Nut Free Bunny Peep Macarons

These Nut Free Bunny Peep Macarons are an adorable French macaron cookie for Easter or spring. They are also gluten free.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 15

Dry Time 40

Total Time 1 55

Servings cookies (approx.)

Calories 253kcal

Author Meghan

Equipment

2 macarons mats
2 half sheet pans
1 small binder clip
Medium round tip like #12
Plastic tip coupler optional
disposable piping bags
Piping bag holder optional

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 see note
Blue, pink or purple food coloring gel such as AmeriColor

For the Buttercream Filling:

10 tablespoons salted butter
1 dash table salt
5 ounces powdered sugar see note
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For Decorating:

Black royal icing powder

Instructions

Prepare the Batter:

Place a macaron mat on each of 2 upside down baking sheets. Set these aside.
Place a plastic tip coupler in a disposable piping bag and add a medium round tip, like a #12. Twist the bag above the tip and secure with a small binder clip to prevent the batter from running out. Fold over the top of the bag and place it in a tall glass or in a piping bag holder so it will be easy to fill with the batter. Set this 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. Add the cream of tartar, then slowly add the granulated sugar, one spoonful at a time, with the mixer still running.
100 grams egg whites, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, 90 grams granulated sugar
Add the vanilla extract and food coloring gel. Continue to beat the mixture until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Blue, pink or purple food coloring gel
Using a silicone or rubber spatula, carefully fold ⅓ of the flour/powdered sugar mixture into the meringue. Add the remaining ⅔ of the flour mixture and continue folding until you reach the figure 8 stage. See note.
Once the batter is the proper consistency, transfer it to the prepared piping bag. Pipe a 1-inch circle of batter to make the bunny's body, then pipe a connecting oval to make the bunny's head and pipe the ears on top of the head. Repeat until the tray is filled.
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 out the hole left after the bubble pops.
Pipe the batter onto the second macaron mat. You will not fill the entire mat. Depending on the size of your bunnies and consistency of your batter, you will have about 25 shells.
Allow the batter to dry at room temperature for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F.

Bake the Macaron Shells:

Bake the macaron shells for 12-15 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 more easily, 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.
The cooled shells can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer, or you can fill them immediately.

Make the Buttercream Filling

In standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter and salt at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. NOTE: If using a hand-held mixer, increase mixing times by at least 50%.
10 tablespoons salted butter, 1 dash table salt
Add powdered sugar and beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds.
5 ounces powdered sugar
Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add heavy cream and vanilla extract, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds.
1 tablespoon heavy cream, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. This step is important to create a smooth and whipped buttercream.

Fill and Decorate the Macarons

Pair up the macaron shells by size to ensure the bottom and top of each macaron are similar in size.
Fit a medium round piping tip, such as a #12, into a piping bag. Add the buttercream to the bag. Pipe the buttercream over the entire flat surface of the bottom shell. Holding the top shell by the edges, place it on top of the filling and carefully press together.
Repeat with the remaining pairs until all of the macarons are filled.
Mix black royal icing powder with warm water according to package instructions. Transfer the icing to a piping bag with the tip snipped off.
Pipe two eyes and a nose on the face of each bunny macaron.

Notes

I highly recommend weighing the ingredients listed in grams. French macarons are notoriously finicky and require precise measurements. Use cracked whole eggs, not store bought egg whites.

100 grams of egg whites is the equivalent of the whites from about 3⅓ large eggs.

Clear vanilla extract can be used in place of traditional vanilla extract if you want a lighter batter that is easier to tint with food coloring. You could also use a different flavor of extract if you prefer, such as almond extract or imitation almond extract to keep the macarons nut free.

"Macaronage," the process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue, is the trickiest step of macaron making. The batter will be too thick if you under mix it or too thin if you over mix it. I refer you to two resources with visuals as to when the batter is ready to be piped: America's Test Kitchen and Le Cordon Bleu.

5 ounces of powdered sugar is about 1¼ cups.

Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days to allow them to mature and improve in texture. If refrigerated, allow the cookies to come to near room temperature before serving so the buttercream can soften. Unfilled shells or assembled macarons can be frozen.

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