If you haven’t noticed by now, I am obsessed with macarons. I love the challenge that they bring, and they are such a perfect snack for any time of day. These old fashioned macarons are no exception. And no, I’m not saying these macarons are an old recipe, I mean they are based off of the old fashioned cocktail! The bourbon flavor really comes through without being overwhelming and still keeping the entire cookie light, and I love that. A couple of my favorite bourbon brands are Four Roses, Hotel Tango, and Woodford Reserve. I usually say that you don’t want to bake with your favorite bourbon. In this case, since the bourbon is not being baked, I think using any bourbon $40 and under is great. Regardless of your choice, I know you will love these macarons!

What type of cherries should I use for the filling?

The filling is crushed maraschino cherries, but not just any cherries. These maraschino cherries are a little *expensive*, but they are so worth it. Sure, you can use the bright red, super sweet and artificial maraschino cherries you’d find on top of a sundae, and I will not judge you for it. But, if you use these, you’ll realize why I recommend them. These cherries are so decadent in it of themselves. They are soaked in bourbon and take on such a lovely flavor. I will admit, I originally tested this recipe with the cheap red cherries, but I now only use these fancy cocktail cherries because the flavor is just that much better. Whatever the choice, the macarons will still be better than half of the desserts you’ve eaten in your life, and I guarantee everyone will be so impressed with them.

Print Recipe

Old Fashioned Macarons

Old fashioned macarons are the dessert of the year. They are light and have the most wonderful flavor without being overwhelming.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Drying Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: bourbon, macaron, macarons, maraschino cherries, old fashioned, whiskey

Ingredients

For the Macaron Shells:

• 3 Egg Whites 100 grams
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100 grams
• 1 cup Almond Flour 100 grams
• ¾ cup Powdered Sugar 100 grams

For the Bourbon Buttercream:

• ½ cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 3 tablespoons Bourbon Whiskey

For the Cherries:

• ¼ cup Maraschino Cherries

Instructions

For the Macarons:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. For best accuracy, trace 1-inch circles onto the paper. Flip it over so the side that was drawn on is on the bottom and will not touch the food side.
• In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar, set aside.
• In a small or medium sized bowl, combine the egg whites and granulated sugar. Place over a pot of boiling water to form a double boiler. Whisk the mixture until the sugar completely dissolves and the mixture is warm to the touch and frothy. This will take 4-6 minutes.
• Take off the heat and using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until you achieve stiff peaks. This will take 4-10 minutes.
• Once you have stiff peaks, pour in the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar mixture.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients into the meringue in a “U” shaped motion. Continue folding until the batter becomes “drippy” and you can consecutively form a figure “8” in the batter. Youtube tutorials are very helpful for determining when your batter is just mixed enough, and when it is overmixed.
• Once the batter is totally mixed, fill a piping bag with the batter. The piping bag should have a ¼-inch circle tip, or something around there.
• Pipe macaron circles onto the parchment paper on the baking sheet. If you drew circles on it, follow the outline. If you did not, try your best to make them the same size.
• Once all of the macarons are piped, bang the tray on the tabletop hard. You want to make sure all of the air bubbles are out of the macaron shells, so you want to bang them at least 10 times to make sure there are no hidden bubbles.
• Once you have hit the air bubbles out of the batter, the tops should be fairly flat. Carefully pat down any points that might have resulted from piping them, but they will probably resolve themselves in the drying stage anyways.
• Next, preheat the oven to 325°F and allow the shells to dry for 20-40 minutes until the tops are not sticky when touched. While the shells are drying, you can make your curd and buttercream.
• After the shells have dried, bake the shells in the preheated oven. Rotate them after 5 minutes, of baking, and allow them to bake for a total of 16-20 minutes depending on your oven.
• Once the macarons are baked, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool before filling.

For the Bourbon Buttercream:

• Cream the butter until it is light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the bourbon and beat on medium for 1-2 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag and fill the macarons.

For the Cherries:

• Finely dice the cherries into tiny pieces. Use a spoon to add to the macarons.

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