Macaron Tower

• Prep2 h
• Cook1 h 12 min
• Total5 h 30 min
• Serves28

Ingredients

Shells, for each batch (make 2 batches)

• 110 g superfine blanched almond flour (1 cup)
• 110 g powdered sugar (scant 1 cup)
• 100 g egg whites, at room temperature (from about 3 large eggs)
• 100 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, optional
• Pink, mint green and ivory gel food coloring

Vanilla buttercream

• 225 g unsalted butter, softened (1 cup, 2 sticks)
• 320 g powdered sugar (2 2/3 cups)
• 30 g heavy cream or whole milk (2 tbsp)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

For the tower

• 1 craft foam cone, 23 cm (9 in) tall
• Plastic wrap and about 30 wooden toothpicks, broken in half
• 8 to 10 small fresh roses or spray roses, unsprayed

Instructions

1. For the first batch, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in the clean, dry mixing bowl and blend 10 sec/speed 10. Sift into a large bowl, pressing it through with a spoon, and discard any coarse bits left in the sieve.
2. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and butterfly whisk and wipe both with a paper towel dampened with lemon juice or vinegar. Insert the butterfly whisk, add the egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar and whip 5 min/50°C (122°F)/speed 3.5. Remove the measuring cup and whip 8 min/speed 4, until thick, glossy and stiff.
3. Remove the butterfly whisk and scrape the meringue onto the almond mixture. Fold with a large spatula about 30 strokes, until no dry flour shows. Divide among 3 bowls, add pink color to one, mint green to another and a tiny dot of ivory to the third, and fold each 5 to 10 strokes more, until the batter flows off the spatula in a thick ribbon that sinks back into itself in about 10 seconds.
4. Pipe 3.5 cm (1 1/2 in) rounds about 3 cm (1 1/4 in) apart with a 1 cm (1/2 in) round tip. Rap each sheet on the counter 4 times, pop bubbles with a toothpick and let rest 30 to 60 minutes, until the tops are no longer sticky. Bake in the oven at 150°C (300°F), one sheet at a time, for 16 to 18 minutes, and let cool on the sheet.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for the second batch, washing and wiping the bowl and whisk again before the meringue. Once the first shells are cool, slide them off the paper so you can reuse the baking sheets.
6. Wash and dry the mixing bowl. Insert the butterfly whisk, add the butter and whip 2 min/speed 3.5. Add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt, put the measuring cup in place and whip 1 min/speed 3, then whip 2 min/speed 3.5, scraping down halfway, until light and fluffy.
7. Pair the shells by color and size, pipe a 1.5 cm (1/2 in) mound of buttercream on half of them and press the matching shells on top. Refrigerate in airtight containers overnight.
8. Wrap the foam cone in plastic wrap and set it on a cake stand. Starting at the bottom, push half a toothpick into the cone at a slight upward angle and slide a macaron onto it through the filling. Work around in rings, alternating colors and keeping the macarons close together, up to the tip.
9. Wrap each rose stem in plastic wrap and tuck the roses into the gaps and on top. Keep the tower in a cool, air-conditioned room and serve it within 3 hours.

Tips

• Use roses that were grown without sprays, from an organic grower or your own garden, and wrap the stems. Flowers are only decoration: remove them before anyone eats near them.
• Count on 2 macarons per guest. For 50 guests, make 4 batches of shells and a 30 cm (12 in) cone.
• Central Florida humidity slows the drying time and softens macarons that sit out. Rest the shells in air conditioning and build the tower indoors, close to serving time.
• Filled macarons keep 5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer, so you can bake the shells up to a week ahead.