Ms. Kratochvil’s Blue Macaroons

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies

• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• ¼ cup white, granulated sugar,
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Gel food coloring (optional)

Buttercream

• ½ cup of butter (1 stick)
• 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3-4 Tablespoons of milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the cookies…

• Separate eggs whites and allow to come to room temperature (at least 30 min)
• Place powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and pulse to thoroughly combine
• Sift powdered sugar and almond flour mixture 2-3 times, removing any large pieces after sifting
• In a mixing bowl, start to beat the egg whites and salt until foamy
• Once foamy, continue beating egg whites while gradually adding the granulated sugar
• Beat until stiff peaks form
• Mix in gel food coloring if using
• Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into the egg white mixture until you can stream “ribbons” of batter when you lift the spatula out
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
• Using a piping bag, pipe batter into 1/2 inch wide circles on the parchment paper
• Allow cookies to dry out about 30-60 minutes until they form a skin and you can graze the tops of the cookies gently with your fingers without batter sticking
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
• Bake cookies for 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through

For the buttercream…

• Beat butter until it is pale and fluffy
• Add in vanilla and milk
• Add in powdered sugar and beat until well combined

To assemble…

• Ice one of the flat sides of a macaroon shell
• Top with a second macaroon shell

NOTES

1. IF NEW TO BAKING MACAROONS…I highly recommend using Google or YouTube to familiarize yourself with different terminology, consistencies, and techniques. Macaroons are a technically challenging dessert to make.