The shells follow the usual discipline: sifted almond flour and powdered sugar folded into a stiff meringue until the batter falls in slow ribbons, piped into rounds and left to dry until the tops no longer stick.
The filling is savoury-leaning. Soft goat cheese is beaten with cream cheese, honey and lemon zest, piped onto half the shells and sprinkled with chopped pecans before the tops go on.
Ingredient Notes
- Weighed shell ingredients
- 100 g almond flour, 100 g powdered sugar, 70 g egg whites and 65 g granulated sugar; macaron shells want grams, not cups.
- Soft goat cheese
- Four ounces, beaten with three ounces of cream cheese so the filling holds a pipe.
- Chopped pecans
- A quarter cup, candied or toasted, sprinkled onto the filling before closing.
How to Make It
Dry ingredients sifted
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Meringue to stiff peaks
Beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the granulated sugar and beat to stiff glossy peaks.
Folded and tinted
Fold the dry mixture into the meringue until the batter flows slowly in ribbons. Divide and tint with small amounts of gel colour if using.
Piped and rested
Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds, tap the trays firmly and let the shells stand 30 to 45 minutes, until the tops feel dry.
Baked and cooled
Bake at 300°F for 14 to 16 minutes, then cool completely before removing from the parchment.
Filling piped and sandwiched
Beat the goat cheese, cream cheese, honey and lemon zest until smooth. Pipe onto half the shells, sprinkle with a little chopped pecan and sandwich with the remaining shells.
Chilled before serving
Refrigerate the filled macarons at least 1 hour before serving and garnish the platter with mint.
Success Tips
- Bring the egg whites to room temperature before whipping; cold whites take longer to reach stiff peaks.
- Stop folding the moment the batter ribbons off the spatula and settles slowly back into itself.
- Tap each tray firmly on the counter to release trapped air, which is what causes hollow shells.
The Four Macaron Checkpoints
Shells fail at predictable moments; each has a visible cue.
Meringue
Stiff glossy peaks that hold their shape on the whisk.
Under-whipped whites collapse when the dry mix goes in.
Fold
The batter flows in slow ribbons.
Over-folded batter spreads flat and loses its feet.
After 30 to 45 minutes
A fingertip on a shell comes away clean.
That dry skin is what forms the feet.
14 to 16 minutes
The shells lift cleanly off the parchment once cooled.
Underbaked shells stick and tear.
Why This Recipe Works
- Sifting the almond flour with the powdered sugar is what gives the shells their smooth domed tops.
- Resting the piped rounds until dry forms the skin that pushes the feet outward in the oven.
- Cream cheese steadies the softer goat cheese so the filling pipes and holds.
- An hour in the refrigerator lets the shells soften slightly against the filling.
Serving Ideas
Arrange the filled macarons on a flat platter with mint leaves tucked between them, straight from the refrigerator.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Keep the filled macarons refrigerated at 40°F or below; the fresh cheese filling is perishable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these sweet or savoury?
Both, in a way: sweet almond shells with a goat cheese, cream cheese and honey filling.
Why rest the piped shells?
The 30 to 45 minute rest dries the surface, which is what lets the feet rise properly in the oven.
