This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
With amazing flavor, these Red Velvet Cake Macaron are the perfect way to show your mom how much you love you! Crispy on the outside and deliciously chewy inside, macaron are not impossible. If you can weigh and whip, you’re all set!
OMGosh! Did y’all see the first day of #BrunchWeek?? How insanely delicious did those recipes look? There’s several I already have on the menu to make and it’s only the first day. Can you imagine what the rest of the week is going to look like? AH-mazing!
Confession. I’ve never heard of or used a baking emulsion before. I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I heard that LorAnn Oils and Flavors were participating in Brunch Week. Then, of course, I had to see what they were all about.
Baking emulsions are just that; flavorings suspended in something. In this case, LorAnn’s baking emulsions are suspended mostly in water. What does that mean? Well, that means the flavor will not bake out like a typical extract that has an alcohol base. And that also means your baked goods will have more flavor than you can imagine.
And that’s just the case with these red velvet cake macaron. Oh my word. These macaron have the most flavor of any I’ve ever baked before. And I’m not kidding. I’ve tried everything I can think of to make the shells and the filling have great flavor. I’ve purchased freeze dried fruits and vegetables to add the shells. There’s a plethora of extracts in my pantry in an effort to give my macaron set apart flavor.
Who knew I only needed some baking emulsions to get that packed with flavor taste I’ve been looking for?
Yeah yeah yeah. I hear you. “But Christie, not everyone can bake macaron!” I say poo poo to that! Can you weigh ingredients? Can you whip egg whites? And finally, can you fold ingredients together? Then yes, you too, can make macaron.
While there are a few little nuances to making them, like hitting the pans on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles and making sure your oven isn’t too hot. But these are things that can easily be overcome. Heck, I had no training and just Googled my little heart out for my first batch of Bananas Foster-ita Macaron.
No, they weren’t the prettiest but they sure did taste good. And they had baby feet. So, if I can jump in feet first and give them a try knowing NOTHING, then you can use my instructions and try them. And, if you have some issues, feel free to shoot me an email with some pictures and I can try to trouble shoot for you.
Because, trust me when I say you will want to make these. If you like red velvet cake at all you will definitely want to make these. They are packed with red velvet cake flavor. Which I was surprised about. For me, there’s been very little baked goods that I’ve tried or even baked myself that have as much flavor as these do. Of course, I hold high standards with our wedding cake, so, there’s that.
And just look at that color! I didn’t add much red gel dye, but I did because I wasn’t sure how red they truly would be. I mean, even when I put a bunch of gel dye in the shells they still fade when they bake. But there’s enough red color in this emulsion to not need any dye. Imagine that!
It’s not all measuring and weighing to make macaron. You also need top quality eggs. Without quality eggs, the meringue might not set up right or be stable enough for these delicate gems. That’s where Eggland’s Best eggs comes in. Not only are they sold locally, but they have added nutrients and less fat than regular eggs. They feed their chickens a diet of healthy grains, premium supplements, and vitamins which make these superior eggs than you’re typical grocery store variety.
Now, buttercream and I have had a sordid past.
I try to make it and it just laughs at me. I thought I had it beat this time, but to no avail. Feel free to use the buttercream recipe as a guide. Mine always comes out too smushy. It never seems to hold up to the squish test. You know, when you bite into the macaron does it stay in or just smushes out the sides.
Mine always fails. Maybe one day I’ll get it down and make macaron worthy buttercream. Something has to give on this front, and it’s probably going to be me. The issue is, I don’t want to make 4 cups of buttercream when I really only need about one cup. That’s the problem I have; shrinking a large recipe to a usable amount. If y’all have any hints or recipes for that matter hit me up! Please?
You really can’t argue with how photogenic these little gems are. Those feet, those smooth tops; they’re just so pretty! That’s one of the reasons why I love making these cookies. Macaron always make a great table presence as a stunning dessert. Sometimes they make people stop in their tracks.
As is the case when I took these into the office. I have a desk that faces out into the hall and I put these babies on the corner. As people walk by, they literally would stop in their tracks, come into my office, and ask if they could have one. As is always the case with any macaron I bring in.
I have so much fun making them, and the hubs typically doesn’t like them, that I have to bring them into the office. My poor co-workers, right? They have to eat the macaron I make that the hubs and I won’t eat. It’s a struggle, but they don’t seem to complain about it.
They were almost fighting over the last one or two of these red velvet cake macaron. Seriously. And I can understand why. I can’t state enough how delicious these macaron are. The red velvet cake flavor is in every bite. This combined with the sweet and tangy cream cheese buttercream makes for a delicious red velvet cake experience in a cookie.
