Not too long ago I made some pink plain vanilla macarons for a baby shower, they were a huge and tasted AMAZING. Everyone loved them. Macarons always turn out looking so cute for any event and it got me thinking…
….Classy Champagne Macarons.
I made Classy Champagne Cookies, and planned to make Classy Champagne Cupcakes and I thought why not continue my “Classy Champagne” theme by adding a twist to some French Macarons!
You may notice that the Macaroon recipe is just a simple plain macaron one, but the filling is where the champagne comes in! (Some of the pictures are from when I made plain pink macarons!)
Classy Champagne Macarons
Ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Almond Flour (Sifted)
- 2 Egg Whites
- 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
Filling:
- 1 Teaspoon Merengue Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 3 Cups + 10 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Champagne
- 2 Tablespoon Shortening
Directions:
1. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together. Set aside. You may need to use a food processor or chopper in order to make the almond flour finer. When ever I sift mine there is always some that is too big, and since almond flour is not cheap, I prefer not to waste even a little bit of it.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites. Gradually add the granulated sugar a little bit at a time. Continue to whip the eggs until stiff peaks form. This can take around 5 minutes.
3. Fold in dry ingredients with a spatula. Using the mixer for this stuff will ruin the fluffiness created by whipping the eggs in the first place. You do not want to over mix these. If you want to add food coloring add 1-2 drops and fold into the batter until everything is well mixed.
4. Pour the mixture into a piping bag. if you don’t have one, a ziplock bag with a small cut in the tip works well too.
5. Pipe batter into the circles of silicone baking mat. I usually use my mat for making macarons, but I did try using just parchment the last time I made them. They came out well and they did have their signature feet, however I am not very good at piping circles free had so I prefer the baking mats little guided ridges. ( Note: This picture is from the plain macarons I made.)
6. Tap the tray on the counter. this will get rid of any air bubbles. Allow the cookies to sit, uncooked, on the tray for 25-30 minutes. Depending how fast your oven heats up, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Bake macarons for 10-12 minutes.
8. Remove macaron mat from heat and allow to cool completely before you try to take off the cookies. When it is time to remove them, slowly peel them off the mat.
9. Filling: Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl.Mix until smooth. You will want this mixture to be stiff. when you scoop it with a spatula it shouldn’t be runny or drip.
10. Fill a piping bag with the filling. Pipe onto one of the macaron shells. Place another shell on top to complete the cookie. Don’t try to press them together or they may break. Complete the rest of the cookies and enjoy!