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–+ servings

Watermelon Macarons

Green macarons with pink watermelon-flavored buttercream filling
4 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 34 minutes
Course Anytime, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French
Servings 50
Calories 189 kcal

Equipment

  • ex-large piping bag
  • round tip (medium sized)
  • 1 small star tip
  • parchment paper or silicone mats

Ingredients
  

Cookie Shells
  • 2 ¾ cups (275 g) almond flour (or almond meal)
  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon (250 g) confectioner's (icing) sugar
  • 6 ½ large egg whites, divided & at room temperature (place 6 egg whites in a bowl and 1/2 egg white into another bowl)
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (210 g) castor or granulated sugar
  • green gel food coloring
Buttercream Filling
  • 1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
  • 3 ½ cups confectioners' (icing) sugar
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon watermelon flavoring (LorAnn Oils used)
  • 2 tablespoons cream or whole milk
  • red gel food coloring
  • pink gel food coloring
  • yellow gel food coloring

Instructions
 

Cookie Shells
  • Place a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet. (See notes below.)
  • Using a food processor, combine the almond flour and confectioners' sugar and process until the mixture is fine. Then sift the flour mixture, discarding any large almond pieces if necessary.
  • Using a mixing bowl and the whisk attachment, beat 6 egg whites until foamy. Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat another minute until the sugar dissolves. Add half of the remaining sugar and beat another minute. Then add the rest of the sugar and beat until firm, glossy peaks form, about a minute or two.
  • For pastel-colored cookies, add a small amount of green gel coloring and beat until well mixed. (For darker green cookies, add a larger amount of coloring.)
  • Use a spatula to gently fold in the almond mixture into the egg whites. Mix well. The batter will be thick. Then, with a hand whisk, beat the 1/2 egg white until frothy. Stir this egg into the almond mixture to soften and moisten the batter.
  • Snip the end of the piping bag and place the round tip into it. Then place the batter into the bag. (See tip for this in notes.) Fold over the top of the piping bag and then roll it down, and hold the top so none of the batter can escape. Position the bag over the baking sheet, holding it straight vertically. Pipe 1 1/2-inch round circles onto the baking sheet. Leave room between each circle for the batter to spread.
  • Tap the baking sheet on the countertop to settle the macarons for baking. Let the macarons sit for about 30 minutes, so they form a dried skin on top. In very dry climates, they might dry out in 10 minutes. In very humid climates, it might take longer. Test the macarons to see if they are ready to bake by placing a finger on top of one. If the batter sticks to your finger, they are not ready. If no batter sticks to your finger, they are ready to bake.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake the macaron shells for 14-15 minutes. Do not brown them or they will lose their color. Let them cool completely after baking.
  • Remove the macarons very gently by pulling the mat (or parchment paper) away from the shells. This method works better than trying to pull the shells off the cooking mat. Place the shells flat side up on a large cutting board or another surface. This will make it easier to add the filling to them, and they will also be easier to pick up.
Buttercream Filling
  • Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until fluffy. Add the cream and watermelon flavoring and beat until well mixed. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of flavoring and taste. If you like a stronger watermelon flavor, add another 1/2 teaspoon of flavoring.
  • Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff, add more cream. If too soft, add a little more sugar.
  • To color the frosting, add a few drops of pink gel coloring, one drop of red, and one drop of yellow to make a watermelon color. Beat the frosting to combine all the colors and mix well. If the color is not dark enough, repeat adding drops of gel coloring until the desired color is reached.
  • Snip off the end of the piping bag and add the star tip to it. Add the frosting to the bag. To half of the cookie shells, pipe small stars on them. Then gently place the remaining cookie shells on top of the frosted cookie shells.
  • Keep the macarons in an airtight container. You can store the macarons in the refrigerator for about 1 week or a freezer for 2-3 months. They dry out quickly so do not leave them stored on the countertop longer than 24 hours.

Notes

To Make Pink Macarons with Green Filling

  • If you want to make pink shells with green filling, add pink, red, and yellow coloring to the macaron batter.  Start by adding a few drops of pink, 1 drop of red, and 1 drop of yellow gel coloring.  Repeat adding the coloring drops until the desired color is reached.
  • To make the filling green, add a few drops of green gel food coloring to the buttercream after it is made.  Beat it with a mixer to mix the color well.

Tips

Filling a Piping Bag with Batter

  • Place the pointed end (with a round metal tip) of a piping bag into a very tall cup.  Fold the top of the bag down over the sides of the cup so the bag is secured and ready to be filled with batter.
  • If you do not have a metal tip for piping the batter, you can still use a piping bag. First, do not snip off the end of the piping bag. Place the piping bag over a cup and fill it. Once the bag is full of batter and you have secured the top, cut off the end of the bag and start piping.
  • If you don't have either a piping bag or a tip, try using a one-gallon-size zipper plastic bag.  After you fill the bag, snip off one corner and pipe the batter through the hole onto a baking mat.  Always start with a small hole and then snip off more of the corner if needed.

Filling a Piping Bag with Buttercream

  • Use the cup method (see note above) to fill a bag with buttercream.
  • Use a star tip to give the buttercream ridges and a star appearance, as seen on the sides of the finished macarons.

Yield

This recipe makes about 50 macaron sandwich cookies.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 30mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 0.004mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
Keyword French Macarons, Macarons, watermelon macarons
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