
Ingredients
-
150 g almond flour (1 ¼ cups)
-
145 g powdered sugar (just under 1 ¼ cups)
-
5 g Dutch-process cocoa powder (1 tablespoon)
-
110 g egg whites, room temperature (about 3 egg whites/110 mL/just under ½ cup)
-
95 g granulated sugar (just under ½ cup)
-
â…› teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
-
â…› teaspoon table salt
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
Red gel food colouring
-
113 g (4 oz) cream cheese, softened (not spreadable)
-
57 g (¼ cup or 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
-
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
-
â…› teaspoon table salt
-
220 g powdered sugar (1 ¾ cups)

01
Preparing the batter
-
Clean and dry all equipment thoroughly. Avoid rubber, silicone, or plastic tools for whipping egg whites.
-
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
-
Sift almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into a medium bowl.
02
Making the batter
-
Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until foamy (30 seconds).
-
Add cream of tartar and beat another 30 seconds.
-
Gradually add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 30 seconds between additions.
-
Add vanilla, salt, and red food colouring.
-
Beat until stiff peaks form.
-
Gently fold dry ingredients into the meringue in thirds.
-
Deflate slightly by pressing batter against the bowl's sides. Fold until the batter flows smoothly and forms a figure-8 without breaking.


03
Baking the Cookies
-
Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 4-5cm circles on prepared sheets, spacing around 6cm apart.
-
Firmly tap trays on the counter to release air bubbles. Let macarons rest until a skin forms (about 35 minutes). Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
-
Bake one tray at a time for 10–11 minutes, turning halfway through. Cool completely before filling.
04
Assembly
-
Beat softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until creamy.
-
Pipe filling onto a macaron shell and sandwich with another. For best results, refrigerate in an airtight container for 24 hours before serving.
-
if you want to feel bougie, melt a little chocolate of your choice, dip a whisk in it and draw air circles above your macarons to give them those thin lines of chocolate
