Nut Free Golden Snitch Macarons are decorated with gold luster dust and gold wings to resemble the Golden Snitches in Harry Potter. They are butterscotch flavored to represent the butterbeer from Harry Potter.
My daughter requested a Harry Potter theme for her 12th birthday. Together, we searched Pinterest for ideas for the dessert table. We had already decided to make Golden Snitch Candies and Golden Snitch Brigadeiros, both of which used these little gold cardstock wings.
As I was making the Sorting Hat Butterbeer Macarons, I realized that these gold shelled macarons also would look like golden snitches if I added the wings.
I have previously shown how to make Nut Free Gold Painted Macarons for a Golden Birthday Party and also filled with Rainbow Filling. This time, I wanted to sprinkle the sides of the buttercream filling with edible gold glitter to give the entire cookie a sparkly gold appearance.
These macarons are so beautiful! In person, they sparkle and glisten as you turn them and the glitter catches the light. The Butterscotch Buttercream filling gives them a butterbeer flavor to add to the Harry Potter theme.
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Supplies
Other than the ingredients for the macaron shells, you will need:
- Digital kitchen scale
- Piping bag holder, optional
- Disposable piping bags
- Medium round piping tip, such as a #12
- Plastic tip coupler, optional
- Macaron mats
- Baking sheets
- gold food coloring gel
- food-dedicated paint palette
- edible gold luster dust
- Food grade paintbrush
- Disposable transfer pipette
- Everclear or vodka
- 1 batch Homemade Butterscotch Buttercream
- edible gold glitter
- chocolate chips
- gold glitter cardstock wings
I buy my gold luster dust locally, but I have heard good things about the gold luster dust from Truly Mad Plastics.
Make the Shells
The process of making macaron shells can take patience and practice. I highly recommend weighing out the ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Baking in general typically requires accurate amounts, but this is especially true with macarons.
I like to get all of my ingredients weighed and supplies ready before starting to make the meringue.
The best way I have found for filling the piping bag with macaron batter is to attach a medium round piping tip, like a #12, to the disposable piping bag using a plastic tip coupler. Then, I twist the bag above the coupler and secure it with a small binder clip. A tall glass or a piping bag holder is useful for keeping the bag upright and open.
Turn 2 half sheet pans upside down and place a macaron mat on top of each. This allows the mats to lay perfectly flat.
To make the meringue, the egg whites are beaten until frothy and then the cream of tartar is added, followed by the slow addition of the granulated sugar. Next, the vanilla and gold food coloring gel go in and the meringue is beaten to stiff peaks.
At this point, it is time for macaronage, which is the process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue.
For traditional almond flour macarons, the batter is folded until it reaches the figure 8 stage, which means the batter runs off the spatula like a ribbon back into the bowl and you can draw a figure 8 with it.
For oat flour macarons, you actually want to stop folding before you reach this stage. Oat flour batter can go from undermixed to overmixed very quickly and become too runny. Runny batter produces flat, wrinkled shells.
I recommend consulting America's Test Kitchen and Le Cordon Bleu for visuals on how macaron batter looks at different stages of folding.
Transfer the prepared batter to the piping bag.
Pipe 1-inch circles of batter on the first mat. Slam the mat down to force air bubbles to the surface. If desired, pop any large bubbles with a toothpick and smooth the batter over the hole created by the popped bubble.
Allow the batter to dry at room temperature until the batter does not stick to your index finger when pressed lightly, about 40 minutes. This can take more or less time depending on the temperature and humidity of your workspace.
Bake the shells on pan at a time, rotating the pan half way through the cooking time.
Allow the shells to cool on the mat until reaching room temperature.
You can paint the shells immediately or store them in single layers separated by wax or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature or the refrigerator.
Paint the Shells
Add some gold luster dust to the well of a food-dedicated paint palette.
Pour some Everclear, vodka or clear extract into a small bowl. Use a plastic transfer pipette to add a few drops of alcohol to the well with the gold dust. Stir it around with a food grade paintbrush to make the gold suspension. You may need to add more luster dust or more alcohol depending on the consistency of the suspension.
Dip the paintbrush into the liquid gold, and then quickly brush it across the surface and sides of the macaron shells. Paint the underneath (flat) side of the shells as well, or at least the perimeter that may not be covered with filling.
As you use the suspension on the macaron shells, you will need to remake more in the same well. The alcohol evaporates quickly, so if you don't use it right away, you will need to add another drop or two of alcohol to get the suspension back to the original consistency.
Because the alcohol evaporates very quickly, the shells will be dry quickly.
Fill the Macarons
Place Butterscotch Buttercream in a disposable piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Pipe a large mound of butterscotch buttercream in the center of the flat side of each bottom pair. Alternatively, pipe a border and then fill it in with buttercream.
Carefully pick up the top shell by the edges and place the flat side on top of the buttercream, pressing down slightly to adhere.
Add the Gold Glitter
Sprinkle the sides of the macarons with edible gold glitter so it covers the buttercream and rub it into the top and bottom shells to give extra sparkle.
Attach the Wings
Fold the gold glitter cardstock wings in the center to create a v-shape.
Melt the chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave in 30-second increments until just melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a sandwich bag and push the chocolate into a bottom corner of the bag.¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cut a small opening in the corner. Add a dot of melted chocolate on top of a macaron in the center.
