These chamomile and caramelized honey macarons are the perfect treat for all your spring gatherings. The macaron shells are delicately flavored with chamomile and filled with a lightly salted caramelized honey buttercream. It’s Spring in a single bite.
I will be making these chamomile and caramelized honey macarons again for Easter. Over time, our Easter traditions have changed and we typically opt for a nice brunch and spend the rest of the day with my grandmother dying eggs and eating small treats with one another. I admit I’ve never been much of a big church goer, but I usually make it to Easter mass. I don’t even make that same commitment for Christmas, but for some reason Easter feels more important. Deep down, I think it’s partially because I adore how the church is decorated with beautiful flowers and greenery everywhere. My daughter’s birthday is near Easter, so we usually take that time for the extended family to bring her gifts then, too. Overall, we keep it pretty simple and relaxed. As long as we are together, that is what matters most to us.
And the desserts.
I know I kind of wrote it off at first “oh we have a few small treats while we dye eggs….” But really, there’s usually a few pies and cake and now that I mastered macarons, they are a part of the tradition now. And what better way to celebrate Easter (and all things Spring) than something like chamomile and caramelized honey macarons? I’ll tell you. There is no better way. Nope. Nope, nope, nope.
I am a huge fan of chamomile (I tried without success to grow my own), but I do not bake with it often because the flavor is subtler and can easily be overpowered. So when I decided I wanted to make a chamomile flavored macaron for Easter, I knew the easiest way would be to make an Italian macaron so that I may infuse the chamomile flavor right into the simple syrup I make for the eggs. For insurance, and aesthetic appeal, I also topped the macarons with bits of dried chamomile. The end result is a delicately flavored chamomile macaron. It isn’t overpowering, but certainly noticeable. They chamomile also gives the macarons a very light yellow color, which you can choose to intensify with a few drops of natural food coloring.
Then there is the caramelized honey buttercream. I can basically live off this buttercream. It kind of came together by accident. I knew I wanted caramelized honey buttercream, but I didn’t remember to add heavy cream to the finished honey and started drizzling it into the buttercream. This resulted in bits of caramelized honey that didn’t incorporated into the frosting and instead left flecks of chewy honey amazingness. I then added the heavy cream to the remaining caramelized honey so it would incorporate and just about died when I tasted it. The caramelized honey has a deeper, nuttier flavor which I emphasized with a touch of salt. And the bits of chewy caramel create a fun, unexpected texture and eating experience. Yes, I can definitely live off this buttercream.
What is great about these chamomile and caramelized honey macarons is that the batter is harder to overmix, which tends to be my issue. You also don’t need to age your egg whites and they tend to need a shorter drying time before you bake them. What more could a girl want? If you are new at making macarons, recommend giving these a try! I used Bob’s Red Mill in my macarons, and they happen to be the only brand I use for my almond flour. I love them because they use whole, blanched sweet almonds which are full of vitamin E, and manganese. They are also inherently gluten-free, so macarons are my dessert of choice when serving friends with Celiac’s disease. You can get a coupon for almond flour, or any other Bob’s Red Mill products with this link.
Notes: I used the base recipe from Bouchon Bakery. When I made the macaron shells, I weighed everything and highly recommend you do the same. I found that although the recipe asks for ⅔ cup of water for the simple syrup, the amount is actually weighed and is slightly more than ⅔ cup. It is closer to ⅔ cup plus a tablespoon and a bit. I used organic chamomile tea that was pure ground chamomile. This helped infuse the flavor better and allowed me to not have to worry about straining out the chamomile before drizzling it into the egg whites. You aren’t supposed to mix the simple syrup when it is boiling, but you will need to be sure to scrape the sides and especially the bottom of your saucepan every so often to keep the chamomile from burning into the bottom of your pan.
Chamomile and Caramelized Honey Macarons
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup 2 ½ tablespoons 212 grams Bob’s Red Mill almond flour
- 1 ¾ cup 1 tablespoon 2 teaspoons 212 grams powdered sugar
- ¼ cup 1 ½ tablespoons 82 grams egg whites
- ¼ cup 2 tablespoons 90 grams egg whites
- 1 cup 3 tablespoons 236 grams granulated sugar, plus a pinch for egg whites
- ⅔ cup 158 grams water
- 1 tablespoon finely ground chamomile plus more for decorating
For the buttercream
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 – 2 ½ tablespoons heavy cream room temperature
Special Equipment
Instructions
- In a food processor, mix together the almond flour and powdered sugar. Pulse until combined and the almond flour is a bit more ground. Sift the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Create a well in the almond flour mixture and add the ¼ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons (82 grams) of egg whites. Mix until it is combined and forms a thick, sticky dough. Set aside.
- Add the ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 grams) egg whites into a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add a pinch of sugar.
- In a small saucepan, add the granulated sugar, water, and chamomile. Stir well over medium heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, allow to come to a boil, occasionally scraping the sides and bottom of the pan, and cleaning the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush to remove and crystals. Cook the sugar until it reaches 248 degrees F (120 degrees C). Keep an eye on the temperature, because once the temperature reaches about 200 degrees F, start beating the egg whites with a whisk attachment that are in the mixing bowl.
- Continue to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. If the soft peaks form before the sugar reaches its final temperature of 248 degrees F, mix on low.
