Can I flavor powdered sugar with vanilla beans or citrus zest?

I'm asking specifically for macarons (the fussiest cookie in the known universe),

so I wouldn't be interested in trying if it would negatively affect the way the sugar behaves in a macaron recipe, but a subtle flavoring could be pretty cool. I would try just burying the zest (in big easy to remove pieces) or the vanilla bean in the sugar and letting it sit, covered, for a couple of weeks.

I wouldn't mind if it required a bit of a whir in the food processor, as long as the sugar sifted and otherwise acted like it should in the recipe.

Advice? Caveats?

Best Answer

Disclaimer: I never made real macarons, but we have a very similar christmas cookie here in Germany (Swabia). Same ingredients, same method, just unfilled.

Reading your recipe, I can't see where you might run into a problem.
What you are potentially adding is a trace amount of liquid and fat. That could affect the stiffening your egg whites if added in the beginning (so if using your recipe flavoring the sugar - which I would usually do - is out).
But when adding together with the almonds, that shouldn't matter at all. Almonds contain so much fat, that a hypothetical drop of essential oil extracted from the lemon zest is virtually unmeassurable and the water content of almonds can be so different from one batch to another that the flavoured sugar wouldn't matter either.

Just make sure that your powdered sugar is dry and lump-free again when using.

Btw.: Rose petals in sugar work great, too (but you'd have to wait a few months to give it a try...).

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Can I flavor powdered sugar with vanilla beans or citrus zest? - Crop unrecognizable chef with piping bag with star tip forming vanilla meringue cookies on baking pan in kitchen

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How do you add flavor to powdered sugar?

Measure 1\xbd cups of the sugar and pour it into the bowl.

Measure \xbc cup of cinnamon and mix it with the sugar.

Pour the mixture into your blender.

Press the "High" setting for 10 seconds.

Pour the mixture into an airtight container. Tip. Use powdered extracts instead of cinnamon to create additional flavors.

Can you add flavor to sugar?

One method for adding flavor to sugar is burying whole ingredients (like coffee beans or vanilla beans) in a container of sugar. Over time, the oils and small particles from the ingredient impart aroma and flavor into each spoonful of sugar.

How can you make powdered sugar?

Pour granulated sugar into a blender or food processor. Blend the sugar until it is a fine, fluffy powdered sugar. The more refined, whiter sugars make the fluffiest powdered sugars. Use powdered sugar immediately or save it for later.

What is a good substitute for vanilla sugar?

So what are the best substitutes for vanilla sugar? The top vanilla sugar substitutes are vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, vanilla powder, palm sugar, coconut sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Make sure to read on for how to use each of these vanilla sugar replacements in your recipe.

Baking Basics: Vanilla Extract vs. Vanilla Sugar - Everything you ever wanted to know about vanilla

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