Blood Orange Macarons
My neighbor has a beautiful blood orange tree that is currently FULL of juicy blood oranges. A few of them were peeking over the fence into our backyard so I text him to see if I could pick them. He said I was welcome to them, and to come into his backyard and take as many as I like off the tree. Which I promptly did! They are sweet and tart and oh so juicy. I have been wanted to make curd for a while now and figured the blood oranges would be perfect for that. They were! I also had some left over egg whites in the fridge from a pie recipe I am working on so I decided to whip up a batch of macarons. The result were these lovely blood orange macarons!
What makes up these blood orange macarons?
These blood orange macarons have three main components:
- Macaron shells
- Blood orange curd
- Blood orange buttercream
The macaron shells are a standard recipe made with an egg white meringue, almond flour and powdered sugar. As always, I used my favorite macaron template from Southern Fatty that you can find here. I also used Pies and Tacos multi color macaron shell technique for the shells. Blood oranges are very rarely the same color, so I loved the idea of having a two-tone shell. I think it turned out great. What do you think? Check out my peanut butter and jelly macaron post for more tips on making the macaron shells.
The blood orange curd
I like to use the double boiler method when making curds. The double boiler helps better control the temperature of the curd while cooking as it applies indirect heat as opposed to direct heat. It is important the the water in the bottom pot is boiling before you add the ingredients to the top bowl to start mixing. This will ensure the ingredients are at a consistent temperature for the duration of the process and will reduce the cook time. Think of it in the same way as preheating your oven when baking.
This curd recipe is really simple! Add all of the ingredients except the butter to a heat proof bowl. Whisk over the double boiler for 6-10 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the butter. Let the curd cool at room temperature. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
The blood orange buttercream
This blood orange buttercream recipe is also super simple to make! I like to use my stand mixer and paddle attachment for buttercream, but you can also use a hand mixer. Start by beating the room temperature butter until smooth and creamy. Next, add the powdered sugar and half of the blood orange juice and slowly stir to combine. If you turn the mixer on at full or even half speed during this step you will end up wearing a big cloud of powdered sugar. Slow is your friend until the powdered sugar is incorporated! Add the remaining blood orange juice a dash at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Assembling the macarons
When you are ready to assemble the macarons add the blood orange curd and blood orange buttercream to separate piping bags. Ensure the macaron shells are cooled. Pipe a ring on buttercream on the bottom shell leaving a hole in the center for the curd. Fill the center hole with curd and top with another macaron shell. I recommend letting the macarons rest in the fridge for 24 hours after assembly.
What do you think of these blood orange macaron? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. As always, don’t forget to tag us in your photos on social media @mandy.macc.bakes.
Blood Orange Macarons
Description
These macarons are filled with a bright, tart blood orange curd and sweet blood orange buttercream.
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
Blood Orange Curd
Blood Orange Buttercream
Instructions
Macaron Shells
-
Shift almond flour and powdered sugar together 2-3 times removing any large chunks after each sift. Set aside
-
In a large bowl whisk eggs whites with an electric or stand mixer until foamy, about 30 seconds
-
Add granulated sugar and cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form
-
If using food coloring add it now
-
Add sifted powdered sugar and almond flour to the stiff egg whites
-
Fold the egg whites and almond flour mixture together until you can form a figure 8 with a consistent ribbon of batter. If you have never done this before I recommend looking up some YouTube tutorials
-
Pipe the batter in circles on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet
-
Drop the pan of piped circles several times onto a flat hard surface. Then set aside for 30 minutes until the tops begin to harden
-
Bake at 300F for 16-17 minutes
-
Let cool completely on baking sheet before removing and filling
Blood Orange Curd
-
Bring the water in the bottom pot of a double boiler to boil
-
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, zest and juice in a heat proof bowl over the double boiler for 6-10 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken
-
Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the butter. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools
Blood Orange Buttercream
-
Beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy
-
Add the powdered sugar and half of the blood orange juice to the butter and beat until well combined
-
Add the remaining blood orange a dash at a time until the desired consistency is reached
Assembling the Macarons
-
Add the buttercream and curd to separate piping bags
-
Pipe a ring of buttercream on the bottom macaron shell leaving a hollow space in the center
-
Fill the center of the butter cream with the curd and gently press the top shell on top