October DB Challenge: Pumpkin Spice Macarons

We all knew this day would come - the day that a Daring Baker host would choose macarons. Luckily, I've been practicing (not really for this day though), so I wasn't quite as worried as many others. You see, I'm an odd combination of precise and haphazard in the kitchen. Things that aren't really fussy, like bread and cookies and cakes, I don't spoon and level flour. I don't measure vanilla. Eggs are not at room temperature. And butter, more often than not, is half-melty from being warmed to room temperature next to the oven set to 200 degrees.

But other things, fiddly things? Oh yes, that is why I own a scale. For when I realize that I have 100 g of egg whites, not 90 g, so I will need to increase my tant pour tant (almond / confectioners sugar mixture) by 11%. Well, 11.111111% (11 1/9), but my scale isn't quite that exact! Macarons are also why I have an oven thermometer, just in case. And I have a nice little template to pipe my macarons on, just so that they're all the same size and bake at the same rate. Fiddly things bring out the spreadsheets and calculators in me, what can I say?


And I love it. I love the precise nature of baking macarons, followed by the freedom that comes from asking what flavor the next batch will be. I've made hazelnut macarons, chocolate, coffee, almond, pecan, and now spice. Not too much spice, so I didn't overwhelm the almond flavor - just 1/4 tsp of ground ginger and 1/8 tsp each of nutmeg (fresh ground!), cinnamon, and cloves. They smelled like fall. And what would be better to fill them with than my new bff gingered pumpkin cream cheese frosting?

Yes, I'm in love with cream cheese frosting. If it weren't for pesky people wanting chocolate or vanilla cakes at my wedding, I'd make all spice and carrots cakes, slathered with ginger-y cream cheese frosting. But this new discovery - adding a couple tablespoons of pureed pumpkin to my standard cream cheese frosting? Oh yes. This is special. Not only for the faint but gorgeous orangey color, but the slightly savory note in the frosting makes this extra special. Which is good, since I have, oh, maybe a couple cups of it left over :)


Disclosure: I tried the challenge recipe, chosen by Ami. Once. It didn't work - much too wet, and since it didn't give weights for egg whites, it made me nervous. So I went back to my standard macaron recipe, based on Helen's, which I have a very high success rate with. It's fiddly and precise, and I like that.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, left at room temperature overnight
2-3 Tablespoons pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

Using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin, and ginger until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you reach a pipeable consistency.

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.