Naturally gluten-free, these classic French sweets feature another classic— Earl Grey black tea—in the cookie shells and in the luscious buttercream filling.
Earl Grey Macarons
Serves: 30
Ingredients
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons loose-leaf Earl Grey black tea*, finely ground
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Earl Grey Buttercream (recipe follows)
- 1⁄4 cup orange marmalade
Instructions
- Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw 20 (1 1⁄2-inch) circles 1 inch apart on each parchment paper sheet; turn parchment paper over.
- In a medium bowl, sift together almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, and ground tea.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together granulated sugar and egg whites until frothy. Place bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Whisk mixture constantly, until sugar dissolves completely, the mixture is warm to the touch, and a candy thermometer registers 160°, approximately 2 minutes. Return bowl to mixer, and whisk at high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold almond flour mixture into egg white mixture until batter falls in thick ribbons. (When you drag the spatula through the batter, it should move like lava and slowly come back together.)
- Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (Ateco #804). Pipe batter onto drawn circles on prepared baking sheets, holding piping tip perpendicular to parchment. (Apply pressure to bag, leaving tip stationary in center of each drawn circle until batter just reaches edge. Move and lift tip in a quick circular motion as you finish piping each macaron to prevent points from forming on top of the macaron.) Firmly tap pans vigorously on counter 5 to 7 times to release air bubbles. Let stand at room temperature until a skin forms on top of macarons, 1 to 2 hours. (Batter should feel dry to the touch and should not stick to fingertip.)
- Preheat oven to 300°.
- Bake macarons, one baking sheet at a time, until they are firm but have a slight wobble to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on parchment before removing. Pair macarons, flat sides together.
- Transfer Earl Grey Buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a 1⁄4-inch round piping tip (Wilton #12 or Ateco #802). Pipe a ring of buttercream around edges of flat side of 30 macarons, leaving a well in center.
- Place orange marmalade in a piping bag and cut a 1⁄8-inch opening in tip. Pipe a small amount of marmalade into the center wells of buttercream. Cover with a corresponding plain macaron, flat side down, and carefully and gently press together to adhere. (Excessive pressure can cause macarons to crack, so use light pressure). Serve the same day, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*We used Earl Grey Black Tea from The Tea Shoppe, available at theteashoppewv.com or by calling 304-413-0890. Measure the tea leaves and then use a spice grinder to create a fine powder.
Earl Grey Buttercream
Serves: 2½ cups
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons loose-leaf Earl Grey black tea*
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon lightly packed fresh orange zest
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a small heatproof bowl, place cream. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals until cream just begins to steam. Stir in tea leaves. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain well, and discard tea leaves.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer at medium-low speed until smooth, approximately 1 minute. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until combined. Beat in orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat in cooled cream, slowly increasing to medium-high speed. Beat until buttercream is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Use immediately.
Notes
*We used Earl Grey Black Tea from The Tea Shoppe, available at theteashoppewv.com or by calling 304-413-0890.
