Just Another Macaron Monday: Halloween Part 2

It’s still a few months away, but Halloween will be here before you know it! In honor of fall and Halloween, there is one thing most people agree on: we need more pumpkin spice in our lives. Companies jump at the opportunity to flavor their products during this time of year, and some of them work really well (others I question). However, I’m a stickler for flavor, and artificial flavors usually don’t do it for me because they either don’t taste like the product or have too much sugar added, which cancels out the naturally beautiful flavor it is trying to replicate.

Recently, I was gifted a baking book, and I was overjoyed to find several recipes for different flavors of French macarons. It inspired me to try some of my own flavor combinations, so I've been baking batch after batch and trying loads of new things. I really enjoy macarons, but, when I buy them in stores, I am sometimes disappointed. The meringue can be tricky because it is easily over baked resulting in a hard shell. The hard shell causes the filling (again, which might have too much artificial flavor) to spill out when you bite into it.

Then it hit me. Pumpkin spice macarons! Below is my version of a pumpkin spice macaron. It has a pumpkin buttercream filling with a pumpkin chocolate center. It’s perfect for fall and can be decorated for a Halloween party.

Pumpkin Spice Macarons: pumpkin spice buttercream and pumpkin spice chocolate ganache

A French Macaron is comprised of an Italian meringue and an almond meal paste mixed together. Then it is baked. Then buttercream or fruit mix is sandwiched between two pieces. Mmm.

Ingredients with an * symbol have notes about them at the end of the recipe under Additional Tips and Tricks.

Tools
• kitchen scale
• Measuring spoons
• 1 large, heatproof glass bowls
• 1 large glass or ceramic bowl
• 3 small glass bowls or new disposable containers (to separate the egg whites, if you choose to do the 3 bowl method. See tips below)
• Silicone spoon/spatula
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• Food processor
• 3x 20oz piping bags*
• Parchment paper*
• 2-3 flat baking trays

Macaron Ingredients 
•4 egg whites total, separated into 2 groups of 2. At room temp.* (Don’t toss the yolks. You can use them to make pastry cream (crème pat) or hollandaise sauce.)
• 160 grams almond meal/ground almonds *
• 180 grams powdered sugar (aka icing sugar)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 160 grams granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons of water

Pumpkin Buttercream Ingredients  (If you plan on making the buttercream, take out the butter a few hours before you plan on making it so it can soften.)
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (about 60 grams)
• 2 ½ tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 150 grams powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger

Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache (Makes more than you need, but the extra is yummy on some vanilla cake or vanilla cupcakes!)
• 225 grams pumpkin puree
• 100 grams dark chocolate, chopped and divided in half
• 100 grams white sugar
• 1 teaspoon whole milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger

Directions to make the macarons.

1. Line the baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Make the almond paste by putting the almond meal, powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves into the food processor. Blend for about 1-2 minutes or until ingredients are combined. This gives you an evenly mixed base and a finer mix of powdered sugar because it ensures you don’t have any clumps. Dump the mix into one of the large, glass bowls.
   
3. Add two of the egg whites to the mix and, using a silicon coated spoon/spatula, mix until all of the dry mixture is incorporated into the egg whites. The result should be a sticky almond paste.
4. Make the sugar syrup for the Italian meringue. Put the three tablespoons of water in a pot and turn the stove on to medium/ medium-high heat. Pour the granulated sugar into the water. Make sure the water covers the sugar completely; swirl the water around a little if you need to. Place a lid on the pot and let it heat up until it melts. Technically, you should use a candy thermometer to gage the temperature, but I’m a rebel who does most things by eye. I have used a candy thermometer in the past and different recipes disagree with each other. I’ve seen recipes require the water to reach anywhere between 235°F/113°C to 250°F/120°C. but once you’ve done it, you get the idea, so that’s why I eyeball it. While the sugar syrup heats up, whip the egg whites. 
   
