Bake up a batch of crème brûlée macarons complete with a crunchy, torched sugar top. The macaron shells are filled with a creamy French meringue buttercream that tastes exactly like this tasty dessert.
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These elegant crème brûlée macarons are perfect for any special occasion including a wedding, party, or even as a gift for your friend.
What's special about these French macarons is that the filling tastes exactly like you're eating crème brûlée. The top macaron shell is coated in sugar and torched to resemble the classic crème brûlée crust.
If you experience any issues along the way with your shells, be sure to check out my macaron baking course. It will teach you all the techniques needed to achieve perfect macarons, every single time!
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to make beautiful macaron shells with a French meringue filling that tastes exactly like crème brûlée.
- The most important steps to get correct in order to bake perfect macarons.
- Troubleshooting steps to try if your macarons aren't turning out correctly.
Enjoy learning tips about making macaron shells? Sign up for my free macaron template and email series. You'll learn my favorite tricks for achieving perfect macarons.
Ingredients You Need
- Egg whites: This ingredient is the base for the French meringue. Be sure to use fresh egg whites (not ones from the carton) and allow them to come to room temperature.
- Almond flour: It's best to use blanched almond flour (without the skins) that is finely ground. Don't forget to sift the almond flour before making this recipe.
- Confectioners' sugar: You may also hear this called powdered sugar or icing sugar. This ingredient will also need to be sifted.
- Cream of tartar: This ingredient helps the meringue to whip up with proper texture. Don't be tempted to skip it!
- Granulated sugar: For French meringue, the granulated sugar is slowly added to the egg whites as they whip (no cooking required).
- Gel food coloring: If you want, you can use a bit of purple gel food coloring to help the macaron shells appear more white.
Check out the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
How To Make This Recipe
Let me show you step-by-step how to make these crème brûlée macarons. This section will be especially helpful if you're new to baking macarons.
1. Before you get started, you'll want to do some prep work including measuring the ingredients, preparing a light colored baking sheet, and setting up the piping bag. Once that's ready, add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until the eggs are very foamy.
2. Add a third of the granulated sugar at a time, allowing the mixer to beat in each batch of sugar for about 45 seconds before adding in another batch.
3. Once all the granulated sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and allow the egg whites to continue to whip until stiff peaks form, about 10 - 11 minutes. You'll want to check that a stiff peak stands straight up (no curl at the tip).
4. Pour the sifted almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the meringue mixture and fold them together.
5. Optionally, add a dot of purple food coloring using a toothpick. A very small amount of purple food coloring can help the macaron shells look more white.
6. Next, it's time to macaronage the batter (a term that refers to mixing the dry ingredients with the meringue). To do this, spread the mixture along the side of the bowl, then wipe it back down. Repeat until the mixture has reached a smooth, shiny, flowing consistency.
You can test this by lifting your spatula and seeing if the batter drops almost like lava. Once the batter drops back into the bowl, it should take about 10-15 seconds for the ribbon that formed to "disappear" back into the rest of the batter.
7. Pipe the macaron batter onto your baking mat or parchment paper. Then, tap the sheet pan down on the counter to release any air bubbles. You can pop the large air bubbles that rise to the top with a toothpick.
8. Allow the batter to sit on the counter and dry for 60+ minutes until a thin "skin" develops, and you can touch the tops without ruining the macaron. If you're having trouble with your macarons forming a skin, check out these helpful tips for macarons that aren't drying.
Once dried, bake the macarons for 19 - 23 minutes in a preheated oven. The temperature you bake the macarons at may vary oven to oven. I'd suggest first finding the best temperature for your home oven.
9. Next, it's time to make the crème brûlée filling which is French meringue buttercream. Start by whipping the eggs until they are thick and slightly foamy.
10. Meanwhile, add granulated sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat the saucepan over medium high heat, without stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved and reaches 240°F (115°C) on a digital thermometer.
Once the sugar has reached temperature, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. You'll want to continue to whip the eggs until they become pale and thickened.
11. Add vanilla extract and salt and mix to combine. Then beat the butter in 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time.
12. Now that the filling is made, it's time to decorate the macaron shells. Don't skip this step if you want the classic crème brûlée crunchy sugar top. Take half of the cooled macaron shells, and working one at a time, brush the top and feet of the macarons with a very small amount of water, just until slightly damp.
13. Dunk into a bowl of granulated sugar, then caramelize with a kitchen torch. Make sure not to get the torch too close to the macaron shell or it could burn.
