Laptop MACarons with Apple Buttercream

Ever since I have been participating in the MacTweets challenges, I'm hooked on making macarons, or attempting to and I have some pretty wacky ideas. I made these last May but wasn't so happy with the results.

I am spending the next six weeks in the Big Apple.  My last post was an Apple Dream Torte, I guess I am in an Apple/NYC state of mind.

But mostly because I am (ahem) so behind on my Halloween baking ideas due to all the traveling, all of a sudden these looked good enough to post.

I used Tartelette's macaron recipe and added a smidgen of Wilton's black gel coloring to get the grey color.

Piping them into the rectangle shape definitely took some practice. I also kept the oven door slightly open while they bake. This seems to work the best with my oven.

The feet on these were wonky but I attributed this to the square shape. I had to blame it on something, didn't I?

I mixed up a small batch of Royal icing, tinted it white with Wilton's White White food coloring and used a tiny paintbrush to draw the Apple logo on the macaron shells. I had originally made a little stencil, but the logo turned out much better when I just drew it freehand.

Of course I had to do an Apple filling.

Apple Buttercream

Ingredients:

1/2 Stick of Butter
2 Cups of Powdered Sugar (sifted if you want)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons of Apple juice (I used organic)

Directions:

Mix butter until fluffy
Add half of the powdered sugar and salt
Add wet ingredients
Add rest of sugar
Mix thoroughly