These mini ice pop macarons are as adorable as they are delicious. They’re filled with an orange buttercream, and one bite will take you straight back to your childhood! For the best results, measure the ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 30 mini ice pop macarons |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 30 mini ice pop macarons |
Ingredients
- 70 grams superfine blanched almond flour (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
- 63 grams confectioners’ sugar (1/2 cup)
- 55 grams aged egg whites (about 2 large egg whites; see Cook’s Note)
- Pinch cream of tartar, optional
- 55 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon)
- 2 drops orange gel food coloring
- 56 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (4 tablespoons)
- 4 grams artificial vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 3 grams orange emulsion or orange extract (1/2 teaspoon)
- 2 grams table salt (1/4 teaspoon)
- 125 grams confectioners’ sugar (1 cup), plus more if needed
- 10 grams heavy cream (2 teaspoons), plus more if needed
Instructions
- For the macarons: Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
- Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar (if using) and continue to mix until the whites reach the soft peak stage, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue to mix until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Start folding the almond flour mixture into the meringue. Once it begins to incorporate, scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into a small bowl and set aside. Add the food coloring to the remaining batter and continue to fold until thick ribbons of batter flow off your spatula when it’s lifted. (I like to perform the figure-8 test to check the consistency: Lift your spatula and see if you can draw a figure 8 with the batter running off your spatula in one consistent stream. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8s if the batter is the proper consistency.)
- Pour the orange batter into a large piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip (or, if using a disposable plastic bag, snip the end of the bag to make a 1/4-inch-wide opening) and set aside. Gently fold the uncolored batter with a mini rubber spatula until it is the proper consistency. Place the uncolored batter in a small piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip (or, if using a disposable plastic bag, snip the end of the bag to make a 1/4-inch-wide opening).
- Using the bag with the orange batter, pipe sixty 1-inch-long ice pop-shaped macaron shells onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Square off two bottom corners on each macaron with a toothpick to give them that iconic ice pop shape. (If your baking mat contains printed circles, use them as a guide; you can also find downloadable macaron templates online). Pipe a thin line of the uncolored batter from corner to corner along the base of each macaron.
- Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick. Let the macarons rest until they develop a skin, about 30 minutes. (The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed.)
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 315 degrees F with a rack in the middle position.
- When the macarons are ready, bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack until they don’t move or wiggle when gently touched, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cover the macarons with foil when you rotate the baking sheet to prevent browning. Remove from the oven and let the macarons cool for 15 minutes, then gently remove them from the silicone mat. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- For the orange buttercream frosting: Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until it becomes lighter in color and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract, orange emulsion and salt on low speed. Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream on low speed.
- Continue to mix on low until the frosting is smooth and pipeable, about 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add additional heavy cream or milk (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar (1 tablespoon at a time). Place the frosting in a small piping bag fitted with a small round tip tip (or, if using a disposable plastic bag, snip the end of the bag to make a 1/4-inch-wide opening).
- To assemble, pipe a dollop of the frosting onto the flat side of one macaron, then press an ice pop stick on top of the buttercream with the curved (not cut) end facing out. Gently press the flat side of a second macaron on top of the frosting to create a sandwich. Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight; this softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop. Before serving, let them warm to room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 30 servings |
| Calories | 59 |
| Total Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 5 mg |
| Sodium | 23 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 30 servings |
| Calories | 59 |
| Total Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 5 mg |
| Sodium | 23 mg |