5. Place the remaining two egg whites in the second heatproof, glass bowl. Using the balloon whisk attachment, whisk on high speed until the egg whites form a stiff peak. It looks a little bit like stiff soap bubbles. If you can tip the bowl upside down, then you’ve done it. Good job. If you are using a hand mixer, make sure to move the whisk around the bowl in a circle to whip it evenly. When all of the sugar is dissolved and the water is bubbling consistently, add it to the whipped egg whites. 
6. Now comes the slightly tricky part; you have to add the hot sugar syrup to the whipped egg whites while you are whisking. Start whisking on low speed as you incorporate the hot sugar syrup. Everything I’ve read tells you to not pour the hot syrup onto the whisk itself. To avoid this, I move the whisk to the right of the bowl and pour some hot sugar syrup in on the left side of the bowl. Then I quickly bring the whisk around to the left side to mix the syrup in entirely. Pour slowly and be careful not to spill. I’ve had good results doing it this way. Once all of the sugar syrup has been poured in, increase the speed on the mixer to high and continue to whisk your meringue for another 7-10 min. or until the bowl cools down. The meringue should form medium soft peaks. (If you want to add any food coloring, do it now. I’ve read adding gel food coloring is best because it has less liquid. I’ve added some orange food coloring to this batch, but as you can see from the pictures, it isn’t quite enough for that “pumpkin” look. It needs to be quite a deep orange for that effect.).
   
7. Pour the Italian meringue into the almond paste mixture. Using the silicon spatula, carefully fold the meringue into the almond paste until it is thick and creamy. It should drip off the spatula easily. Use a large, heavy cup to help steady the piping bag as you transfer the mixture. Open the bag and turn the end over the cup a few inches (as if you were going to turn the piping bag inside out). Pour the mixture into a piping bag. (I use large 16in piping bags because I find them easier to handle than the 12in ones.) Fill it about halfway to three-quarters full with the macaron mixture.
8. Lift the piping bag out of the cupBefore you cut a hole in your piping bag, gently squeeze the macaron mixture down as far as it will go. There will be air in the bag, so don’t worry about it going all the way down to the bottom. There should be about an inch worth of space in your piping bag. Cut a hole in the piping bag just where the macarons mixture is ending. 
9. Start piping onto your parchment paper. Begin by using just a little bit of force to squeeze the mixture out until you get the hang of how much pressure to use. There are several different ways of piping the macarons mixture out to get the circle. (I’m right handed, so you may want to flip this if you are left handed) I like to angle my piping bag with the tip to the left and the butt to the right and move from left to right/ top of the tray to the bottom. I use my right hand to grip the top of the bag, keep the top of the bag twisted, control the pressure, and guide the piping bag. I start where I want the center of my macaron to be and, as I’m piping out more mixture, go around in a small circle or two. It takes a few tries to find the method you like best and get the hang of how much pressure to use and how fast to pipe. 

   

   oops, some of my macarons are having a love affair.

10. When you are done piping the macarons, leave them to set for about 25-30 min. This allows them to dry out and handle the heat of the oven. It will allow the mixture to rise and it gives your macaron the little ripple at the bottom.
11. While they are resting, preheat your oven to 350°F.
12. Bake one tray at a time on the center rack in the oven for 13 minutes. Let cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper and filling.

Match the macaron tops/bottoms by size

Prepare to Pipe!

Directions for Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

1. Use the hand mixer with the egg beater attachment to beat the butter until it is a pale white color; it takes about 2 minutes. Then add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Beat until well incorporated.
2. Add the cornstarch to the powdered sugar. Add the cornstarch/powdered sugar blend to the pumpkin/butter blend a little bit at a time beating the mixture well after each addition. Repeat  until all of the cornstarch/powdered sugar has been added. If you are adding food coloring, do it now. I find that the pumpkin and spices give the frosting a nice yellow-ish color on their own and I don’t think it needs anything extra. Again, use a gel to prevent adding more liquid.
3. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm the frosting up. If the butter becomes too warm it can cause the frosting to split, look gross, and make it difficult to pipe. Remove from the fridge a few minutes before you plan to use it. Give it a good stir to check the consistency. 
4. Prepare the macarons to be filled. Remember these will be sandwiched together so don’t place filling on every single macaron shell. Once the macarons have cooled, shells so they alternate being upside down and right side up. Now you have a bottom to pipe onto and a top to close the macaron off.
5. Transfer the pumpkin buttercream to a piping bag. Lift the piping bag out of the cup. Before you cut a hole in your piping bag, gently squeeze the pumpkin buttercream down as far as it will go. Cut a small whole, about ¼ inch, in the piping bag. I have to hold the macaron with one hand to keep the macaron steady and squeeze with my dominate hand. 
   
6. Gently pipe the pumpkin buttercream in a circle around the edge of the macaron. Leave space in the center for the pumpkin chocolate ganache.