14. Match up macaron shells so a caramelized top is paired with a similar size/shaped plain shell. Pipe buttercream on one side of the macaron shell using a round piping tip. Gently place the matching macaron on top of the buttercream.
Expert Tips
Are you having trouble with the French meringue buttercream? These tips will help!
- If you notice the French meringue buttercream is too thin and soft, place it in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 minutes to slightly firm up, then re-whip. This likely happened because the buttercream was too warm.
- If the buttercream appears curdled, this is typically caused by the mixture being too cold. You can warm it slightly (but not too much) on a double boiler just until it starts to melt, then re-whip.
- When making French meringue buttercream, it's important for the butter to be cold but slightly soft. The butter should ever so slightly give when you push on it. Butter that's at the incorrect temperature will have a harder time whipping up properly.
- If you have a kitchen scale, I'd recommend measuring all of the ingredients by weight to ensure a more accurate and consistent French buttercream.
Macaron FAQs
Are you having trouble with your macaron shells turning out correctly? Don't worry! Use this troubleshooting guide or check out the frequently asked questions below.
Store these macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 - 7 days. When you're ready to eat the macarons, allow them to come to room temperature.
Here are a few common causes of flat macarons:
1. The oven is too hot or too cold: If your oven is too low, you'll notice that the macarons won't properly rise. Not only will they be flatter than a normal macaron, but the feet will be short (under 2 millimeters), and the tops will likely be wrinkly or indented.
On the other hand, if your oven is too hot, the shells will be flat because proper feet will not form. The macarons will bake too quickly on the outside, leaving a moist interior that doesn't properly rise.
2. You under whipped the meringue: You didn't whip your meringue to stiff peaks. Under whipped meringue won't be strong enough to properly rise in the oven. It can lead to flat, wrinkled, or weak macaron tops.
3. You over macaronaged your batter: Another common issue that results in flat macarons is over macaronaged batter. Macaronage is a term that refers to folding the dry macaron ingredients (almond flour and confectioners' sugar) into the meringue. This process smooths the mixture and helps the macarons bake with proper structure.
When you over macaronage, you'll notice the batter is very thin and easily falls off the spatula. You'll also notice that the batter spreads really easily when piped. It might even fall out of your piping bag when transferring from one circle to the next on your piping template.
If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for flat macarons.
Here are a few common causes of cracked macarons:
1. Your oven is too hot: Most likely, cracked macarons are related to oven temperatures that are too hot. To fix this issue, you'll first want to purchase an oven thermometer.
This inexpensive cooking tool will allow you to see if your oven is heating to the temperature you're setting it to. Oftentimes, home ovens are known for heating hotter or colder than you set the temperature to.
2. Your meringue is under or over whipped: Both under-whipped and over-whipped meringue can result in cracked shells. This is because the meringue needs to have the proper structure in order to rise in the oven.
Weak meringue will not be strong enough to withstand the heat of the oven when baked, causing a cracked top. Alternatively, meringue that has been over-whipped won't have enough air incorporated to properly expand in the oven.
3. You didn't rest your macarons long enough: It's important to allow your macarons to rest on the counter until they've formed a skin.
Typically, you'll need to allow the shells to rest for about 45 - 60+ minutes on the counter until a skin has formed on top. If you live in a humid climate, this may take up to 90+ minutes.
4. You have air bubbles in the macarons: Did you put your macarons in the oven without banging them on the counter? Oftentimes, air bubbles are trapped in the macaron batter. Air bubbles occur naturally in the batter during the macaronage and piping process.
In order to avoid cracked macaron shells, you need to release and pop these air bubbles, otherwise, they will burst in the oven and ruin the shells.
If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for cracked macarons.
Here are a few common causes of wrinkled macaron shells:
1. You used too much cocoa powder: Using too much cocoa powder can cause your macarons to bake up wrinkled. Even 10 grams more can have a huge impact on the macaron shells. Be sure to follow the specific measurements listed in the recipe card below.
2. Your oven temperature is too low: To remedy this, you'll first need to purchase an oven thermometer, and place it in the center rack of your oven to double-check the temperature reading before baking the macarons.
Next, you'll need to play around with your temperature settings. I usually recommend heating your oven to 300°F (150°C) and adjusting from there. Pipe a set of 4 - 6 macarons on a baking sheet and test just a few macarons at a time (so you don't ruin a whole batch).