Place a set of gold wings, white side facing down, on the dot of chocolate. Hold the wings in place for about 30 seconds to allow the chocolate to begin to set so the wings stick. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Storage
Store the assembled macarons in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving to soften buttercream.
Gluten Free Option
These cookies are naturally gluten free if you use a certified gluten free brand of oat flour. I like Bob's Red Mill brand of gluten free oat flour.
📖 Recipe
Nut Free Golden Snitch Macarons
Equipment
- digital kitchen scale
- Piping bag holder. optional
- disposable piping bags
- medium round piping tip such as a #12
- Plastic tip coupler optional
- 2 macaron mats
- 2 Baking sheets
- Paint palette dedicated to food
- food grade paintbrush
- disposable transfer pipette
- gold glitter cardstock wings
Ingredients
For the Macaron Shells:
- 126 grams oat flour
- 126 grams powdered sugar
- 100 grams egg whites (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- gold food coloring gel
For Painting the Shells:
- edible gold luster dust
- Everclear, vodka or clear extract
For Assembly:
- 1-1½ cups Butterscotch Buttercream (see note)
- edible gold glitter (optional)
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Make the Macaron Batter:
- Place a macaron mat on each of 2 upside-down baking sheets. You can also use parchment paper with 1-inch circles drawn on underneath. Set these aside.
- Place a medium round tip, like a #12, in a disposable piping bag secured with a plastic tip coupler. Twist the bag above the piping tip and clip it closed with a small binder clip. Fold over the top of the bag and place it in a tall glass or in a piping bag holder. Set aside.
- Sift together the oat flour and the powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl, then whisk to combine them completely. Set this bowl aside.126 grams oat flour, 126 grams powdered sugar
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until frothy.100 grams egg whites
- Add the cream of tartar, then slowly add the granulated sugar, one spoonful at a time, with the mixer still running.¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, 90 grams granulated sugar
- Add the vanilla extract and gold food coloring gel. Keep in mind that the color of the batter will deepen after the dry ingredients are incorporated. Continue to beat the mixture until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, gold food coloring gel
- Using a silicone spatula, carefully fold ⅓ of the flour/powdered sugar mixture into the meringue. Then add the remaining ⅔ of the flour mixture and continue folding until just before you reach the figure 8 stage. See note.
- Once the batter is the proper consistency, transfer it to the prepared piping bag.
- Pipe 1-inch circles of batter onto the first macaron mat. Slam the tray down hard on the counter or a table several times to force any air bubbles to the surface. If desired, take a toothpick and pop large bubbles then smooth over the hole left after the bubble pops.
- Pipe the batter onto the second macaron mat. You will not fill the entire mat. Repeat the process of slamming the tray and popping bubbles.
- Allow the batter to dry at room temperature for 40 minutes, or until the surface of the batter does not stick to your finger when lightly pressed. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Bake the Shells:
- Bake the macaron shells for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan once about 7 minutes into the bake. Only bake one pan at at time.
- Allow the shells to cool completely on the mats before removing them.
- To remove the shells, push up on the mat from underneath to help them pop off. If you have trouble with them sticking, that may mean they are underbaked. Some of the shells in the center of the tray may have a little bit of sticking. Very carefully use a stiff metal spatula to pry them off the mat, taking care not to rip the shell.
- After your macaron shells have completely cooled, you can paint them with a gold luster dust suspension immediately or store the shells in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator to paint later. If storing for more than 1-2 days, freeze them.
Paint the Shells:
- Add some gold luster dust to the well of a food-dedicated paint palette.
- Pour some Everclear, vodka or clear extract into a small bowl. Use a plastic transfer pipette to add a few drops of alcohol to the well with the gold dust. Stir it around with a food grade paintbrush to make the gold suspension. You may need to add more luster dust or more alcohol depending on the consistency of the suspension.
- Dip the paintbrush into the liquid gold, and then quickly brush it across the surface and sides of the macaron shells. Paint the underneath (flat) side of the shells as well, or at least the perimeter that may not be covered with filling.
- As you use the suspension on the macaron shells, you will need to remake more in the same well. The alcohol evaporates quickly, so if you don't use it right away, you will need to add another drop or two of alcohol to get the suspension back to the original consistency.
Assemble the Macarons:
- Place Butterscotch Buttercream in a disposable piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe a large mound of butterscotch buttercream in the center of the flat side of each bottom pair. Alternatively, pipe a border and then fill it in with buttercream.
- Carefully pick up the top shell by the edges and place the flat side on top of the buttercream, pressing down slightly to adhere.
- Sprinkle the sides of the macarons with edible gold glitter so it covers the buttercream and rub it into the top and bottom shells to give extra sparkle.
- Fold the gold glitter cardstock wings in the center to create a v-shape.
- Melt the chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave in 30-second increments until just melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a sandwich bag and push the chocolate into a bottom corner of the bag.¼ cup chocolate chips
- Cut a small opening in the corner. Add a dot of melted chocolate on top of a macaron in the center.
- Place a set of gold wings, white side facing down, on the dot of chocolate. Hold the wings in place for about 30 seconds to allow the chocolate to begin to set so the wings stick. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
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