- Once the sugar reaches 248 degrees F, immediately remove from heat. Give it once last stir to mix up the chamomile. Turn up the speed on the egg whites to medium-high and slowly drizzle in the sugar between the bowl and the whisk. Continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Slowly begin adding the glossy egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Mix in a couple of spoonfuls at a time until the mixture forms ribbons when you lift your spatula up from the batter. The ribbons should slowly spread out like lava and take several seconds to incorporate. If the ribbons just pile up and don’t mix in, keep mixing and adding a bit more of the beaten egg whites. If the ribbon incorporates within just a couple of seconds, it is overbeaten and will likely crack and become misshapen when baked. Try not to overbeat. You may not need all of the beaten egg whites.
- Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip and fill with the macaron batter. Pipe even rounds onto your silicone baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheets. Tap the baking sheets on a table a few times to remove any bubbles. Go back with a toothpick to pop any other bubbles you may find. Sprinkle dried chamomile on a corner of the macarons.
- Leave the macaron shells to dry out as you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Allow to cool completely before removing the shells from the baking sheets.
- Make the buttercream. In a small skillet, add the honey and heat on medium high until the honey turns dark in color and smells nutty, even slightly burnt. Turn off the heat.
- While the honey is cooking, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar half a cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the salt and the vanilla extract.
- Take two tablespoons of the caramelized honey and drizzle the honey into the buttercream, while the buttercream is beating on low.
- Mix the heavy cream into the remaining honey until it is fully incorporated. Slowly drizzle the honey in while the buttercream is being mixed on low. Taste frequently until you reach the desired intensity of flavor. Keep in mind the flavors will become more prominent as the macarons age. Once you've added the honey, beat on high for about a minute, then chill for about 5 minutes.
- Fit a piping bag with a round tip and fill with the buttercream. Top half the macarons with the buttercream, and top with the remaining macaron shells.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Hannah says
Wonderful Recipe!
For those wondering, my batch made just over thirty 1.5 inch cookies (over sixty shell halves) not including the ones sacrificed due to cracks and poor dismount. It was my first time trying an Italian merengue and true to form it was a much more stable cookie than my previous attempts!
I used chamomile tea instead of powder, and did so by boiling the water (including teabags) first and letting it steep while I prepared the almond flour mixture. After letting it cool I remeasured the water and added a bit more to account for evaporation and bring it back up to 158 grams. I used 3 tea bags for this, but would definitely up the amount to 4 or 5 next time I try this recipe as the chamomile flavor in the cookie was too subtle for my liking.
For the buttercream I may try a cup less powdered sugar as mine ended up too thick to pipe so I had to add more cream. I also had plenty of left over filling after piping so reducing the sugar may help with leftovers. I used the remaining honey from my buttercream to smear a bit on the tops to adhere gold sprinkles and the ended up delightful!
Leila says
Can I use camomile tea bags for this?
Amanda Powell says
I've never tried it, but I am sure it could possibly work
Akaycia says
Hey! I really wanted to make these for my birthday but my mom doesn’t want me to make a bunch, I was just curious how many this recipe makes? I couldn’t find it in the article.
Amanda Powell says
Hi! I’m sorry, I can’t actually remember the exact number of finished macarons it makes. I’d say roughly 20, but definitely not less. You can freeze the ones you don’t eat though, they do very well in the freezer!!
Kiki says
These sound amazing and will definitely be my next batch of macaroons. I typically use the French method but am having a hard time finding a consistent recipe for a basic French macaroon. Do you have a suggestion?
Amanda says
Hi Kiki, It is hard to find a consistently good macaron recipe! I get it! I've made a few French macarons, here is one of my favorites. https://cookienameddesire.com/lemon-rhubarb-macarons-recipe/
Moe says
Gosh you're gorgeous! I am loving this macaroon recipe. I will make them for my son and his newly fiancé for Valentines Day. I am a beginner and hope to make some perfect macaroons. Thank you for the recipe.
Majda says
Hi, I usually make macarons using the french method not the italian. Have you done both and if so, do you think the italian method is more reliable for a better cookie with feet??? Otherwise, thanks for sharing your recipe in thorough detail. You're awesome!
Amanda says
I have done both and I do prefer the Italian method, especially for beginners who are learning proper macaronage as it is harder to over mix and provides more consistent results. I also find that I can more liberally add flavor to the syrup and batter compared to the French method. Saying that, I think it's essential to learn the French method as it helps you to learn finesse and perfect your skills and learn to bake with intent.
Jiyoung says
I love all your recipes and I really kind of admire you (does that sound weird?..) Just one question, is it important in this recipe that the sugar reaches exactly 248F? What if I dont have a thermometer? Could I also just kind of eyeball it by its color? What color should it reach?
Ok this is more than 1 question.. sorry haha but thank you in advance for answering!
Amanda says
Oh my gosh you are the best! And totalllly not weird at all. I've said weirder! It is fairly important to reach 248F otherwise the consistency will not be right. It takes about 10-15 minutes for my sugar to reach that temperature and there isn't any noticeable color change, especially since you are adding the chamomile to it. If you weren't adding the chamomile, it would have the very slightest tan/brown tinge to the mixture but it isn't very noticeable unless you are staring at it (I burnt my sugar syrup the first few times I made it so I like to keep a close eye!) I do recommend investing in a cheap thermometer if you can. I know you can get one at Target or even Walmart for maybe $5-$7 and then you can also make other things like caramels and marshmallows and other fun things 🙂
Jiyoung says
Ahh okay thank you so much!!
MACAROONuSeR#14 says
i hope it works... any tips?
Amanda Powell says
Take your time, and even if the shells don't look perfect, they will still taste amazing! Practice makes perfect. Good luck, I'd love to see the finished product!
Sabrina says
These are gorgeous and sound amazing!!