I’m going to be honest…I don’t LOVE pumpkin flavored foods. Pumpkin spice lattes are not my thing and I avoid pumpkin pie like the plague. But everyone else seems to love pumpkin so much, and it is the ultimate Fall flavor, so every Fall I try some new pumpkin recipes thinking that maybe THIS will be the year I finally get what all the hype is about.
Well these macarons are helping me get there. The macaron itself is just vanilla flavored, but the filling is this subtle cream cheese based filling with a bit of pumpkin puree and a generous about of pumpkin pie spice. The resulting macaron has just a hint of the pumpkin flavor that is complimented by the cream cheese and spice flavors and the vanilla cookies.
As I have mentioned before in other macaron posts (chocolate hazelnut, cake batter), macrons are tricky! Which is why I don’t try to do too much with the cookie part and save the all flavor for the filling. But if you want even more pumpkin spice flavor, feel free to mix in some pumpkin pie spice to the batter before you pipe them.
If you have never made macarons, do not be intimidated! There are lots of youtube videos and instructional blog posts that will help you master the art!
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- pinch cream of tartar
- 1/4 granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup almond meal, sifted
- 1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
- orange food coloring
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup, pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- orange food coloring
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, begin beating the egg whites until the become foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Add in sugar and continue to whisk until egg whites for stiff peaks. Slowly mix in vanilla and food coloring.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together almond meal and confectioners sugar until completely mixed and there are no lumps.
- Slowly pour in almond-sugar mixture into egg whites and gradually fold in the mixture. Continue to fold and gently stir until almond-sugar mixture is completely incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix or under mix. Mixture is just right when it barely falls off a spatula in one consistent ribbon of batter, not in chucks, and not too fluid.
- Transfer mixture to a piping bag and cut about an inch off the tip. Pipe 1 inch circles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart. Once piped, tap the baking sheet on the counter to get rid of bumps and and air bubbles.
- Let sit for at least an hour for the macarons to harden slightly. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375. Once a film has formed on the macarons, reduce heat to 325 and bake macarons for 10-15 minutes, until tops are hard.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from the parchment paper.
- Meanwhile, mix together all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Beat until smooth. Transfer to piping bag and remove 1 inch from the tip. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling on to one macaron, then top off with a similar sized macaron.
Girl, I am 100% with you on the whole not a fan of pumpkin thing. I like the smell of pumpkin spice, but the taste just isn’t for me. But this recipe sounds and LOOKS so good! I love macarons but I’ve never tried making them. I may give it a first time try with this recipe! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday! This is going to be my feature this week and I’m going to share it on my social media! Hope to see you again Sunday night!
I hope you do try macarons! I recommend looking up Martha Stewart’s basic recipe since she gives some good advice and maybe watching a couple YouTube videos. Thanks for featuring this and sharing it!! It’s much appreciated!
Oh wow! I’ve always wanted to try making macarons but haven’t found the flavour that inspires me quite enough to face my fear of making them! I think this might be it 🙂
Definitely give them a try and don’t be intimidated! Even if they don’t turn out perfectly, they still taste great!
I’m not a crazy pumpkin flavor person, but I do love a good pumpkin pie! I’m not a very good baker, however – too precise! I’m a “pinch of this, dash of that” sort of cook. 🙂 Yours look fantastic though, so thanks for linking them to Merry Monday ! Come party again with us! Pinned!
Thanks Megan!