Earl Grey Macarons

4.84 from 6 ratings

These earl grey macarons are truly a treat! They have the perfect balance of flavors and are filled with an earl grey buttercream that is packed with that distinct, citrusy earl grey flavor.

Prep Time20

Cook Time19

Additional Time30

Total Time1 9

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: French

Servings: 20 macarons

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Macarons Shells

110 g aged egg whites - about 4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar - optional
110 g granulated sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tsp
pink and regal purple gel food coloring - optional
140 g superfine almond flour - blanched 1 1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp
125 g powdered sugar 1 cup

Earl Grey Cream

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g
2 Bags of earl grey tea

Buttercream Frosting

113 g unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup
2 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 1/2 tsp
2 g fine salt 1/4 tsp
200 g powdered sugar 1 2/3 cups
30 g earl grey infused cream - recipe above 2 Tbsp

Recommended Equipment

Kitchen scale
Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
Fine Mesh Sieve
Large, flat baking sheets
Silpat Mats or parchment paper
1 Large Piping Bag 18-inch
2 Medium-Sized Round Piping Tips like an Ateco 805
1 Small Piping Bag 12-inch

Instructions

French Macaron Shells

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
Pour 110g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the mixture has soft peaks.
Gradually mix in 110g of granulated sugar into the eggs over a few minutes while mixing on a medium-low speed (speed 4 on a KitchenAid). Then increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (speed 6 on a KitchenAid). Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Sift 140g superfine almond flour and 125g powdered sugar into the meringue. Add in a small squirt of pink and purple gel food coloring to give the shells a warm, light purple color, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pulls through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.
Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8's with the batter running off your spatula when it is the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes, or until they develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. While the macarons rest, preheat the oven to 315 F / 157 C.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 17-20 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly.
Remove the shells from the oven and let them cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the silpat mat and pair them together. If you make the shells in advance, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Set aside.

Earl Grey Cream

Pour 1/4 cup of cream into a heat proof bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until it's just beginning to bubble. Keep an eye on the mixture as it heats to avoid it from bubbling over!
Add 2 earl grey tea bags into the cream and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes. You will end up with a bit less cream than you started with because the tea bags will absorb some of it.
Set the cream aside to cool completely before using in the frosting.

Earl Grey Buttercream Frosting

Beat 113g room-temperature butter on a medium speed until smooth.
Mix in 2g vanilla extract and 2g salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 200g of powdered sugar and 30g of earl grey infused cream on a low speed. If desired, add in a small drop of pink and purple gel food coloring to make the frosting match the color of the shells.
Mix for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional heavy cream (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
Once the frosting is the right consistency, place in a piping bag fit with a large round tip and set aside.

Assembling These Earl Grey Macarons

To assemble these macarons, pipe a dollop of buttercream onto one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top to create a sandwich.
This step is optional, but I chose to drizzle rings of melted white chocolate on the top of the macarons and added a sprinkle of earl grey tea leaves. It gives them such a pretty finished look!
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill them in the fridge overnight, then enjoy. Remove the macarons from the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to eat them to let them come to room temperature. Store any leftover macarons in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Recipe Yield:

This recipe makes about 40 macaron shells, which can be used to make 20 macarons. You can double or half this recipe if needed.

The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 3/4 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Earl Grey Macarons

Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
Firmly bang your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
Rest the macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
Let your filled macarons mature in the fridge overnight! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
If your macarons don't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!

Making These Earl Grey Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

French macarons need to mature overnight (or ideally 24 hours) in the fridge before being eaten! They taste best 24 hours after being made.
These macarons can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to a month if stored in an airtight container.
Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
The earl grey frosting can be made ahead of time too or you save any leftovers! Store this frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition