Description
Delight in these festive Peppermint Chocolate Macarons featuring delicate almond meringue shells with a vibrant red hue and a smooth peppermint chocolate buttercream filling. Perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy inside, these macarons are topped with crushed candy canes for a refreshing holiday twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Macarons:
- 100 grams almond flour (≈ 1 cup)
- 180 grams powdered sugar (≈ 1½ cups)
- 3 large egg whites (around 90 grams), room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Peppermint Chocolate Buttercream Filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 12 crushed candy canes for decoration
Instructions
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Using a large sieve, sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a large bowl. Then sift the mixture a second time into another large bowl. Set aside.
- Beat Egg Whites: In a large bowl, pour in the egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until soft peaks form.
- Add Sugar and Color: Add the granulated sugar to the eggs. Continue beating until the mixture almost reaches stiff peaks. Add the red gel food coloring and peppermint extract and beat until stiff peaks form, and you can tip the bowl upside down and nothing falls out.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Fold in a third of the dry ingredients to the egg white mixture with a spatula until completely mixed. Fold in the rest of the ingredients until the batter can run off the spatula forming a “figure-8” without breaking. Be careful not to overmix to preserve air bubbles.
- Pipe Macarons: Scoop the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip (Wilton 2A tip recommended). Pipe 1 to 1½ inch circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 inches between each.
- Remove Air Bubbles: Tap the pan on the counter at least 5 times to release air bubbles to the top of the macarons. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles on the surface.
- Rest Macarons: Allow the macarons to rest in a dry area for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the tops are no longer tacky to the touch.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 315°F (157°C).
- Bake: Bake the macarons, one cookie sheet at a time, for 17 minutes. The cookies should rise and form “feet” as they bake.
- Cool Macarons: Let the macarons cool on the pan set on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the pan from the rack, keeping macarons on the parchment, and cool completely for at least 10 more minutes. They should peel off the parchment easily.
- Make Buttercream Filling: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed. Gradually add powdered sugar until well mixed with no lumps.
- Add Cocoa and Peppermint: Add cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated. Then add peppermint extract and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Mix on medium speed. If thick or clumpy, add a second tablespoon of cream and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Macarons: Add buttercream to a piping bag and pipe on the flat side of half of the macaron shells. Top with the remaining shells to form sandwiches.
- Decorate Edges: Roll the edges of the assembled macarons in crushed candy canes to coat.
Notes
- Use Gel Food Coloring as liquid can affect egg white whipping.
- Let piped macarons rest before baking to dry out the tops for smooth cookies.
- Check oven temperature with an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy.
- Avoid opening the oven during baking to prevent temperature fluctuations.
- Store macarons in an airtight container: 3 days at room temperature, 7 days in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer.
- Freeze assembled macarons or shells by allowing them to sit at room temperature 8-12 hours, then freeze in airtight containers. Thaw in fridge before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
