Brown Sugar Macaron Shells
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Did you know you can use brown sugar instead of white granulated sugar to make macaron shells? Yes, absolutely! The amount of brown sugar will be the same as that of white granulated sugar. If you are using your favorite French meringue recipe to make macaron shells, replace white sugar with brown sugar in a 1:1 proportion and you will get macaron shells with caramelized flavor. These Brown Sugar Macaron Shells will be great for fall or all year around.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Macaron shells made with brown sugar have caramelized flavor and taste delicious.
- No food coloring is needed.
- Replacing white granulated sugar with brown sugar works with most French meringue recipes.
- Brown Sugar Macaron Shells can be filled with many different fillings, like Salted Caramel or Brown Butter Buttercream.
Ingredients note
- Almond flour. Use finely ground almond flour. Do not use almond meal or ground almonds for this recipe.
- Powdered sugar. Sift powdered sugar with almond flour to avoid lumps.
- Egg whites. Make sure egg whites are at room temperature.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar gives sweetness, caramel flavor, and a natural golden color for macaron shells.
How to make this recipe
Using a digital kitchen scale weigh all ingredients. Get all tools ready before starting the recipe. If you are making macaron shells for the first time, then read the recipe a few times before starting. In the clean and dry mixing bowl of a stand mixer add egg whites and brown sugar. Whisk on the low speed for about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the other mixing bowl sift together almond flour and powdered sugar.
Change the speed to the next speed and whisk for about 2 minutes.
You will see that brown sugar will change the color. Change the speed to the next speed and whisk again for about 2 minutes.
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Continue whisking and changing the speed of the mixer to a higher a few more times. The meringue will be almost white. Add light brown food coloring (totally optional). Meringue should be firm, and glossy peaks form.
Add sifted dry ingredients into the meringue all at once. After that start folding the batter using a spatula until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overfold! Check batter every 5 folds. The batter is ready when it flows from the spatula fast (like lava).
Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a round piping tip. I used Wilton 12.
Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start pipping, then stop when you reach the desired size of the macaron shell.
Lightly tap the baking tray to remove air bobbles. Use a toothpick or baking needle to remove the bobble from the piped macaron shells. Repeat with the second tray.
When you pipe macaron shells, let them rest on the countertop for 10-20 minutes or until crust forms.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300oF (150oC).
Bake macaron shells in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes.
After that remove the tray from the oven and let the macaron shells cool to room temperature before removing them from the mat.
Expert Tips
- Measure all ingredients correctly, a few grams can make a big difference in the recipe.
- Do not tap the tray with piped macaron shells for too long. You may end up with pancakes and not macaron shells.
- Do not overmix macaronage. You can not go back, you will need to start over.
Recipe FAQs
Store baked shells in an airtight container on the countertop for a few days.
Freeze baked macaron shells in an airtight container for a few months.
There are many reasons for this. The most common are unstable meringue and incorrect oven temperature.
This happens if macaron shells do not rest enough before baking.
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Recipe Card
Brown Sugar Macaron Shells
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 spatula
- 1 large pipping bag
- 1 round piping tip
- 2 baking sheet tray
- 2 silicon mat
Ingredients
- 140 gr almond flour
- 125 gr powdered sugar
- 100 gr egg whites room temperature
- 105 gr brown sugar
Instructions
How to make Brown Sugar Macaron Shells
- Line two baking sheet pans with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.
- In the clean and dry mixing bowl of a stand mixer add egg whites and brown sugar. Whisk on the low speed for about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the other mixing bowl sift together almond flour and powdered sugar.
- Change the speed to the next speed and whisk for about 2 minutes.
- You will see that brown sugar will change the color. Change the speed to the next speed and whisk again for about 2 minutes.
- Continue whisking and changing the speed of the mixer to a higher a few more times.
- The meringue will be almost white. Add light brown food coloring.
- Meringue should be firm, and glossy peaks form.
- Add sifted dry ingredients into the meringue.
- After that start folding the batter using a spatula until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overfold! Check batter every every 5 folds.
- The batter is ready when it flows from the spatula fast (like lava).
- Transfer batter into pippin bag with round pipping tip.
- Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start pipping, then stop when you reach the desired size of the macaron shell.
- Lightly tap the baking tray to remove air bobbles. Use a toothpick or baking needle to remove the bobble from the piped macaron shells. Repeat with the second tray.
- Let macaron shell rest on the counter top for 10-20 minutes or until crust forms.
- Meanwhile. preheat oven to 300oF (150oC).
- Bake macaron shells in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the macaron shells cool to room temperature before removing them from the mat.
- Piar macaron shells with similar sizes, then sandwich them with your favorite filling.