Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons

They're not the most beautiful macarons you've ever seen (I need to practice my piping macaron skills!), but they're certainly delicious!! The light cocoa flavor pairs so well with the creamy, peanut butter filling. I wouldn't change a thing.

This is only my second batch of macarons I've baked and I look forward to trying many more variations of flavor combinations. I love how pretty these cookies are - even when you're no expert. They still look lovely and I can't wait to share them with all my favorite taste testers. My 5 year old loved the meringue cookies - they are just lightly sweetened, crispy and chewy, with a touch of cocoa flavor. We'll see if she approves of the peanut butter filling addition!

It's been pretty chilly over here in my neck of the woods! This feels like February weather to me - not November. I have memories of wearing a tank top and capris on Christmas not too many years ago, and here it is feeling like full on winter already! Which leads to the will there be snow this year speculation. The joys of living in the South. I am very acclimated to this weather for sure - I just want to sit inside with the fire and a cup of coffee on these chilly days. And baking cookies - warming up the house and enjoying the smells that come with goodies baking in the oven. You just can't beat that.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons from The Beach House Kitchen

Ingredients

Macarons
2/3 cup almond flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 TBS natural unsweetened cocoa powder
4 oz egg whites (about 3 large eggs) room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Buttercream
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 TBS whole milk, if needed to thin out mixture

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with silpats. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, and the cocoa powder. 
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the egg whites using the whisk attachment until soft peaks form (about 3 minutes). Slowly add granulated sugar and vanilla and continue to beat on high for 2 minutes until stiff peaks form. 
4. Add in the almond flour mixture to egg whites in batches, folding dry mixture in slowly by hand until evenly incorporated (being careful not to deflate the egg mixture).
5. Gently scoop macaron mixture into a pastry bag with a nozzle. Pipe quarter size circles (1 - 1 1/2 inch) on the lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Leave prepped baking sheets on your counter to dry for 2 hours before proceeding to bake. Start preheating oven to 300 degrees about 20-30 minutes before you're ready to bake.
6. Bake macarons (one tray at a time) for 15-17 minutes. Cool completely on the tray before removing to fill and create the cookie sandwiches.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter with the butter on high speed, about 2 minutes (scraping down sides as necessary). Add in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar, beat on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the milk a little at a time until your filling mixture reaches a smooth and creamy piping consistency, beat well until fully incorporated. Scrape the filling into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle, pipe the buttercream onto the flat side of one of the macaron shells, and create a cookie sandwich with a 2nd cookie.