Summer is almost gone, but you can still have everyone’s favorite Summertime treat, cotton candy, as a macaron!
I have always loved cotton candy. Especially as a kid. And I am not a candy person at all. But, there was something fun about cotton candy. It was the thinness of the texture, and the way it would melt in your mouth as soon as you would taste it. Amazing!
I can remember one time when I was maybe 7 or 8, we had a field trip to the circus of some kid friendly show. I knew I wanted to get cotton candy there. But, at our last field trip, we were not allowed to purchase anything from the concession stand. So, this particular time, I convinced my mother to write my teacher a letter saying that she was giving me money to buy her cotton candy so I could get some for me. The lengths I went through to get my hands on some! And I bought cotton candy that day!
So, I was so excited to try making these Cotton Candy Macarons! And they taste just like cotton candy. You first make the macaron shell and divide the batter in half tinting one half pink and the other blue. Fold the two colors together only mixing about 2-3 times. You do not want the colors to mix in fully. Add the batter to a piping bag and pipe out the macaron rounds.
After baking, make a swiss meringue buttercream and add cotton candy extract to the mixer to make it taste just like the real thing. Pipe the buttercream between the macaron shells and there you have the perfect cotton candy sandwich cookie!
Cotton Candy Macarons
Ingredients
Macarons
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pink food gel
- blue food gel
Cotton candy swiss meringue buttercream
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 sticks butter
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cotton candy extract
Instructions
Macarons
- Sift confectioners’ sugar and almond flour together, discarding any bits of almond flour that are too large to pass through the strainer.In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on high speed until foamy, then with the mixer running, slowly add the sugar. When the mixture reaches soft peaks, add vanilla. Continue whipping just until mixture forms stiff peaks.Gently pour the almond mixture over the whipped egg whites so they don’t deflate. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites until the mixture holds a 10 count, meaning when batter falls from the spatula to the bowl it takes about 10 seconds until it fully blends into the rest of the bowl in the batter. This way, the almond mixture is fully hydrated but egg whites still retain some air. The mixture is thick enough to pipe without running everywhere, but the peak at the top of each piped cookie will fall on its own, making a perfectly smooth cookie. This takes about 45 turns, but depending on how aggressively you fold, it can be more or less. Take out half of the batter and place into a second bowl. It does not have to be exact. Tint one half pink and the other blue. Fold in only a few turns. It does not have to be fully incorporated. Pour the pink batter into the blue and mix it in 2 turns.Transfer the batter to a decorating pastry bag with a 1A tip. Pipe 1 inch rounds of batter onto the parchment lined pans, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Tap the pans hard on the countertop 4-5 times to release trapped air, and then let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes or until the unbaked macaron form a skin and do not stick to your finger when touched. Allowing the macaron to crust over is what leads to their signature “feet,” the holey ring that arises during baking at the base of each cookie.Bake one pan at a time for 17 minutes on a shelf in the center of the oven. Cool the macaron completely on a cooling grid before sandwiching with the buttercream. Makes 36 to 48 sandwiched cookies.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl on top of a small pot of simmering water. Whisk the mixture until the sugar melts and the mixture become hot to touch and very thin. Remove from the heat and attach to the stand mixer. Whisk on a high speed until stiff peaks form. Add butter one tbsp at a time. Add salt, and extract. Keep mixing until the buttercream becomes smooth. Place in a piping bag and pipe between macaron cookies.
Anthony’s Almond Flour 2lbs
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