Earl Grey Tea Macaron with Honey Buttercream Filling

So for my birthday, my friend brought me macarons that her mom and aunt made and I thought they looked so pretty. Inspired by how creative people could be with the different fillings and macaron flavors, I wanted to try it out for myself. After 3 hours of watching tutorials and reading directions and recipes, I decided I was ready to take on the challenge. Personally, I love challenges and I guess I underestimated how hard and timely it would be. I failed it half way through, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet. I jumped right into it, and it ended up being just as beautiful as the pictures, thank goodness...

Earl Grey Tea Macarons with Honey Buttercream Filling

level of difficulty: "you probably won't get it right the first time"

time: 2-3 hours total

to make the macarons:

ingredients:

2 egg whites, at room temperature

5 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 c. almond meal

1 c. confectioners sugar

1 tsp. Earl Grey Tea leaves grounded

NOTE: (substitutions/recommendations)

-almond meal: I substituted almond meal with ground up almonds by using a blender/food processor to grind up natural almonds (with or without skin). I sifted the grounded almonds with a small metal strainer just to get the large lumps out before measuring it.

-Earl Grey Tea leaves: I bought Earl Grey tea bags and just cut 1 bag open. I poured out the contents of the teabag and measured 1 teaspoon (1 teabag should be approximately 1 teaspoon).

directions:

1. In the medium or large bowl, beat the egg whites over medium-high speed with an electric mixer for approx. 3+ minutes until they begin to froth (the color will be white with bubbles that cover the entire surface). Add sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time while mixer is still running. Continue beating until egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form. (You will know they are stiff peaks when you are able turn the bowl upside down and the mixture does not fall out.) Remove the bowl from the mixer and move to the side.

2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended. Add half of the dry mixture to the egg whites, and fold gently from the outside in using a rubber spatula, until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Repeat with the other half of the dry mixture. The mixture will start to deflate to have a more batter-like texture.

3. Test the consistency of the batter by scooping up some of it with the spatula and letting it the batter drop onto a plate. If stiff peaks or clumpiness still are apparent after waiting 10 seconds, then you will need to press some of the air out- with the rubber spatula, begin scraping from the outside in, and then press down on the center with the flat of the spatula (you can also press the batter against the side of the bowl). After repeating 5 times, test the batter consistency again. Within 10 seconds, the batter should form into a smooth circle on the plate. If still too thick, press the air out a few more times being careful not to over mix.

*Make sure the batter is not over beaten or else the batter will be difficult to manage when piping them onto the baking sheet and macarons will turn out flatter. (I had overbeaten it the first time I made this and the batter came out to be more of a liquid consistancy; I had to redo the entire process...)

4. Pour batter into a pastry or gallon-sized Ziplock bag (fit the pastry bag with a piping tip first- optional). If using a Ziplock bag, snip 1/4" from one corner, twist the loose end, and pipe onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet so that the macarons are about 1" to 1-1/2" (quarter-size) in diameter and about an inch apart. (You can stencil circles on the back of the parchment paper in advance if it helps you make more consistently sized macarons.) When the baking pan is filled up, let it rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. After the macarons have rested, hold the baking pan by the sides and drop it about 5 or 6 inches off from the floor (repeat about 3 more times). This will create the "feet" of the macarons. ("feet"= texture at the bottom of the macaron patty that looks more crumb-y than the smooth top.)

6. Bake it in oven for 6-7 minutes, then take it out and rotate the baking pan the other way around to even out the heating. Bake it for another 6-7 minutes, keeping an eye on the tops to ensure they don't brown. Remember, the longer it is in the oven, the crispier the exterior of the macaron will be. Remove from oven, lift parchment paper with macarons onto a wire rack, and let them cool completely before adding the filling.

to make the filling:

ingredients:

2 egg yolks
1/4 c. granulated sugar
3-1/2 tbsp. milk
7 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp. honey

directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks (it will be easier to use an electric mixer). Add sugar, and whisk until light in color, creamy, and sugar granules no longer show. Add the milk, and whisk until well incorporated.

2. Pour mixture into a small saucepan, and heat over low heat until the mixture becomes thick, dark and bright yellow, and custard-like. Remove from heat, pour back into original bowl, and whisk until it cools to room temperature.

3. In a separate bowl, mash up the butter until it resembles mayonnaise. Add half of the butter to the egg mixture and stir well. Repeat with the other half of the butter, and then stir in the honey, 1 tbsp. at a time. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until firm (but not hard) before piping between two macaron halves. (The cooled mixture should have a smooth frosting-like consistancy.)

Putting it all together:

Here are some pictures I took of the macarons, but putting it together is probably the easiest part!
If you plan on giving it away, a creative way is to package it in a glass jar which is exactly what I did.