, fold in it until it is bright orange, and the batter is thick like lava. (do not over mix, it should be like lava and you can make a figure eight). When the cookies bake their colors will lighten.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Make a template of 2″ pumpkins printed on paper about 2-inches apart (about 16 to a baking sheet 4 across and 4 down). Fit a 16″ pastry bag with a #10 round tip (about 1/4″ in diameter” and fill the bag with the orange batter. Fill a ziplock bag with the brown batter, snip a 1/8″ hole in the corner. Using the template as a guide under the parchment paper, pipe pumpkins onto the parchment papers, then pipe the stems, alternating directions of the curve. Remove the templates. Tap the bottom of each sheet on the work surface to release trapped air bubbles. If there are any peaks remaining, poke them with a toothpick to release any additional air. Let the cookies stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes,to allow the cookies to develop their crusts.
While the cookies are standing at room temperature, preheat oven to 320 degrees F. Once the cookies are dry to the touch, bake, one cookie sheet at a time, at 320 degrees F. for 12-14 minutes, until the top does not wiggly separate from the bottom (error on the side of overcooked).
Cool slightly, remove from parchment (they should release, if not, use an offset spatula) Let cool completely. Match up same size cookies with one top side up and the other filling side up.
PUMPKIN BUTTERCREAM FILLING
Using a tea towel, squeeze excess moisture from the pumpkin to make 1/4 cup of pumpkin; set aside. Cream together cream cheese, butter and 1/4 cup of pumpkin, until light and fluffy; add the pumpkin pie spice, continue beating on medium speed until completely incorporated.
On low speed add 1 cup of powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Add 2nd cup of powdered sugar, until fully incorporated. Add 1 tsp. of cream and last cup of powdered sugar, beating on low speed until incorporated. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Fit a 16″ pastry bag with a #32 open star tip; fill bag with pumpkin buttercream.
Pipe a dollop on each cookie filling side up. Press 2 cookies together until filling comes to the edge.
Place in an airtight container, place in the refrigerator for about 24 hours (so the shells absorb the flavor of the filling). Take the cookies out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
