Earl Grey Macarons

These Earl Grey Macarons are classic almond based macaron cookies filled with a rich and creamy earl grey tea buttercream. Perfect for a brunch or just tea time with the girls!

WHAT ARE MACARONS?

Macarons are deliciously dainty bite-sized cookies that are perfect for a snack, brunch, or a spur of the moment sweet treat. They’re so yummy and elegant they also make a great gift for a special occasion.

Macarons are delicate French meringue-based cookies that are made with a variety of standard baking ingredients. However, they require a little added effort to make something that is special enough to stand apart from a traditional cookie.

MACARON VS. MACAROON

While there is only one letter difference between these two tasty treats, there is a world of difference in what they are made of and what they taste like. Here are a few of the key differences between the two confections:

MACARON

A Macaron is a bite-sized cookie that is traditionally brightly colored, uniquely flavored, and uses almond flour for the base of the recipe.

Some of the most common macaron flavors are:

Coffee, Pistachio, Lemon, Almond, Caramel, and Vanilla. To mix things up a little bit, I made a lovely switch in traditional flavors with these Earl Grey Macarons.

MACAROON

Macaroons are just as delicious as Macarons, but they use shredded coconut as their base ingredient. The flavor is generally uniform, no matter the recipe.

Traditionally, the flavors you will encounter when biting into a macaroon will be coconut and chocolate.

HOW TO MAKE MACARONS

Compared to some of my other recipes, this macaron recipe is a little more complicated, but trust me when I say that it is worth every bit of the effort.

As long as you follow all of my instructions and use a few of my expert tips and tricks, you won’t have a problem making these delicious Earl Grey Macarons.

TO MAKE THE EARL GREY MACARON SHELL

First, gather all ingredients so you can work quickly.

Then, line two large sheet pans with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Fit a large piping bag with a small round tip (I like a Wilton #10).

Next, place a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved– about 2-3 minutes.

Then, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks– about 5 minutes.

Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into the egg whites.

Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Make sure to fold all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

Earl Grey Tea Macaron batter in a mixing bowl with rsilicone spatula.

Once all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, add the vanilla bean paste and continue folding, smushing the batter against the sides of the bowl as you go. Repeat the smush-and-fold process until the meringue reaches the figure 8 stage. If you can draw a figure 8 with the batter without the stream breaking, the meringue is ready. If the meringue falls off in clumps, smush and fold it a few more times before retesting for the figure 8 again.

When the meringue flows smoothly, transfer it to the piping bag fitted with the round tip.

Next, pipe 1.5” macarons on the baking sheet. Hold the pan 6” off the counter and drop it straight down. Repeat 4-5 times or until it appears that any large air bubbles have popped.

Set the macarons aside to rest for 25-30 minutes, or until they have developed a skin (when you can touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger). While the meringues rest, preheat the oven to 325F.

Set the macarons aside to rest for 25-30 minutes, or until they have developed a skin (when you can touch them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger). While the meringues rest, preheat the oven to 325F.

Then, bake the macarons, one tray at a time, for 14 minutes. If your oven cooks unevenly, make sure to turn the trays 180 degrees halfway through baking.

Finally, remove the macarons from the oven and allow them to cool fully on the tray. Trying to remove the macarons while they are warm may result in sticking.

FOR THE EARL GREY MACARON FILLING

First, heat the heavy cream and tea bags in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the cream starts to bubble, remove it from the heat and cover it with a lid for 30 minutes.

Then, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, making sure to press any extra liquid out of the tea bags.

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until it becomes light and fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar followed by the tea-infused heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then turn the mixer to high speed and allow the buttercream to whip for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.

Finally, set aside until ready to use.

TO ASSEMBLE AND AGE EARL GREY MACARONS

Place the macarons in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small amount of filling onto the center of one macaron and place another macaron on top. Press down gently– just until the filling reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.

Macarons being assembled on a cookie sheet.

Transfer the macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight.

Lastly, Bring the macarons to room temperature and enjoy.

Earl Grey Tea Macarons in a white bowl with black specks.

TOOLS NEEDED TO MAKE EARL GREY MACARONS

• Two Large Sheet Pans to bake the macarons on.
• Parchment Paper or Silpat Mats to prevent these delicate cookies from sticking.
• Piping Bags help make perfectly shaped and sized Earl Grey Macarons.
• Small Piping Tip (I like a Wilton #10) help your macaron batter come out without clumps or lumps.
• Heatproof Bowl you’ll need this to make the perfect meringue.
• Small Sauce Pan to heat your batter to the perfect temperature without creating scrambled eggs.
• Stand Mixer This isn’t a MUST HAVE but you’ll be thankful you have it because whipping your meringue can be quite the workout by hand.
• Fine Mesh Sieve You’ll want to keep any big clumps or pieces of almond flour out for the perfect macaron texture.
• Rubber Spatula helps you scrape the sides of the bowl to get every last delicious bit out.
• Airtight Container This will help you age your macarons for the traditional macaron texture you know and love.

TIPS FOR PERFECT EARL GREY MACARONS

• Sift your flour. Large clumps in your almond flour can make for grainy macarons. Use ultra fine almond flour and sift out the clumps before mixing for the perfect texture.
• Make perfect meringue. You’ll want to beat your egg whites until they form stiff peaks. If you underwhip them it can make for runny macaron batter and they will spread when baking.
• Uniformity is key. Using a Silpat mat takes the guesswork out of making the cookies uniform. Since these are filled cookies, you will want the top and bottom cookies to be the same size for a beautiful Earl Grey Macaron.
• Be patient. You absolutely have to let these macarons age to help the flavors meld and to make the texture perfect.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE BEST TASTING MACARON?

In my opinion, all macarons are delicious. So, it all depends on what your favorite flavors are. I tend to prefer flavors that are less artificial and more natural. That is why I came up with this yummy Earl Grey Macaron recipe. It uses freshly brewed Earl Grey tea to flavor the macaron instead of extracts like many other macaron recipes.

WHAT FLAVORS GO WELL WITH EARL GREY?

These Earl Grey Macarons make for the perfect tea time, brunch, or sweet treat. If you’re wanting to pair them with the perfect spread, here are some other things that would go well with them:

Lemon. Make a delicious lemongrass tea, or pair with a lemon tart.

Almond. Almond bars, almond squares, or almond cake make a great snack to swerve alongside these Earl Grey Macarons.

Milk. Warm milk to add to a fresh cup of tea or coffee to wash down these delicious cookies.

WHY ARE MACARONS SO EXPENSIVE?

Once you make these Earl Grey Macarons, you’ll understand why your favorite confection shop charges so much for macarons.

If you use my tips and tricks to make the perfect Earl Grey Macarons, you won’t have any issues making them easily, but it isn’t the most simple cookie recipe you’ve ever tried.

Not only can they be a little tricky to make, but they can also be time consuming. You have to let macarons age before you eat them to get the perfect texture.

IF YOU LOVED THESE EARL GREY MACARONS, CHECK OUT THESE COOKIE RECIPES!

• Easy Double Chocolate Cookies
• Nutter Butter Acorns
• Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies
• Coffee House Cookies