The Conversation
Macarons! We LOVE these dainty French confections around here. With endless flavor combinations — the caramel, candy cane and eggnog macarons featured in recent roundups barely scratch the surface — they are such a great canvas for your imagination to run wild. Plus, they can be made into gorgeous place cards or favors with the simple addition of flowers and baker’s twine.
1. Classic French Macaron with Vanilla Buttercream Filling: Bookmark this page for a detailed how-to guide — and recipe — for making classic, vanilla buttercream-filled French macarons. (via Food52)
2. Harmonie Macaron Cake: Look to this giant almond-pistachio macaron filled with strawberries and whipped cream when you’re in need of an elegant alternative to strawberry shortcake or angel food cake. (via SprinkleBakes)
3. After Dinner Mint Macarons: Vanilla-scented shells are filled with a dark chocolate-mint ganache to created these perfect, “after dinner” macaron. (via A Taste of Koko)
4. Hazelnut Macarons with Chocolate Frangelico Ganache: Hazelnuts and almonds team up in this macaron shell recipe. An added layer of nuttiness is found in the Frangelico-spiked ganache filling — perfect for any Nutella fans out there! (via The Baker Chick)
5. Chocolate Raspberry Donut Macarons: Do these macarons totally remind you of Homer Simpson’s favorite donuts? Simply piping the batter in a circle to create a donut shape, along with a thin royal icing glaze and sprinkles introduces a whole new, absolutely adorable presentation! (via The Blonde Buckeye)
6. Lavender Macarons with Lavender-infused Chocolate Ganache: A chocolate ganache filling tempers the floral, lavender flavor in these macarons. (via Buttersweet Symphony)
7. Coconut Passion Fruit Macarons: Bursting with tropical flavors, these macarons have a touch of shredded coconut in their shells and are filled with a passion fruit curd. (via Gourmet)
8. Lemon-Blueberry Macaron Delight Cake: What a cheerful cake — macarons are not only perched atop the frosted cake, but also hidden inside between the layers of lemon-blueberry cake, buttercream and lemon curd! (via Sweetapolita)
9. Samoa Macarons: Caramel and coconut fill chocolate shells in these Girl Scout Cookie-inspired macarons. (via Barbara Bakes)
10. Pão de mel Macaron: The flavors of a traditional Brazilian gingerbread-type cake are echoed in these macarons. Cinnamon, ginger and cloves provide a warm spice profile to the shells, a lovely pairing with the dulce de leche filling. (via Technicolor Kitchen)
11. Ice Cream Cone Macarons: Not just shaped like ice cream cones, these macarons are creatively filled with a melted ice cream and crumbled waffle cone icing. (via Raspberri Cupcakes)
12. Real Strawberries and Cream Macaron: Pulverized, freeze-dried strawberries lend a delicate strawberry flavor and ballet slipper pink hue to these macarons — no extracts or food coloring here! A fluffy vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream completes the strawberries and cream effect. (via Cake on the Brain)
13. Clementine Macarons: This time of year, clementines abound at the grocery store. Put a few of the sweet citrus fruits to use in this recipe; as a bonus, they’re a perfect treat to make for Chinese New Year! (via The Pleasure Monger)
14. Valentine’s Heart-Shaped Macarons: What a heartfelt treat for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. Italian meringue is piped into heart-shaped shells that are then filled with an indulgent, white chocolate-raspberry ganache. (via Ai Love Baking)
15. Smoked Salmon and Sesame Seed Macaron: These savory macarons are a delightfully unexpected appetizer choice — perfect for New Year’s Eve served alongside glasses of Champagne! (via Martha Stewart Weddings)
16. Pistachio and Grapefruit Macarons: Pretty pink grapefruit zest-enhanced shells are filled with a citrusy, white chocolate ganache with a slight bitter edge courtesy of Campari. (via Cannelle Et Vanille)
17. Cadbury Creme Egg Macaron: Cocoa macaron shells surround a Cadbury Cream Egg-esque filling — yellow yolk and all — to create these simply adorable macarons! (via Tried and Twisted)
18. Pierre Hermes Ispahan Macarons: Rose-lychee cream fills these macarons inspired by the famous Ispahan macarons at Pierre Herme. (P.S. If you don’t feel like baking and find yourself in San Francisco, b. Patisserie’s grande macaron is another gorgeous take.) (via The Baked Road)
19. Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Macarons: Blood oranges and Meyer lemons come into season soon, these macarons are a terrific way to celebrate these shining stars of the citrus family! (via One Vanilla Bean)
20. Bacon Macaron with Maple Syrup Buttercream: A judicious amount of crumbled bacon lends just enough savory edge to these maple syrup-laced macarons. (via Eat Show and Tell)
21. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons: The filling for these macarons is surprisingly streamlined, putting a store bought dark chocolate-banana-peanut-butter spread to use! (via Style Sweet CA)
22. Almond Macarons with Almond Buttercream: Almond flavor is doubled down in these macarons, a favorite combination of yours truly (the sweet wedding almond macaron from ‘lette is my all-time-fav). (via Heo Yah Yum)
23. Balsamic Strawberry Butter Cake: Buttery yellow cake is layered with a strawberry-balsamic buttercream, which also serves as the filling for the heart-shaped macarons on top! (via Raspberri Cupcakes)
24. Macaron Milkshake: A great way to use up any crushed or not-so-perfectly-shaped macarons. Use any flavor combo of macarons and ice cream you like! (via Food & Femininity)
Are you a macaron-making pro? Do you have a favorite source — be it a bakery, friend, etc. — for these confections? Don’t be shy, spill in the comments!
Heather Sage is a gluten-free recipe developer and freelance writer living in Orlando by way of the Silicon Valley. When she isn’t playing around with alternative flours in the kitchen, she can be found tackling DIY projects around the house or exploring her neighborhood. Check out her gluten-free recipe blog, A Sage Amalgam.
More From Recipes
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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