Directions for Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache

1. Put the pumpkin puree into a pot on the stove on low heat. Add milk, cinnamon, nutmeg cardamom, cloves, and ginger. Stir with a silicon spoon until mixed. Add the powdered sugar and stir well, taking care to make sure there are no clumps. Let simmer for about 4-5 min or until little bubbles/“burps” form in the mixture, stirring every few minutes. Turn the heat up slightly if needed to get the bubbles/“burps” to form. While that is simmering, put half of the dark chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl and set aside. Add the remaining half of the dark chocolate to the pumpkin puree and stir until all the chocolate is melted. 
2. Once the pumpkin puree is ready, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate in the heatproof bowl. Mix together well. The heat from the pumpkin puree should be enough to melt the remaining chocolate. This will also cool the mixture down slowly and, hopefully, prevent it from getting too thick. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until it thickens slightly. You don’t want it dripping everywhere, but it also needs to be smooth enough and thin enough to pipe later. Remove from fridge 5-10 minutes before you plan to use it, so it can soften. Give it a good stir and transfer it to a piping bag.
3. Lift the piping bag out of the cup. Before you cut a hole in your piping bag, gently squeeze the pumpkin chocolate ganache down as far as it will go. There will be air in the bag, so don’t worry about it going all the way down to the bottom. There should be about an inch worth of space in your piping bag. Cut a hole in the piping bag to create about a ½ inch, or less, size hole. 
4. Again, I have to hold the macaron with one hand to keep the macaron steady and squeeze with my dominate hand. Squeeze just enough pumpkin chocolate ganache to fill the space in the center of the macaron inside the pumpkin buttercream frosting.

   

   So much good stuff in there.

5. Place the top on and voila! Sheer pumpkin heaven. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. They last in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 5 days.
   

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The Spooky Extras!
Jack-o-Lantern Macarons: You’ve just done loads of work creating these beautiful macarons, so no one will blame you if you are too tired to decorate them. However, if you are up to the task, make them into jack-o-lanterns. You can use store bought frosting colored yellow or black and pipe some happy or spooky faces on the front. You can also use chocolate to decorate it if you wish. Both options can be bought at the store. Colored frosting will be more widely available (Wal-Mart and Target) and it can usually be found in smaller, easy-to-write-with tubes, but you can also find chocolate pens (edible chocolate in a squeeze pen so it is easy to write) at more places now than just a Michaels or JoAnn’s, etc. Just make sure you test the consistency of the frosting first. As you can tell by the shine, this frosting was a bit runny, even after kneading it and shaking it.

Additional Tips and Tricks

*Piping Bags: I find the bigger the better because it gives you a little more control. I use the large, 16in bags. Also, you might have some nozzle attachments for your piping bags. If you do, use the circle attachment with an opening that gives you around ½ inch or less. If you don’t have any piping bags, you can use a gallon sized zip-lock bag; however, the point/tip will not be as slim/fine because of the larger area. In other words, it’s not cone shaped and, while you can manipulate it, it makes it trickier.

*Parchment paper: If you are using parchment paper from a roll, I find it best to place the parchment paper against the roll it is used to from being wound up. I find the baking trays without the sides work best because then the curved ends of the parchment paper aren’t fighting against the sides of the tray, which create bumps in the parchment paper and, therefore, lopsided macarons. Also, I’ve seen people use silpats/silicon sheets when making macarons. I’ve noticed that it changes the bake time because it is thicker than the parchment paper, which can cause you to over bake your macarons. Also, the macarons tend to stick to the silpat more than the parchment paper, which can result in broken macaron shells. There are size guides you can print from the internet and stick under the parchment paper as a guide to help you get the size/spacing right. 

* Egg Whites: Since it is really easy to deflate a meringue, it is a good idea to separate them using the 3 bowl method. Let’s call the first egg white bowl the “practice bowl” and the second egg white bowl the “main bowl.” First, separate the white from the yolk. Drop the white into the practice bowl and the yolk the third bowl. If you didn’t spill any yolk into the white then you are good to go; transfer the egg white into the main bowl. If you have a practice bowl, you can drop the egg white into practice bowl first and if you don’t spill any yolk then you can transfer the egg white into the main bowl. If at any time you spill yolk into your practice bowl then you won’t have contaminated the rest of your whites because they are in the main bowl and not the practice bowl. However, if you do spill yolk into your practice bowl then you will need a new practice bowl. If you are saving the yolks for pastry cream (crème pâtissière) or hollandaise sauce then you can’t mix the egg white into the yolk bowl either. Looks like you’re having scrambled eggs later, though.

* Almond Meal: The package I buy contains the skins of the almond, which gives the finished macarons little brown specks in them. I don’t mind them, but if you want a clean finish you will want to avoid almond meal with the skins or use almond flour. Almond meal and almond flour are both finely ground almonds; the difference is blanched (no skins) or unblanched (skins). Honestly, the kind with skins is cheaper, so it's the winner for me!