Margarita French Macarons

Lime macaron shell and tequila infused buttercream come together to create these margarita macarons! I think my favorite thing ever about making French macarons is that you can flavor them literally in any direction. I always enjoy recreating cocktail flavors, its so easy to get them spot on, and these margarita macarons actually taste like a real margarita, which means happy hour just got WAY more fun.

This lime macaron recipe is easy and straight forward, and there are tons of photos to show you exactly how to make them.

recipe ingredients

• Powdered sugar
• Blanched almond meal
• Egg whites
• White sugar
• Cream of tartar

recipe instructions

1. Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar together into a large bowl. If there are any large pieces of almond meal, discard them. Set the bowl aside.
2. Add your room-temperature egg whites to a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Begin whipping on medium speed (3-4) for 1 minute until foamy.
3. When the whites are foamy, add the cream of tartar.
4. After adding the cream of tartar, start sprinkling in the sugar. Do not add too much at once or it will deflate your egg whites! Once all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high (5-6) for 6-7 minutes, or until the whites get glossy, shiny, and hold a stiff peak! The photo above is an example of medium peaks, which means we need to keep beating them!
5. Using a rubber spatula, add the whites to a large bowl. Sprinkle in ⅓ of the dry ingredients and gently fold them into the whites. Try not to fold too aggressively, you want to preserve as much air as possible in this step. Continue adding the dries in thirds until all of it has been added.
6. Once all of the dry ingredients are added. Add any food coloring if using. Then use the spatula to scrape the batter against the sides of the bowl. Every few scrapes test to see if the batter is ready. Pick up some of the batters and let them flow back down into the bowl. If it flows slowly and looks like ribbons, try to form a figure '8'. If you can make a figure 8 without the batter breaking, it's ready! Another key sign that it's ready to pipe is the batter will just barely look shiny. 

piping the macarons

7. Fill your piping bag with a #12 round tip. Better to have a smaller tip than a larger one! Flip a sheet pan upside down and lay down your parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Pipe directly from above into the desired size. 

8. Grab your pan and firmly tap it on the counter. Make sure you tap all sides of the pans. This will release any air bubbles to the surface and will flatten your shell so there are no piping lines.

9. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that come to the surface for the smoothest shell possible.

baking macarons

10. Let them sit at room temperature (make sure they are not under any vent or fan this will cause the shells to bake lopsided!) until they form a skin. You should be able to touch the top of the shells with your finger and it shouldn't leave a mark. 

11. Bake the macarons at 275-300 for 13-14 minutes. Do not open the oven too soon. 10 minutes into their baking, open the door and touch the top of the shell. If it moves from the feet of the shell, bake it for a few more minutes. The top should not move from the feet when they're ready!

12. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before removing them.

making the buttercream

1. In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of soft, room-temperature unsalted butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix the butter on low (speed 2-3) for 1-2 minutes or until the butter is smooth and lump-free.

2. Stop the mixer and add ½ cup of powdered sugar. Mix on low (speed 1) until incorporated, then add another ½ cup. Continue until all the powdered sugar has been added. 

3. Increase the mixer speed to medium (speed 4-5) and whip until the butter is light and fluffy about 2-3 minutes. 

4. Stop the mixer and add the 2 tablespoon tequila, 2 teaspoon lime zest, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Mix on low (speed 1) to incorporate so the tequila doesn't splash out of the bowl. Then increase the speed to medium (speed 4) and whip again until light and fluffy, about 1 minute more. 

5. Fill a piping bag fitted with a #12 round tip with the buttercream and pipe dollops onto one of the macaron shells. Sandwich the buttercream with the other half of the macaron. Enjoy your margarita macarons!

choosing the right baking tray

One very common question I see frequently is using Silpat mats verses parchment paper when making macarons. I can say I have used both, but definitely prefer Silpat.

If you're unfamiliar with what a Silpat is, it's a nonstick reusable baking mat, basically reusable parchment paper.

Now, I'm not saying you need to go out and buy a Silpat mat before you start baking. However just keep in mind that if you're not using high-quality parchment paper, the moisture from the macaron shells can cause the paper to 'wrinkle' and will warp your round shape.

I've also found that when I bake macarons on parchment paper, the bottoms and feet of the shells tend to get more brown. Again if this isn't a huge concern of yours, go for what works best for you!

You can find higher quality parchment papers on amazon as well as Silpat mats!

storage & freezing

• I highly recommend storing macarons in an airtight container and keeping them in the fridge when you're not enjoying them.
• Can macarons be frozen? Absolutely. Again, just make sure those babies are in an air-tight container, otherwise, they will get freezer burn and will taste 'stale' from the freezer air.

troublshooting

• My macarons shells didn't rise!
  • This almost always has to do with over-mixing the batter. Make sure you are only mixing until you reach the 'figure 8' stage then STOP. It's best practice to do only 1-2 mixes in between checking for that stage to make sure you don't over-mix.
• My macarons don't have feet!
  • You didn't rest your macaron batter long enough. Make sure you let it sit out until a skin forms. The shells should look matte, and should not be sticky if you touch them.
    • If you live somewhere with high humidity, this process could take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or more!
  • You over-mixed your batter. Stop as soon as you can make a figure 8 with the batter without the batter breaking.
• Are macarons supposed to be chewy?
  • Yes! The very top skin of the shell will have a slight crispness to it, but the over cookie should be chewy.
  • If you over-baked your shells and they're not chewy, let them mature in the fridge overnight with their filling and that will soften the shell.

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