Cotton Candy Macarons

🛒 Ingredients (Check Off As You Measure)

• 1 3/4 cups (175g) powdered sugar
• 1 cup (100g) almond flour
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp cotton candy flavoring (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• Gel food coloring: pink and blue
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar (for filling)
• 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp cotton candy flavoring (for filling)

🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sift together powdered sugar and almond flour in a bowl; set aside. In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy, then gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
2. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in three additions, using a spatula to deflate some air. Once the batter flows like lava and forms a ribbon that dissolves back into itself after 10 seconds, stop folding.
3. Divide the batter into two bowls. Tint one bowl with pink gel and the other with blue. Transfer each into separate piping bags fitted with round tips. Pipe 1-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, alternating colors or creating swirls if you like. Tap the trays firmly on the counter to release air bubbles.
4. Let the piped shells rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, until a skin forms and they are no longer tacky to the touch. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
5. Bake the shells one tray at a time for 15 minutes, rotating halfway. Let cool completely on the trays before removing. For the filling, beat butter until creamy, then gradually add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and cotton candy flavoring. Pipe filling onto one shell and sandwich with another.