3. You over or under whipped the meringue: One of the most important techniques to learn, especially when making macarons, is how to whip egg whites to stiff peaks.
Egg whites that are under whipped or over whipped can result in wrinkled shells, weak tops, and macarons that will not properly rise.
4. You over macaronaged the batter: Another common issue related to wrinkly macaron shells is over macaronaging.
Macaronage is a term that refers to folding the dry macaron ingredients (almond flour and confectioners' sugar) into the meringue. This process smooths the mixture and helps the macarons bake with proper structure.
To properly macaronage, you should fold the batter until it reaches a lava-like consistency. You can test this by lifting your spatula and seeing if the batter drops almost like lava. Once it drops off the spatula, the batter that was dripped should fade back into the batter within 10 - 15 seconds.
If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for wrinkly macarons.
Here are a few common causes of weak/soft macaron shells:
1. Your meringue is under whipped. French meringue needs to be properly beaten in order to form a strong macaron. Make sure that you're beating the meringue to stiff peaks.
To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip). Signs that you're ready to test the stiffness include seeing lines left from the beaters in your eggs. In addition, the meringue starts to almost ball up inside the whisk attachment. You'll also know it's ready because you can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out.
2. The macaron shells are underbaked. If you don't give your macaron shells enough time to bake in the oven, a sturdy outside will never develop. Make sure to check that the macarons are done before pulling them out of the oven. If you touch the shell and it wiggles or is still sticky/wet, you know they need to bake longer.
Chocolate macarons in particular need to be baked for a longer time in the oven compared to regular macarons. If you notice your chocolate macarons are fragile or have speckled tops after they cool, you likely need to bake them longer.
Here are a few common causes of small feet, no feet, or feet that have ruffled/spread too far:
1. Your oven temperature is too high or too low: Work on dialing in your oven temperature. You may have to try a few different oven temperatures in order to find the perfect temperature for your home oven. You can read more about my experiments with oven temperature if you're curious to learn more.
2. You didn't rest the macarons long enough: Typically, you'll need to allow the shells to rest for about 45 - 60+ minutes on the counter until a skin has formed on top. If you live in a humid climate, this may take up to 90+ minutes.
3. You over or under macaronaged the batter: If you've over macaronaged your batter, it will be too thin and runny. This will cause your macarons to fall flat with small feet or even no feet. An overworked batter can also cause the macarons to spread out horizontally, rather than rising up vertically.
If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for macaron feet.
Here are a few common causes of hollow macaron shells:
This is the last troubleshooting problem you should worry about. Before perfecting your macarons so they don't have hollows, make sure all the other properties are correct:
1. The meringue is over and under whipped: In order to prevent hollows, you need the perfect consistency of meringue before starting the macaronage process. Oftentimes, adding in acid, like cream of tartar, can help stabilize your meringue and allow more time for the air to get incorporated.
2. The batter was over or under macaronaged: The macaronage stage, which refers to working your batter to the proper consistency, is a technique that takes a while to master. If you've worked the batter to a lava-like consistency and you're still getting hollow shells, try working it a tad less.
3. Your oven temperature is too high or low: Oven temperature plays a big role in hollow macarons. Unfortunately, due to the capabilities of home conventional ovens, you have to test and play around with the temperature to get your macaron shells perfect. Most recipes suggest baking macarons anywhere from 275°F (135°C) - 325°F (163°C). Test these temperature ranges out with your home oven and an oven thermometer to see what works best.
If you're still having trouble, check out my troubleshooting guide for hollow macarons.
More Macaron Recipes
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Crème Brûlée Macarons
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- light colored baking sheets
- silicone mat or parchment paper
- pastry bag with ½ inch (1.3 cm) round tip
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 112 grams egg whites
- 140 grams super fine almond flour
- 140 grams confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 126 grams granulated sugar
- purple gel food coloring (optional)
French Meringue Buttercream
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup, plus more for garnish granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons, plus more for garnish water
- ¾ cup cold but slightly soft unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon (14 grams) pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
For Macaron Shells
- Separate egg whites from yolks and allow egg whites to come to room temperature.
- Measure dry ingredients using a kitchen scale. Double-sift the almond flour and confectioners' sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
- Wipe down the mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a little white vinegar on a paper towel to remove any leftover oils.
- Print off the macaron template. Place them on a light colored sheet pan underneath a piece of parchment paper.
