Description
Delight in these Peppermint Chocolate Macarons featuring delicate almond flour shells infused with peppermint and red coloring, paired with a rich peppermint chocolate buttercream. Perfect for festive occasions or a special treat.
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.
- Whip 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 granulated sugar: Add the granulated sugar to the eggs. Continue beating until the mixture almost reaches stiff peaks.
- Add color and flavor: 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 in 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 until the batter runs off the spatula forming a “figure-8” without breaking, taking care not to overmix to preserve air bubbles.
- Pipe macarons: Scoop the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 1 to 1½ inch circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 inches between each macaron. Tap the pan on the counter 5 times to release air bubbles. Pop any bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.
- 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 touch.
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 315°F (157°C).
- Bake macarons: Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for 17 minutes. The cookies should rise and form “feet.”
- Cool macarons: Let the macarons cool on the pan set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the pan, keeping macarons on parchment paper, and cool completely for at least 10 more minutes. They should peel off the parchment easily.
- Make filling: In a large bowl, cream softened butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed. Gradually add powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Add a second tablespoon of cream if needed until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble macarons: Pipe buttercream on the flat side of half the macarons. Top with remaining macarons to form sandwiches. Roll edges in crushed candy canes to coat.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring instead of liquid to avoid extra moisture that can affect egg whites.
- Allow piped macarons to rest before baking to dry the tops for smooth shells.
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure accurate temperature, as oven temps can vary.
- Do not open the oven during baking to prevent temperature fluctuations that affect meringue.
- Store macarons in an airtight container: 3 days at room temperature, 7 days refrigerated, or up to 2 months frozen.
- Freeze assembled or unfilled shells by placing them in an airtight container after sitting at room temperature 8-12 hours; thaw in refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron sandwich
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
