Fragrantly flavoured Earl Grey Macarons are really in a league of their own. These delightful macarons are filled with a complimentary softened maple syrup buttercream.
Perfect if you fancy something a bit different and a bit special.
Now then…macarons…true to say, as angelic as is their appearance, these little meringue cookies can be tricky little fellas to get right. The good news is, however, that this post is totally dedicated to arming you with all of the knowledge that you need to master these delightful French fancies.
Whilst only a few ingredients are required for Earl Grey Macarons, they must be exact and the way in which they are brought together must be precise.
The macaron magic only works if the rules are obeyed. It's all in the science so it is.
So hold on tight....we're going in...
If you love meringue, try my Chocolate Nutella Meringue Nests
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Why make these Earl Grey Macarons?
These are extra special and unique macarons ✔️
Delicate tones of Earl Grey tea ✔️
Enhanced with the gentle flavour of maple syrup buttercream filling ✔️
Follow the rules and they are simple ✔️
Equipment
Stand mixer or hand mixer with a metal bowl.
Large, flat, heavy-based (if possible) baking tray.
Fine-mesh sieve.
Spatula
Greaseproof (parchment) paper.
1 piping bag with Wilton 1A round tip fitted.
1 piping bag with a star nozzle fitted.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Almond flour: I had to purchase this from a health food store but it is also available from Amazon. Almond flour is not the same as ground almonds (almond meal), it is much finer. You can grind almonds up in your food processor or blender if you can't get hold of flour. If using this method, I recommend that you grind the almonds in small batches and pulse the food processor, so that you can monitor how the grinding is going. Grind them too much and you will have almond butter.
Icing (confectioners) sugar: we use this with the almond flour in the macaronage process because it absorbs the moisture in the macaron batter. This then gives us the right consistency for the macarons to allow them to grow feet (the fuzzy-looking bit at the base which appears when the macarons bake).
Fine salt: added with the almond flour for extra flavour.
Egg whites: prepare your egg whites by separating them 24 hours before you make your macarons. This is known as ageing the egg whites and produces a thinner consistency which will then whip up easier and with more volume. When ready to make your Earl Grey Macarons however you must ensure that the egg whites first come up to room temperature.
Granulated sugar: is added to the egg whites for sweetness and also to stabilise the meringue structure.
Cream of tartar: this little magic ingredient is important because it also helps stabilise the egg whites and ensures they beat up well. White wine vinegar can be used as an alternative.
Earl Grey tea leaves: are added directly to our meringue mixture. The contents of 1 teabag are needed for a very subtle, fragrant Earl Grey flavour.
Vanilla extract: for some extra flavour and it also goes really well with the Earl Grey flavour.
Gel food colouring: try to use gel colouring if you can, rather than liquid, so that you are not adding additional liquid to the Earl Grey Macaron mixture.
Instructions
See end of post RECIPE CARD for precise quantities and instructions.
- Sift your almond flour, salt and icing sugar through your fine mesh sieve. Force the bigger bits of almond through the sieve to produce a flour like consistency.
- Sift again a second time, for extra air, then set aside.
- Beat your egg whites until they start to foam.
- Add your cream of tartar and beat again until the whites form gentle peaks.
- Leaving your mixer running on low, very gradually add your granulated sugar. You should only add more sugar once the last lot has disappeared.
- Blast the meringue on a high speed until it forms soft peaks then stop, wipe down with your spatula and add your food colouring and Earl Grey tea leaves.
- Blast again until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
- Gently fold in your vanilla extract, just 2-3 folds is enough.
- Add a third of your almond flour mixture and fold in.
- Repeat twice more with the remainder of your almond flour mixture.
- Macronage - this is simply a folding technique for macarons whereby you keep folding until your macaron mixture drops from your spatula in a ribbon effect. When the macaron batter is ready you should be able to hold your batter laden spatula above the mixture and let the batter fall from the spatula into the shape of a figure 8. The batter should not break when you do this. If it does, or it doesn't drop like ribbon, them continue to fold until it does.
- Add your Earl Grey Macaron batter to your piping bag with your 1A piping tip fitted.
- Pipe circles onto your greaseproof (parchment) paper holding the bag at a 90 degree angle and then bang the trays down hard 5 times to release any air bubbles.