- Prepare your piping bag with a ½ inch (1.3 cm) round tip. Push part of the side of the piping bag into the piping tip to ensure nothing leaks out. Set the bag inside a tall glass, and pull the remaining top of the piping bag out over the outside of the glass to make pouring the batter easy and clean.
- Add room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until the eggs are very foamy, about 3 minutes. Add a third of the granulated sugar at a time, allowing the mixer to beat in each batch of sugar for about 45 seconds before adding in another batch.
- Once all the granulated sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and allow the egg whites to continue to whip until stiff peaks form, about 10 - 11 minutes. You'll notice the meringue starts to ball up inside the whisk and is glossy. To test the meringue stiffness, pull the whisk out. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip). You'll also know it's ready because you can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out. Make sure not to overbeat the meringue at this stage (this is when the egg whites look dull or curdled).
- Pour the sifted almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the meringue mixture and gently fold them together using a silicone spatula. Continue until all the meringue is fully incorporated and no dry bits of almond flour remain on the bottom of the bowl.
- Optionally, add a dot of purple food coloring using a toothpick. A very small amount of purple food coloring can help the macaron shells look more white. Begin working the batter until everything is fully incorporated (this is called the macaronage process). Slowly spread the mixture along the side of the bowl, then wipe it back down. Be sure to do this gently. Repeat until the mixture has reached a smooth, shiny, flowing consistency. You can test this by lifting your spatula and seeing if the batter drops almost like lava. Once the batter drops back into the bowl, it should take about 10-15 seconds for the ribbon that formed to "disappear" back into the rest of the batter. Don't over macaronage the batter or the macarons will not properly bake in the oven.
- Pour the batter into the prepared piping bag. Hold the bag vertically and pipe 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) circles. Once you have reached the desired size, release the pressure on the bag and twist your wrist without lifting up. Continue until no batter remains.
- Bang the sheet pan down the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Pop the air bubbles with a toothpick. Allow the batter to sit on the counter and dry for 60+ minutes until a thin "skin" develops, and you can touch the tops without ruining the macaron. This resting time will vary depending on the humidity (they may take up to 90+ minutes to dry if you live in a humid or rainy environment). While the macarons are drying, place the oven thermometer in the center rack of the oven. Heat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 19 - 23 minutes. If you notice the macarons are browning or dulling in the oven, once the macarons have formed feet and a solid top (this usually takes at least 10 minutes) place a piece of aluminum foil over the macarons for the remaining cooking time. You can test that the macarons are done by gently touching the edge and the feet of the macarons. If the shell wiggles, is sticky, or wet, the macarons need to bake longer. Remove macarons from the oven and allow the pan to rest on a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.
For French Meringue Buttercream
- Mix egg yolks with an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until the eggs are thick and slightly foamy, about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add granulated sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat the saucepan over medium high heat, without stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved and reaches 240°F (115°C) on a digital thermometer.
- Once the sugar has reached temperature, turn the mixer speed to medium-high and slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. Be sure the sugar runs down the bowl and doesn’t hit the whisk attachment or it will splatter on the side of the mixer bowl. Continue to whip up on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and slightly thicker, about 2 - 3 minutes. Once the mixture is done whipping, the outside of the mixing bowl will be cool to the touch.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add vanilla extract and salt and mix to combine. Add in butter 1 tablespoon (14 grams) at a time. Allow each piece of butter to fully beat in before adding in a new piece. Scrape down the side of the mixing bowl as needed. Mix on medium high speed for an additional 30 seconds once all of the butter has been added to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Take half of the cooled macaron shells, and working one at a time, brush the top and feet of the macarons with a very small amount of water, just until slightly damp. Dunk into a bowl of granulated sugar, then caramelize with a kitchen torch.
- Match up macaron shells so a caramelized top is paired with a similar size/shaped plain shell. Pipe buttercream on one side of the macaron shell using a ½ inch (3.8 cm) round piping tip. Gently place the matching macaron on top of the buttercream.
- Place the macarons in an airtight container and mature with the filling in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the macarons to slightly soften and develop a deeper flavor.
- The macarons will last for 5 - 7 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- You'll notice the meringue starts to ball up inside the whisk while it's mixing.
- Pull the whisk out of the mixer. A stiff peak should stand straight up (no curl at the tip).
- You can fully flip the bowl over and nothing moves or falls out.
- The meringue feels sturdy (not flimsy).
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