Just A Smidge: Pumpkin Spice Macarons With Bourbon Maple Buttercream

A couple weeks ago I decided to combine a few of my favorite things: macarons, pumpkin pie, bourbon, and maple syrup. The result was autumn bliss, I ate four...in a row.

I seriously encourage you to make some if you're a fan of macarons. Friends ask me if macarons are hard to make, the answer, "no!" They do take practice but I refuse to be intimidated by a cookie. The recipe below is pretty simple and if you give it a try I have the feeling by the second tray of macarons you'll have the hang of it. Why pay $2.00 per macaron when you can make your own fresh ones at home? Recipe after the jump. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from.
A lot of people get worried about weighing macaroon ingredients. I've found if you keep your measurement's pretty exact there is no need for weighing with this recipe.
Buttercream recipe here, I added:

2-3 tbs bourbon

1/2 tsp maple flaor

One of my favorite things about swiss butter cream is that you can add about as much liquid as you want and you don't have to worry about it getting soupy. Feel free to add the measurements I used but you can really flavor to taste. And of course use a bourbon you would want to drink because none of it cooks out.

If your buttercream starts to separate don't worry just beat it over heat. I will litteraly put my stove burners on low and hold the bowl above to warm the bottom of the bowl.
Macarons:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pinch ginger
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine powdered sugar,almond flour (I used Bob's), pumpkin pie spice, and ginger. Sift mixture twice, this will give your macarons an even texture and help them to have that soft chewy center.
Whisk whites with a hand or standing mixer on medium speed until foamy. I used to be really confused about foamy, soft peaks, ribbon stage etc. until I worked in bakeries so here is a picture of "foamy" the whites are beginning to become fluffy but will not hold a peak.

Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add granulated sugar slowly beating constantly.
Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Stiff peaks are just as they sound you can form a peak in the whites and wiggle the bowl around and those peaks aint going nowhere.

Sift flour mixture over whites, I incorporate mine about 1/3 at a time folding after each addition. Adding the almond flour mixture slowly and folding will help to keep the whites fluffy and eventually help your macarons to have a nice little pocket between the center and the shell.
Once incorporated transfer batter to a pastry bag or if you're me and need a new pastry bag, cut a whole in a Ziplock and use that. Hate to say it, but it works.
Pipe the batter in a circular motion starting in the center and working out. You want to make them about an inch apart to leave room for any spread.

Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. It's best to let them stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking, I was in a rush and only let them stand for a couple of minutes and they still turned out pretty well.
Once you place them in the oven Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, rotating halfway through.
After each batch, increase oven temperature back to 375 degrees while you pipe the next then reduce to 325 degrees when you are ready to put them in the oven.
Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.
Sandwich two macarons with a little less than 1 tablespoon butter cream. I like to pipe the butter cream as well to give the cookie a smooth finished look.
If you can't finish all the macarons you can freeze with filling assembled in an air tight container for up to three months.

And don't worry if they don't turn out, here's what happened when I tried to smooth one tray out with a wet finger tip before baking. If they don't work, nobody has to know just keep on trying!