- Set aside to rest for about 45 minutes at room temperature until the top of the macarons are dry and you can run your finger over them without any batter sticking.
- Bake for 17 minutes in the centre of lower half of your oven.
- The macarons are ready when they:
have risen;
developed "feet" (the little fuzzy bit that sticks out of the base);
they feel dry;
they are not sticking to the greaseproof paper.
If you find one of these elements has not occurred, leave to bake for another couple of minutes. - Leave your Earl Grey Macarons to dry on your baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack.
- To make your maple syrup buttercream filling beat your butter until very soft.
- Next, beat in spoonfuls of your sifted icing sugar, one at a time.
- Beat in your maple syrup and milk.
- Fill your piping bag with a star nozzle fitted and ice the base of one Earl Grey Macaron, then place another on top and press down very lightly to secure.
- For best results, leave the macarons to mature for 24 hours before eating.
Top Tips
Important points for PERFECT Earl Grey Macarons
- Weigh ingredients using a scale, accuracy is key.
- Use eggs that are 3-4 days old.
- Leave your egg whites covered in your fridge for 24 hours to age.
- Use a metal bowl to beat your egg whites.
- Use the the whisk attachment.
- Wipe the bowl and whisk with white wine vinegar before adding your egg whites.
- Put your almond flour and icing sugar through a fine sieve then sieve it a second time.
- The colour of the macarons will fade as they bake, so make sure you add enough gel colour to your meringue.
- Use greaseproof (parchment) paper rather than a macaron silicon mat.
- Don't risk eyeballing the piping of your meringue circles, draw out 1.5-2 inch circles onto your greaseproof (parchment) paper first. Then turn the paper over and place onto your baking sheet.
- Make sure you affix your greaseproof (parchment) paper to your baking tray with dots of meringue in the corners to stop it slipping.
- When resting, if your macarons seem to be taking too long for the 'skin' to form, ie for them to dry on top, heat your oven to the very lowest temperature and, leaving the door open, pop them inside until the ‘skin’ forms and the tops are dry to touch.
- The above point will be particularly helpful if you live in a humid climate.
- Use a spatula for the macaronage process.
- Macaronage correctly to do this:
- scrape your spatula anti-clockwise around the side of the Earl Grey Macaron mixture, when you return to your starting point, turn the spatula over onto itself, so that the mixture is folded over;
- then drag your spatula through the centre of the mixture from top to bottom;
- once at the bottom drag the spatula around to the top and fold the mixture back on itself again;
- Keep checking the Earl Grey macaron mixture as you repeat the above to avoid over mixing it, as it may not take long to reach the right consistency.
- Remember, being able to create a ribboned figure 8 from the batter dropping from your spatula is your sign that the macaron mixture is ready.
- When piping your macarons, hold the piping bag at 90 degrees, squeeze down a short spurt of macaron batter in the centre, then lift up very slightly and give another little squeeze.
- Pipe the Earl Grey macaron batter until it reaches about 3 millimetres from the edge of your circle.
- Once piped always bang the baking tray 5 times.
- Pop any further air bubbles that appear with a cocktail stick
- If the macarons stick to your greaseproof paper after baking, but do have their little feet formed, leave them to continue to dry on your hot baking tray, don't force them off or you will pull out their insides. Cruel.
- Always store the macarons for 24 hours to mature before eating, their consistency is then perfect.
Storage
These Earl Grey Macarons will keep for a week if kept refrigerated in an airtight container.
If kept at room temperature consume within 3 days.
You can freeze the baked macaron shells before adding the buttercream for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe?
Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the Recipe Card below.
FAQ
Why don't my macarons have feet?
What should the texture of a macaron be?
Linked Recipes
Chocolate Nutella Meringue Nests
📖 Recipe
Earl Grey Macarons
Here's what you'll need...
- Macaron mat or greaseproof paper
- Large, heavy gauge baking sheet
- 1 piping bag with a Wilton 1A round nozzle fitted
- 1 piping bag with a star nozzle fitted
Ingredients you'll need...
