I’m happy that I have a little variety of macaron flavors here now, and these pumpkin macarons might take the trophy for my favorite ones! 

Makes around 25 Macarons 

Ingredients:

1 Cup (105g) Confectioner’s Sugar

½ Tsp (1g) Salt

1 Cup (105g) Almond Flour

½ Tsp (1g) Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp (1g) Ground Nutmeg

½ Tsp (1g) Ground Ginger

1/8 Tsp (a pinch) Ground Cloves 

Orange Gel Food Color, if desired. 

3 Large Egg Whites (100g), Room Temperature

Another 1/4 Tsp (1g) Salt

1/3 Cup (67g) Granulated Sugar

  For the Filling:

3/4 Cup (175g) Softened Unsalted Butter

¼ Cup (55g) Pumpkin Puree

2 Tsp (8g) Vanilla Extract

1/8 Tsp (a pinch) Salt 

¼ Cup (25g) Light Brown Sugar, Packed

½ Tsp (1g) Ground Cinnamon

¼ Tsp (a pinch) Ground Nutmeg 

2 Cup (260g) Confectioner’s Sugar

Directions:

1.     Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or preferably a silicone baking mat. 

2.     Mix the confectioner’s sugar, almond flour, salt, and spices together then sift them to ensure they’re light and lump-free.

3.     Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on a medium speed until stiff foamy peaks form, then slowly pour in the granulated sugar while beating and once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to high and beat until the egg whites form glossy stiff white peaks. If you’re using food color, add it once the egg whites are glossy, then continue to beat until the coloring is incorporated, but don’t over mix after the coloring is in. 

4.     Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and fold with a spatula. Once that is combined, add the rest of the dry mixture, and gently fold with a spatula until the batter reaches a lava-like consistency. It’s done when you can form a figure-8 with the batter off the spatula and the batter doesn’t break. Do not overmix but be sure to mix it enough until you can form the figure 8. 

5.     Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a ¼-inch round tip and pipe 1 ½ inch circles on the parchment/silicone. Leave a couple inches of space between each one. Once piped, tap the sheet on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles, then allow to sit at room temperature for 40-50 minutes or until you can touch the tops of the piped batter and it doesn’t stick to your finger. This is essential. Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees F (160C). 

6.     Bake for 4 minutes, rotate the pan, bake for another 4 minutes, rotate the pan one more time, then bake for 2-4 more minutes or until the macarons don’t jiggle if you gently try to touch the top and move it around. They should have risen and developed their “feet”

7.     Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer the sheet of parchment/silicone to a cooler surface and allow the macarons to cool completely before moving them. 

8.     To make the filling, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to mix the butter on a medium speed for 3 minutes, until light. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, brown sugar, and salt and mix for another minute on medium speed until smooth. 

9.     Add the powdered sugar ½ Cup at a time, fully mix in each ½ cup before adding the next and mix on high for a few seconds between each addition. 

10.  Invert half of the macaron shells so the flat sides are facing up and pipe the filling on to the shells using the piping tip of your choice. Top those with the other half of the macaron shells and dust with confectioner’s sugar and a little nutmeg.