And I’ll just leave that picture for you to drool over.
If you haven’t heard of LorAnn Oils and Flavors, I suggest you hop on over to their website. And be sure to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram to see what other flavors and products as soon as they come out. You can also get inspiration for using their emulsions and oils in your baking as well as essential oils for aromatherapy!
And, of course, you’ll want to check out Eggland’s Best eggs. While you’re there, just go ahead and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for any recipe ideas and potential coupons.
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway in this post here.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces almond meal
- 7 ounces powdered sugar
- 4 ounces egg white, room temperature
- Pinch cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Red Velvet Cake emulsion
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pulse the powdered sugar and the almond flour in a food processor to form a fine powder. Sift three times into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large, metal mixing bowl). Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the eggs and hand mix the two together with the whisk attachment for the stand mixer (or hand mixer). Fasten the whisk attachment and beat the mixture on medium speed until foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Sift 1/3 of the almond mixture into the bowl with the meringue. Add the red velvet cake emulsion and 2 to 3 drops of red gel food coloring. Fold the ingredients together with a large spatula until incorporated. Continue sifting and folding until all the almond mixture is incorporated into the meringue and the mixture should drip slowly off the spatula; like lava flowing. (Think conditioner dripping out of a bottle. That works for me.)
- Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip and pipe 1 1/3 inch rounds onto a silpat covered baking sheet. There are several different templates out there. Two that I like are here and here.
- Preheat oven to 325.
- You’re going to LOVE this next part! Once all the batter has been piped or your sheets are full, grab the edges of the pan, secure the silpat with your thumbs (or any extra batter) and rap the pans on the counter. That’s right! You heard me! Bang them on the counter!! This releases any remaining air bubbles in the meringue. Continue rapping the sheets, turning occasionally, until no more air bubbles surface. Allow the macaron to rest on the counter at least 30 minutes or more depending on the humidity level of your kitchen.
- Once they’ve rested and the tops are no longer sticky to the touch, bake at 325 for 7 to 9 minutes. Rotate the pans front to back and top to bottom and bake an additional 7 to 9 minutes. Do the wiggle test to see if the meringue is cooked; carefully grab the top of the shell and if it moves easily from side to side when wiggled. This indicates that the meringue isn’t completely cooked. Continue to cook in 2 to 3 minutes intervals until they no longer wiggle.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before filling.
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar together in a medium mixing bowl and beat until combined. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat until the mixture is light, fluffy, and no longer grainy.
- Place the filling in a piping bag fitted with a plain tip (or glam it up and use a star tip like I did) and pipe the filling onto one shell, almost to the edge. Top with another shell and allow to rest before serving.
Take a look at what the #BrunchWeek Bloggers are creating today!
BrunchWeek Beverages:
Carrot Grapefruit Smoothie from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Cranberry Orange Mimosas from The PinterTest Kitchen
Hazelnut Coffee Syrup from The Redhead Baker<
BrunchWeek Appetizers:
Antipasto Salad from Cooking with Carlee
Egg & Asparagus BLT Salad from Sweet Beginnings
Spring Brunch Veggie Tray from Wholistic Woman
BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:
California Club Omelet from The Barbee Housewife
Quick & Easy Cheesy Cheddar Asparagus Frittata from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Huevos Rancheros Cups from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Kuku Sabzi (Persian Herb Omelette) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
BrunchWeek Breads, Grains, and Pastries:
Buttermilk Scones from Mildly Meandering
New York Style Garlic Knots from Girl Abroad
Miso Butter Toast from Brunch-n-Bites
Pecan Belgian Waffles with Strawberry Sauce from Family Around the Table
Savory French Toast with Asparagus from Forking Up
BrunchWeek Main Dishes:
Breakfast Macaroni and Cheese from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Canadian Bacon, Egg & Asparagus Quesadilla from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:
Asparagus Fried Rice from Tara’s Multicultural Table
Asparagus Bacon Rollups from For the Love of Food
Creamy Baked Cheesy Asparagus from Daily Dish Recipes
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan from Books n’ Cooks
BrunchWeek Desserts:
Blueberry Raspberry Chocolate Bark from Caroline’s Cooking
Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake from The Crumby Kitchen
Red Velvet Cake Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Succulent Vanilla Sugar Cookies from Love and Confections
Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, LorAnn Oils and Flavors, Cento Fine Foods, Michigan Asparagus, Cal-Organic and Eggland’s Best for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.
The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner are checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Seven (7) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #BrunchWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #Brunchweek posts or entry.
The post Red Velvet Cake Macaron #BrunchWeek appeared first on A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.
