Crème Brûlée Macarons

Ingredients

Macarons

1 1/4 cups Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
4 ounces (by weight) fine almond flour
3 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 drops of copper or light brown gel food color

Vanilla Bean Filling

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 teaspoons milk or heavy cream

Topping

3 teaspoons Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon water
Small culinary torch

Directions

For macarons, in a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and almond flour until no lumps remain.
Combine room temperature egg whites and pinch of salt in bowl of an electric mixer.
Whip egg whites until white and foamy.
Slowly add in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and increase speed to high.
Set timer for 15 minutes and let egg whites whip on high until stiff peaks form.
Whip in 2 drops of copper or light brown gel food color.
Using a rubber spatula gently fold almond flour/powdered sugar mixture into whipped egg whites.
Slowly fold and mix until batter is smooth. Batter is ready when it "melts," when drizzled on top of itself.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a macaron baking mat.
Fill a piping bag with batter, snip end.
Pipe 1-inch circles onto baking sheet, leaving 1-inch space between each macaron.
Tap baking sheet onto counter to remove air bubbles.
Let macarons sit at room temperature 1 hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are matte looking and dry to the touch. Test 1 macaron by lifting it gently from baking sheet. If bottom tears apart, bake for 3-5 more minutes and test again.
Remove from oven and allow macarons to cool completely on baking sheet.
For filling, add butter to bowl of mixer. Beat until smooth.
Mix in powdered sugar until combined and smooth.
Whip in vanilla paste or vanilla extract.
Add milk or heavy whipping cream to thin filling if needed.
Pipe filling onto flat surfaces of 1/2 of macaron shells.
Brush a very thin layer of water over tops of other half of macaron shells.
Dip top half of macaron shells into sugar. Lay sugar shells on a fire/heat resistant surface like a baking sheet.
Using a small culinary torch, torch sugar on macaron shells until sugar turns golden brown.
Let sugar cool slightly and then sandwich macarons bottoms with macaron tops.

Imperial Sugar Insight

If making macarons ahead of time, fill with buttercream and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Brulee tops after removing from the fridge as the brûléed sugar top will lose crispness in the fridge.
Little tips at the top of each piped cookie? Dip your finger into a little water and pat the tip down on the top of the macaron shell.
Recipe developed for Imperial Sugar by Angie Barrett @BigBearsWife.
For more macaron tips, read Chef Eddy's Tips for the Perfect French Macaron.