Earl Grey Macarons
- 80 g almond flour (13½ tbsp)
- 100 g icing sugar (confectioners sugar) (13 tbsp)
- pinch of salt
- 80 g egg whites (room temperature) (US = whites from 2 extra large eggs)
- ¼ teaspoon cream tartar
- 80 g granulated sugar (11 tbsp)
- Tea leaves from 1 Earl Grey teabag
- gel food colouring (I used Sugarflair Claret)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Earl Grey Macaron Filling
- 100 g unsalted butter (7 tbsp)
- 200 g icing sugar sifted (US = 1 cup and 11 tbsp)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon milk
Here's what we do...
Earl Grey Macarons
- Measure a piece of greaseproof (parchment) paper for your baking tray and then draw out 1½ inch circles onto it, leave a 1 cm gap between them.
- Sift your almond flour, salt and icing sugar together through a fine-mesh sieve. This can take a while if the flour is a bit coarse so you may need to use a metal spoon to push the mixture through the sieve.
- Sieve one more time for extra air.
- Ensure your metal mixing bowl and whisk are clean, to be sure you can wipe down with white wine vinegar.
- Beat your egg whites in your metal bowl until they become a little foamy, then add your cream of tartar.
- Beat your egg whites again until they form soft, foamy peaks that bend over onto themselves.
- Leaving your stand mixer on low, gradually beat in your granulated sugar, making sure each addition is fully mixed in before you add the next.
- When you've added all of your sugar, turn your mixer up to medium-high and give the meringue mixture a good beat until it forms soft peaks that bend back on themselves, rather than stand up straight.
- Next, add your Earl Grey tea leaves and your food colouring, then beat on a high setting until your meringue forms stiff peaks that no longer fold back on themselves but remain rigid and upright, ie they should be pointy peaks that do not collapse over.
- Add your vanilla extract and fold in just a few times to start to incorporate.
- Add ⅓ of your almond flour and icing sugar mixture and fold in with your spatula. Stop as soon as your flour mixture has disappeared then repeat twice more until all of your flour mixture has been incorporated.
- Keep folding your mixture over (this is called macaronage - see note below for technique), until you can hold up your spatula and move it in the direction of a figure 8 and the batter falls into this shape like ribbon, without breaking. You don't want to risk over-mixing as this will ruin your macarons, so keep checking your batter for this magic moment and then stop folding.
- Add the batter to your piping bag with a Wilton 1A circle piping tip added. You may find it easier to pop the piping bag into a pint glass, fold down the sides and then add the batter, so it doesn't get too messy!
- Add blobs of meringue to the corners of your greaseproof paper to secure it to the tray.
- To pipe your Earl Grey Macarons, take your piping bag and hold it at a 90° angle, press to squeeze out a little mixture into a small circular blob in the centre of one of your drawn circles. Then pull back very slightly and squeeze again until you have nearly filled your circle. Stop piping just before you reach the edge of the circle as the macaron mixture will spread out a little.
- Bang the trays down 5 times to release any air bubbles and pop any air bubbles that rise to the surface with a cocktail stick.
- Set aside to settle for about 45 minutes at room temperature. Once the macarons have a "skin" on them, i.e. you can drag your finger over the top and they are not wet, they are ready to be baked.
- Set your oven to 130°C Fan/150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.
- Place the macarons in the bottom or middle of your oven.
- Bake for 17 minutes. The macarons are ready when they have risen a little and developed "feet", they no longer feel tacky on the top and they are no longer stuck to the greaseproof paper. If you find one of these elements has not occurred, leave to bake for another couple of minutes, but be careful as they will quickly overbake.
- Leave your macarons to dry in your tin for 10-15 minutes then remove them to a cooling rack.
Maple Syrup Buttercream
- Beat your butter until soft and smooth.
- Beat in one heaped dessertspoonful of sifted icing sugar at a time until all of it has been mixed in.
- Add your maple syrup and milk and beat in.
- Fill your piping bag that has the star nozzle attached and pipe a blob (about a teaspoonful) in the middle of the base of a macaron, then place another on top, pressing down very slightly to affix it.
- For best results, leave your macarons for 24 hours to mature before eating.
Supporting Notes
- Macaronage correctly to do this:
- scrape your spatula anti-clockwise around the side of the Earl Grey Macaron mixture, when you return to your starting point, turn the spatula over onto itself, so that the mixture is folded over;
- then drag your spatula through the centre of the mixture from top to bottom;
- once at the bottom drag the spatula around to the top and fold the mixture back in on itself again;
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