Recipe

Chocolate & Vanilla Speculoos Macarons (GF)

updated on

I think we can all agree that Biscoff is one of the best things to have ever been invented. Its distinctive caramel flavour is so more-ish that we just want it on everything! The internet is full of recipes for Biscoff cakes, brownies, cookies and more. One of my favourite treats is to melt Biscoff spread and pour it over ice cream – simple and so delicious!

Since going gluten-free, I’ve definitely had a Biscoff-shaped hole in my life so I created my own speculoos biscuits and spread!

Now you can add macarons to the list of Biscoff-y baked goods! Whether you require a gluten-free diet or not, I’ve got you covered!

I find macarons such a fun bake to make however they do have a reputation of being quite finicky and can take a few attempts to get the hang of! But don’t despair, I’ve included some useful tips to help you get started.

For this recipe, I’ve provided options of either chocolate or vanilla shells (or you can make both of course!).

The vanilla shells are the perfect way to showcase the signature caramel flavour of speculoos whereas the chocolate shell gives a much richer flavour that’s fudgy, decadent and downright delicious!

I’ve sandwiched the macarons with some speculoos buttercream and a dollop of speculoos spread. You can find Biscoff spread in most major supermarkets or online or you can make your own!

Finally, the macarons are drizzled with some melted speculoos spread and sprinkled with speculoos biscuit crumbs and some edible gold dust. Yum!

This recipe makes 14 macarons of each flavoured shell and it will take about 20 mins to prepare the macaron mixture. The macarons need drying time before they are baked. This can take 30 mins – 2 hrs. Once dry, they are baked for approx. 15 mins.

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Shells:

  • 53 g almond flour
  • 115 g icing sugar
  • 7 g cocoa powder
  • 60 g egg whites (for best results, age the whites overnight by separating the eggs the day before and leaving them uncovered in a bowl in the fridge)
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 30 g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Shells:

  • 60 g almond flour
  • 115 g icing sugar
  • 60 g (aged) egg whites
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 30 g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream:

You will need an additional 3-4 tbsp speculoos spread for the filling and decoration. I used some speculoos biscuit crumbs to decorate my macarons too but feel free to decorate however you fancy!

Useful Equipment: 2 baking trays, each with a macaron mat on top (if you don’t have a macaron mat, place a sheet of baking paper on each tray and draw out circle templates with a diameter of 3 cm – you can use a cookie cutter to do this), hand/stand mixer with whisk attachments, stainless steel or glass mixing bowl, piping bag with a round nozzle, food processor (optional), sieve, spatula, cocktail sticks

Useful Tips:

  • For best results, age your egg whites. This can be done by separating your eggs the day before and placing the egg whites uncovered in the fridge overnight.
  • Bring your eggs to room temperature before whisking.
  • You need your dry ingredients to be as fine as possible. Blend them together in a food processor or push them through a seive a couple of times before combining with the egg. This is how the macarons get their shiny shell.
  • Pay attention not to over-whisk your egg whites. This can cause your shells to crack apart during baking (too much air!). You need to get them to the thick and glossy stage.
  • Leaving your macarons to dry out before baking is crucial for getting the smooth shell. If they are not dry, they are likely to crack when baking. Once you can touch the top of the shells without it sticking, they have dried enough.

Please don’t hesitate to send me a message via the contact page or on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) if you need any advice or help troubleshooting your macarons!

Making the Macaron Shells:

  1. Sift together the almond flour and icing sugar (and cocoa powder if making chocolate shells). If you have one, I recommend blending them together in a food processor to get the mixture as fine as possible.
  2. In a clean stainless steel or glass bowl, whisk the egg whites on low until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar (one third at a time) and increase the speed of whisking to high.
  3. Whisk the egg whites until you can see lines forming as the whisk moves, then add the cream of tartar.
  4. Whisk until stiff peaks form. It should be thick and glossy. At this point, add your vanilla extract.
  5. Add in a third of your dry ingredients and fold until combined. Add the rest and continue to fold. As you do so, push your spatula down as you turn the bowl – the aim is to remove some of the air trapped in the mixture.
  6. Repeat this movement until the batter starts to fall like ribbons. This is a key step to get right as under-mixing can upset the texture of the shells. Pick up some batter with your spatula and let it fall off the end. If it is falling like a ribbon, try drawing a figure of 8. If the batter doesn’t break whilst doing this then it is ready. If it does, keeping folding until the ribbon stage is reached. It should fall quite slowly.
  7. Place the mixture into a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe onto your macaron mat/template. Try piping straight down into the centre of the circle to acheive a circular shaped macaron.
  8. Lift the tray about 10 cm off the surface and drop it down onto the table. Do this a couple of times to bring any air bubbles to the surface. You can then smoothen the top with a cocktail stick.
  9. Let the macarons sit at room temperature until dry on top. This can take from 30 mins to 2 hrs depending on the room. You will know they are ready when you can touch the top and it isn’t sticky.
  10. Whilst the macarons are drying, preheat the oven to 150 °C fan/320 °F.
  11. Bake for 14-15 mins or until lightly browned on top. Cool completely on the tray.

Filling the Macarons:

  1. In order to get neat looking macarons, try and pair similarly shaped shells together.
  2. For the buttercream, ensure your butter is at room temperature and cream until softened. If you have a stand mixer, you can use the paddle for this step. Gradually add in the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the speculoos spread of your choice plus the vanilla extract and beat until combined. If your buttercream feels thick you can thin it out with a tbsp of milk or boiled water.
  3. I decided to pipe my buttercream onto my shells but this is completely optional! You can easily spoon the buttercream onto the shells too. If using a piping bag, choose your favourite piping nozzle (I went for a Wilton 30 closed star tip) and pipe around the border of the shell. Spoon a dollop of speculoos spread into the centre of the shell and top with the lid!

Decorating the shells:

  1. Place 1-2 tbsp of speculoos spread in a heatproof bowl and microwave in short bursts (about 10 seconds) until slightly melted and runny.
  2. With a teaspoon, drizzle the spread over the top of the macaron.
  3. You can decorate the top of your macarons with some crushed speculoos biscuits and edible gold dust or however you fancy!

Macarons will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also keep the shells for up to 6 months in the freezer.

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