Margarita Macarons

I'm sharing these margarita macarons with my friends over at Domino® Sugar but before we get into that... you know what holiday is right around the corner, right? Every food lover’s dream: Cinco de Mayo!

The one day a year when we can stuff ourselves full of chips, salsa, guacamole, and margaritas… It’s a little bit of a foodie nirvana.

Of course, there is historical significance to the day (it commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862) and in Mexico, the day is ceremonial in nature. In the U.S., it has become a celebration of Mexican-American culture and like most holidays that celebrate heritage, people enjoy celebrating Cinco de Mayo with authentic food and drink. Since margaritas are a classic Mexican cocktail, it stands to reason that you should conclude your Mexican feast with these margarita macarons!

I’ve been playing around with Domino® Golden Sugar in my kitchen for the past few months, and I’ve been loving how it performs. If you haven’t tried it yet, it's a less processed alternative to granulated sugar that still works cup for cup in baking! It has the most beautiful golden color and a slight hint of molasses in the flavoring. I’ve thrown it at a lot of recipes recently, and they have come out amazingly! I started with these Salted Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Bars, but this week I put it to the ultimate test, with one of the most finicky recipes I know - French macarons.

Macarons are known to be tricky to make. You can make one change and the whole batch can just completely fail on you, so I figured that this would be a great test for the Domino® Golden Sugar, and it worked perfectly! So get this recipe for Margarita Macarons pinned, then let’s get baking, because, dude, these are SO DELICIOUS… you have to try them.

French vs. Italian Macarons

The only difference between these two macaron methods is in how the meringue is made.

The French method calls for whipping the egg whites with granulated sugar to make the meringue. The Italian method calls for boiling sugar to be poured into and whisked with the egg whites – similar to what you’d do with Italian meringue buttercream.

The French method is simple and less time-consuming, so it’s generally my preference (and the method we'll be using here!).

How to Make Margarita Macarons

If there’s one thing to know before making French macarons at home, it’s this: these cookies are not simple. Impossible? Absolutely not. Requiring BOTH patience and practice? Yes.

That’s why they’re so expensive in bakeries and restaurants! These are quite finicky little cookies, as I've said before. I’m not saying this to intimidate you! I’m saying this to prepare you for a macaron journey. If they don’t come out perfect the first time (they rarely do), know that they will still taste delicious! Looks aren’t everything!

Here are the basic steps to making macarons:

• Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar and discard any bits that won’t pass through the sifter.
• Whip the egg whites and Domino® Golden Sugar (or granulated sugar) to a stiff meringue.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using the macaronage technique.
• Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet.
• Bang the baking sheet on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. (DO NOT skip this step.)
• Bake the macarons and then cool completely.
• Match up by size, and fill to make cookie sandwiches.

Check out my Ultimate French Macaron Guide for an in-depth breakdown of the macaron-making process.

The Tequila Lime Buttercream Filling

Let me tell you about a frosting that doesn’t include cream. And that’s weird for me considering that heavy cream is always my secret to the best frostings/icings on the planet. Standard ingredients here– softened butter that is whipped until silky smooth and fluffy. Confectioners’ sugar added 1 cup at a time to really smooth things out and add even more fluff. Next up? 3, 2, 1… TEQUILA! Only 1.5-2 tablespoons total.

Because if you’re not adding tequila to your frosting, you’re doing it wrong.

For the lime flavor in the frosting, you technically have two options.

1. Lime extract or lime oil. These are special ingredients that you’d have to order. Additionally, you'll have to taste as you beat it in and add more as you find necessary. I would start with 1/4 teaspoon and work your way up from there. Lime extract or lime oil has an incredible amount of concentrated flavor.
2. Lime juice and lime zest. This is my preferred method, personally. Beating the lime zest with the butter and adding 2 teaspoons of lime juice help to incorporate that delicious lime flavor without going overboard.

PS: this is not a salty or heavily tequila-flavored frosting, which I imagine would taste completely horrible. You’ll mostly taste sharp but sweet lime with a hint of tequila.

How To Store Macarons

There are several different ways to store macarons, pick what works best for you:

1. Refrigerate the fully assembled macaron: Fully assembled macarons usually stay fresh 2-4 days after they're made.
2. Refrigerate the shells only: Macaron shells usually stay fresh 4-6 days after they're made. Assemble and serve before this date is up. After filling, they can stay fresh for another 2-4 days.
3. Freeze the fully assembled macaron: After filling the macaron, let it mature for 12-24 hours and then freeze. On the day before serving, thaw macarons a few hours in advance. From this point on, they will stay fresh for another 2-4 days.
4. Freeze the shells only: After baking and cooling off, the shells can be frozen in an air-tight container and will last for about 3 months.  On the day of assembly, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge a few hours in advance. Once thawed, they can be assembled as usual. From this point on, they will stay fresh for 2-4 days.

Notes & Tips for Making Margarita Macarons

• The measurements listed are by weight. You have to use a scale for macarons. They are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise.
• Wipe down your bowl. Before whisking, make sure your whisk and bowl are sparkling clean and grease/oil-free. Any traces of grease will not let your eggs whites whip to stiff peaks. I like to wipe my bowl down with a paper towel and some lemon juice before starting.
• When zesting the lime, try to only get the green part. The white part of the lime peel can make your buttercream taste a little bitter.
• The number of macarons you make can vary depending on the size you make your macarons. I make mine about an inch and a half in diameter.
• An extensive list of macaron tips can be found at the bottom of my Ultimate French Macaron Guide. (Click 'jump to recipe' and scroll up)

This post is sponsored by Domino® Sugar. All opinions are 100% my own.
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