1-Prepare your piping bag and baking sheets: First, prepare your piping bag with a large round tip and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. This helps get those neat circles. Sift 105 grams of powdered sugar and 105 grams of almond flour together and set aside to ensure a smooth mixture.

2-Heat egg whites and sugar: Heat 100 grams of egg whites and 100 grams of white granulated sugar over simmering water until frothy and the sugar is dissolved, making sure the bowl bottom doesn’t touch the water. This step builds a strong base for your shells. Once done, transfer to a mixer bowl and whisk from low to high speed until stiff peaks form that glossy look means you’re on track.

3-Mix and pipe the batter: Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites using a spatula, adding food coloring if you want that pumpkin hue. Aim for a glossy, flowing consistency test it by drawing figure 8 shapes. If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate how this part turns simple ingredients into something special.

4-Pipe batter and bake: Transfer the batter to your piping bag and pipe 1.75-inch circles on the lined sheets. Tap the trays to remove air bubbles and let them dry for 20-40 minutes until the surface feels dry. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake one tray at a time: start with 5 minutes, rotate, then bake 15 to 20 more minutes until the shells have feet and aren’t jiggly.

5-Create filling and assemble: For the filling, cream together 1/4 cup of softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter for about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar, mixing on low then whipping on high for a minute. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

6-Pipe filling and chill: Adjust if needed and pipe the filling onto cooled shells, sandwiching them together. For extra flair, drizzle with orange candy melts and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs. Let them chill overnight in the fridge it’s worth the wait for that creamy filling to shine. Prep time is 45 minutes, cook time 40 minutes, with 30 minutes resting, totaling about 1 hour 55 minutes. Each macaron has around 100 calories, so they’re a treat you can feel good about.