Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling

Macarons are a fun French treat that adds brightness to your day with the rainbow of cheerful colors they have. These little cookies have a perfected look and a crisp/chewy texture with sweet flavor. Specialize them even more with a variety of different flavors between the cookies and the filling. Whether you are celebrating a bridal or baby shower, wedding, or just because, macarons are a delightful addition to any celebration or everyday! You can't go wrong with these Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling.

Macarons can be temperamental, but don't be feared. Once you figure out their texture, its response to your oven, how they react to your climate, and have patience when making them, you'll be so excited with them in the end! Macarons are made to impress, their crisp shell and pleasantly chewy inside is exactly what you want.

These little cookies are a lovely treat to enjoy, and can be to make, once you get the hang of it. Give yourself a few tries and you'll be making macarons for all occasions!

Here I am sharing a basic macaron recipe, but there are so many flavor combinations that can be done as well. Enjoy making these cute, elegant, and tasty sweet treat.

Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling 

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Cookie Ingredients for Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling:

3/4 cup Blanched Almond Flour (this is the brand I used and found at our local Walmart)
1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
2 large Egg Whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
Food Coloring Gel

Vanilla Buttercream Filling Ingredients: 

1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
4 cups Confectioners Sugar
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch

Tools to use for Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling 

Pipping bag
Pipping bag tips
Food coloring gel
Parchment paper or Silpat mat

Directions for Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling:

Macaron Cookies:
1. Combine almond flour and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing against it to break up any clumps. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and beat using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until whites get frothy, about a minute. Then add the granulated sugar and beat on high for about 2 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form, a meringue

3. Using Food Coloring Gel, add a knife tip of color to your your meringue mixture. Mix for only a small amount longer until its well blended. Use more gel for bolder colors.

4. Gently fold in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Repeat until mixture is smooth. It will run a little but not be too runny. Be sure to not over mix.

5. Using a pipping bag with a 1/2 inch round tip, filled with batter to pipe each cookie.

6. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat and pipe batter into 1 inch circles, 1 inch a part. I use a macaron template that I found online for consistency. There are also macaron silpat mats available.

7. Once done piping the circles, tap the baking sheet on the countertop several times to release any air bubbles. Batter will flatten out a little. When lifting up your spatula, the batter should pour with a steadily and settle back down in the bowl.

8. Let batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes until they for a skin. This is helpful when baking to form the signature macaron feet.

9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

10. Bake macarons for 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies should come right off the baking sheet when lifted off. 18 minutes worked best for me.

11. Let cool somewhat then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Filling:
1. Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, cream the butter until soft and smooth.

2. Warm the milk and dissolve the Clabber Girl Corn Starch in it.

3. Add the milk/corn starch, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar a little at a time and mix together until light and fluffy, well blended.

Put together the Macarons: 
1. Using a pipping bag with a round tip, add the buttercream filling.

2. Pipe a swirl of filling on the flat side of the cookies.

3. Top with another cookie, creating a sandwich effect with 2 cookies with filling in between.

A Few Baking Notes:
- Do not overfold as the batter will be too runny, they will spread out and not for the signature feet. Do not under fold as the batter will crack.

- Do not skip the drying time. This will help develop a skin over the batter to create the feet when baking. They should be completely dry to touch before you bake them.

-You may need to adjust your oven temperature down some or shorter baking time depending on your oven to see for sure what works best for you.

-If you have hollow tops, you may need to adjust your oven temperature or baking time.

-Store macarons in an air tight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Enjoy these pretty cookies with their round tops, ruffled feet, and tasty filling between!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but 

all thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own.