Description
Delight in these Peppermint Chocolate Macarons featuring delicate almond meringue shells with a smooth peppermint chocolate buttercream filling, perfect for festive occasions or to satisfy any sweet tooth craving with a refreshing 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, ensuring 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, being careful not to overmix.
- Pipe Macarons: Scoop the batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 1 to 1 ½ inch circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 to 2 inches between each macaron. Tap the pan on the counter at least 5 times to release air bubbles and pop any bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.
- Rest Macarons: Allow the macarons to rest in a dry area for 30 minutes to an hour until the tops are no longer tacky.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 315°F (157°C).
- Bake Macarons: Bake the macarons one tray at a time for 17 minutes until they 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 with the parchment paper and leave on the cooling rack until completely cool, at least 10 more minutes.
- Make Buttercream Filling: Cream the softened butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until smooth with no lumps. Add cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, mixing until creamy. Add a second tablespoon of cream if needed for smoothness.
- Assemble Macarons: Pipe the buttercream on the flat side of half the macaron shells. Top with the remaining shells to form sandwiches.
- Decorate: Roll the edges of the assembled macarons in crushed candy canes to coat them.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring instead of liquid to avoid affecting the egg whites' ability to whip.
- Resting piped macarons before baking is crucial for smooth tops; placing them under an oven hood can aid drying.
- Verify your oven temperature with a thermometer for accuracy as oven temps may vary.
- Do not open the oven during baking to prevent meringue disruption; start checking after 15 minutes if needed.
- Store macarons in an airtight container: fresh at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerated for 7 days, or frozen up to 2 months.
- Freeze assembled macarons or shells after they sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours, thaw in the fridge before serving, and avoid opening the container prematurely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron sandwich
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 30 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
