Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Macarons

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I’ve been saying to my friends and family for weeks now “When we hit September, I can start posting all sorts of pumpkin recipes right?” I mean, September and the passing of Labor Day sort of mark the unofficial start of Fall, at least in the States, right? Before I came back from my trip to the States, I stocked up on plenty of cans of pumpkin puree, and they’ve sure been staring at me from my cupboard, whispering of sweaters, Fall leaves, boots, and sunny Autumn days. So enough is enough, let the Fall season begin!

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Macarons
Yields about 20 macarons

For the macaron shells:
1 1/4 cup (packed) almond flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp. egg white powder
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp. espresso powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

For the pumpkin buttercream filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water + 1/3 cup lukewarm water
3 tbsp. egg white powder
2 sticks (238 grams) butter, cold and cubbed
1 can pumpkin puree
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Start by preheating your oven to 200* Fahrenheit (95* Celsius) and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper. If you have a food processor or blender, it’s a good idea to use it to refine your almond flour and powdered sugar by pulsing those ingredients for 3-4 seconds several times. If not, you’re macarons will still turn out great but the texture won’t be quite as smooth. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and water on high until frothy and all the lumps of powder have dissolved. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks from, about 6-8 minutes.

Once the meringue is ready, add the blended almond flour and powdered sugar, as well as the cinnamon and espresso powder. Drag your spatula down the center of the mixture and up the side as though you’re drawing a “J.” Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the “J” motion. Continue turning the bowl and drawing your spatula down the middle and up the side until all the ingredients are just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this will cause the shells to crack later. Spoon the macaron batter into a piping bag, and pipe onto the parchment paper.

It’s a good idea to have some sort of template under the paper so all the macarons come out roughly the same size. For an easy, printable template, check out the one they have over at Les Petits Macarons. Pipe only one tray at a time (prolonged expose to air can cause them to crack later as well), and use plastic wrap around the tip of the piping bag to keep the batter from drying out in between piping. Once you have one tray piped, give it a couple of good bangs against the counter to work out any trapped air bubbles.

Bake at 200* Fahrenheit (95* Celsius) for 15 minutes, and then increase to 350* Fahrenheit (175* Celsius) for 9 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on the macarons, particularly towards the end of their baking time, as it takes very little time to go from underbaked to overbaked. You know the macarons are done when they can be peeled away from the parchment paper without sticking. Reduce the heat for the oven back down to 200* Fahrenheit (95* Celsius) before adding the next batch.

To make the filling, combine the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium to high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until all the sugar is dissolved and a clear but frothy syrup forms. While the water and sugar are boiling, whip the egg white powder and 1/3 cup lukewarm water on high in a large bowl until frothy and all the lumps of powder have dissolved. When the syrup is ready, rest the pan on the side of the bowl and slowly pour it down the side, beating on high with a hand mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks from, about 6-8 minutes. Add the butter and beat on high until the mixture becomes completely smooth and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and gently mix until all ingredients are just combined. You can also add a few drops of orange food gel to really make the filling bright. Pipe onto the macaron shells and sandwich with another shell on top.

Happy baking!

Sources:
Shell and filling recipes adapted from Les Petits Macarons

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