Cinnamon Roll Macarons

Ingredients

Macaron Shells

4 grams egg white powder optional read notes

100 grams granulated sugar

100 grams egg whites

105 grams almond flour

105 grams powdered sugar

1 tsp cocoa powder (optional, for color)

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Food coloring I used brown food coloring for the brown batter

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

85 grams cream cheese softened

42.5 grams unsalted butter softened

113 grams powdered sugar about

1 tsp cinnamon powder or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Macaron Shells

Before you start, get all of the ingredients ready. Prepare one large piping bag, fitted with a round tip, I used a 1/4” diameter tip. Also leave two piping bags set aside, without the end cut. Set aside.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Measure out all of the ingredients.
Sift the powdered sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, and cinnamon together. Set it aside. I am using cocoa powder to give the shells a tan color, since cinnamon rolls aren't white, they have a orange/light brown color. The cocoa powder is optional.
Whisk the sugar and the egg white powder (if using) in a bowl, and place it over a pan with barely simmering water. Add the egg whites to the sugar and whisk the mixture until frothy and the sugar is completely melted. It will take a couple of minutes. You can test by touching the mixture between your fingers, and if you feel any sugar granules just keep whisking the mixture over the water bath.
Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the simmering water because you don’t want the whites to cook.
Also, don’t overheat the sugar syrup, this may cause issues down the line, such as wrinkly macarons.
Transfer the syrup to the bowl of a stand mixer.
With the whisk attachment, start whisking the syrup on low for about 30 seconds, then gradually start increasing speed to medium. Whisk on medium for one to two minutes, until the mixture is white and starting to become fluffy. Raise the speed to high, or medium-high and whisk for a few minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Best way to check this is to keep your eye on the whites. Once they get glossy and you start seeing streaks formed by the whisk, it might be time to stop.
Whisk until stiff peaks have formed. When you pull your whip up, the peak should be stiff and shooting straight up, with possibly a slight bend at the top, but not bending down to the side.
Pour the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour into the stiff meringue.
Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula.
If making two different colors from the same batch, like I am for the Cinnamon Roll Macarons, fold the dry ingredients with the meringue just until you see no more dry ingredients in the meringue. If making just one color, ignore this and continue to fold the batter until the proper consistency is achieved. Which I will explain below how to identify. If making just one color batter, add the food coloring in the beginning.
Anyway, back to the two colors batch. As soon as you see no more dry ingredients in the meringue, stop stirring. Divide the batter between two different bowls, I divided the batter like so: 2/3 of the batter for the white color, and 1/3 for the brown color.
Work with one bowl at a time, leaving the other one covered meanwhile.
To the first batter I didn’t add any color, so I just stirred it until the perfect consistency was achieved. Read below how to identify.
Once that happens, transfer this first batter to one of the piping bags that doesn’t have the end cut. Secure the top with a tie, so the batter doesn’t scape while piping. Set the piping bag aside.
Now, it’s time to work with the second batter. I added brown food coloring. After adding food coloring, stir until the perfect consistency is achieved.
How to know when to stop folding the batter: It’s time to stop folding when the batter is glossy and has a thick and flowing consistency. There are several ways to test this.
First, pick up some batter with the spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. If you can form several 8 figures without the batter breaking up, that’s one indication that it might be ready.
There’s another test you can do. I call it the Teaspoon test.
Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait a minute to see how it behaves.
If the batter stays stiff, forming a point and doesn’t spread out, fold a little bit more, about 3 folds.
Test again.
Once the batter spreads out a bit and starts to look glossy and smooth on top, on the parchment paper, it’s ready.
You don’t want your batter to be too runny either. So be careful not to over mix. It’s always best to under mix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
When you hold the spatula with batter on top of the bowl and the batter falls off the spatula slowly but effortlessly the batter is ready. The batter will keep flowing off the spatula non-stop, but not too quickly.
Transfer the brown batter to another piping bag, also without the end cut. And secure the top with a tie.
Using a pair of scissors, snip the ends of each piping bag.
Place the large piping bag fitted with the round tip (I used a 1/4” piping tip) in a cup, so this way the bag will be held open.
Place the bags with the two different color batters inside the piping bag.
Now position the piping bag over the center of the circle template, and start applying gentle pressure to release the batter, while making a circle motion. This motion will make the swirl. The size of the circle should be about 1.25” in diameter, or slightly smaller than the circle template. You can watch the video to see exactly how to do this technique. The video is on YouTube or on this page.
Once you’ve piped as many circles as you could, bang the trays against the counter. This will release air bubbles that are in the batter and prevent your macaron shells from cracking.
Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles on the surface of the shells.
Let the trays sit for a while so the shells will dry out a little bit. I usually leave about 20-40 minutes, depending on how humid the day is. You’ll know they’re ready when you gently touch the surface of a macaron and it seems dry, and doesn’t stick to your finger.
Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
Bake one tray at a time.
Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray.
Bake for 5 more minutes. Rotate again.
I bake each tray for about 15 to 20 minutes.
When baked, the macarons will have a deeper color and formed feet. If you try to move a macaron, it shouldn’t feel jiggly. If the macaron is still jiggly, keep baking.
Remove from the oven and bake the other tray.
Let the macarons cool down before proceeding with the filling.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Start by sifting the powdered sugar with the cinnamon. Set it aside.
Now, cream the softened cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer, for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
With the mixer off, add powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture to the bowl.
Turn mixer on low to incorporate the powdered sugar with the cream cheese and butter.
Once you see no streaks of dry powdered sugar, cream mixture on medium high for one minute.
Add vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
This frosting will store well in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered.
Make sure to always leave your frosting covered. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, because otherwise, the surface will dry out and create a skin.

To assemble

Place the frosting in a piping bag fitter with the tip of choice. I just used a round piping tip.
Pipe a dollop of frosting on each bottom shell. Top with another shell.
Let the macarons mature overnight before enjoying.