Updated recipe!

Snickerons? Macadoodles? These cinnamon sugar encrusted macarons take your favourite holiday cookie to new heights!

If this is your first time, for a full step-by-step tutorial on making macarons check out this post.

Makes 30 filled macarons
Shells: 30 min preparation, 20 min resting, 40 min baking
Two filling options – cinnamon spiked ermine frosting or cinnamon spiked buttercream frosting. Personally, I’m a fan of ermine, but you can use whatever you prefer.
Ermine filling: 10 min preparation, 5 min cooking, 1 hour cooling
Buttercream filling: 10 min preparation
Assembly: 10 minutes
Resting: 24 hours for best results

Ingredients

The shells

140g ground almonds
140g powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
100g egg white (from approx. 3 eggs), room temperature, divided 50/50
100g granulated (white) sugar
40g water

For sprinkling

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp granulated (white) sugar

Option 1: Ermine filling

120ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
1 1/2 tbsp (4 1/2 tsp) all-purpose (plain) flour
small pinch salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
115g (1/2 cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
100g (1/2 cup) granulated (white) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Option 2: Buttercream filling

85g (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
140g (1 1/4 cups) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)
2 tsp milk

Directions

The shells

Prepare 2 parchment lined baking sheets. They need to be big enough to hold 30 x 4cm / 1 1/2” diameter shells each.

Mix the ground almonds and powdered sugar together in a bowl, then grind in a food processor until you have an extra fine texture. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor.

Sift into a large bowl (I use a mesh strainer and push the mixture through with a spatula), putting any bigger pieces of almond back into the food processor to re-grind.

Add 50g egg whites and mix thoroughly into the almond mixture. Set aside.

In another bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk attachment, scrupulously clean and free of any oil or egg yolk, beat the other 50g egg whites to stiff peaks.

Meanwhile, put the granulated sugar and water into a small heavy-based saucepan and heat on medium-low to 118°C / 244°F, without stirring.

While whisking constantly on low speed (to avoid splashing hot syrup), slowly add the cooked sugar mixture to the beaten egg whites, pouring it down the inside edge of the bowl. You’ll get a bit of it hardening on the side of the bowl, but that’s okay – just leave it there.

Whisk at high speed until the mixture is cool, about 3 minutes. The mixture should increase in volume and become firm and shiny, and you should get a beak when you lift the whisk.

Scrape the meringue onto the almond mixture and incorporate with a rubber or silicone spatula until you have a homogeneous batter that runs from the spatula in a thick ribbon.

Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 7 – 9mm / #10 – #12 plain round tip (this is best done in two batches, so you don’t overfill the bag). Pipe 60 equally sized rounds, about 4cm / 1 1/2”, in staggered rows onto the prepared sheets. Hold the piping bag upright with the tip just above the sheet and pipe without pulling upwards or swirling in circles, so the batter comes out in a round blob around the tip, and give a little sideways flick at the end to break the stream.

Tap the baking sheet firmly on the bench several times to release air bubbles and obtain a smooth surface. If you have any tips sticking up, press them gently down with a damp fingertip.

Whisk together the cinnamon and caster sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle lightly over piped shells. Any left over can be added to the filling.

Leave the tray to rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes until a slight skin forms. It should be dull, and if you touch it, it should be only just tacky.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F / Gas Mark 2.

Bake the macarons in the centre of the oven for 18 minutes, one sheet at a time, turning the sheet half-way.

Remove from oven and remove the parchment from the tray with the shells still on it and place on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes, until completely cool, then remove macaron shells carefully from the parchment.

If not filling straight away, store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Option 1: Ermine filling

Whisk flour into milk and place over medium heat in a small saucepan. Heat until thickened, whisking constantly. It should have the consistency of béchamel. Whisk in salt and cinnamon and pour mixture into a small bowl, then cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface to avoid a skin forming. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix in well.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the cooled milk mixture one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated and you have a light and fluffy frosting.

Option 2: Buttercream filling

Beat butter until pale and fluffy with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed.

Whisk together powdered sugar, salt and cinnamon, add to butter and mix on low until combined.

Add milk, increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar or milk to adjust the consistency, if necessary. It should be quite thick for piping.

Filling your macarons

Pipe or spoon a generous blob of filling onto the flat side of half the shells, top with the remaining shells and press gently until the filling reaches the edges.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge to mature for at least 24 hours before eating.