Get Into the Holiday Spirit With These Festive Macarons

Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) are sandwich cookies made with whipped egg whites, sugar, and ground almonds. The delectable and colorful French baked goods are fancy enough to elevate any event. If you want to commit to a serious baking project that will be the hit of your holiday cookie exchange, try this Christmas macaron recipe from the Institute of Culinary Education.

Macarons feature meringue in two places: whipped into the base to make the cookies and in the buttercream filling. When making the fluffy egg white confection, you must hit the exact temperatures listed in the recipe. Chelsea Burgess, chef-instructor of pastry and baking arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus, explains why the sugar must cook to precisely 245˚F. “We are looking to cook the sugar syrup to what is referred to as the ‘soft-ball stage,’” she tells Mental Floss. “As the syrup cooks, water is evaporated and the temperature rises. At 245˚F, the sugar concentration is at about 85 . This allows the meringue to cool but still be pliable and soft.”

Chef Burgess goes on to say, “The temperature of the sugar affects the final texture of the cookies. If the sugar is too hot, the cookie will come out crisp and brittle. Too cold, and the final product will be too chewy. Remember, the perfect macaron is crisp on the outside with a soft and slightly chewy center.”

Begin the process of making the macarons by preheating the oven to 325˚F. Start on the meringue by grabbing a small saucepan and combining the sugar with water. Bring the water to a boil, stirring only enough to dissolve the sugar, and heat it until a candy thermometer reads 245˚F. As the sugar cooks, whip the egg whites in the bowl of stand mixer until soft peaks rise.

When the sugar syrup reaches the right temperature and the egg whites are beaten, gradually pour the sugar along the inside of the bowl with the mixer set at medium-high speed. Let the mixture come together until the bowl reaches body temperature. 

As the meringue cools, you can start on the base. Sift the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour together. Next, combine the dry ingredients with the rest of the egg whites in a large bowl. Stir the mixture until it becomes a paste, and then stir in the food coloring until thoroughly combined. When the meringue cools, whisk one-third of the meringue into the paste. Lastly, add the remaining meringue and fold it in. 

Now that the base is completed, you can pipe the macarons into whichever shape you choose. If you want to get into the holiday spirit, Chef Burgess provides instructions for shaping them into gingerbread men and snowmen. First, make a template by drawing evenly spaced snowmen onto a half-sheet of parchment paper; then, do the same with gingerbread men outlines. Insert a large, round piping tip (Chef Burgess used size No. 806) into a disposable piping bag, push the tip to the bottom, and fill the bag with the macaron batter. Put the parchment template on a sheet tray and place a silicone baking mat on top.

Hold the bag straight up to pipe the macarons, hovering the tip about half an inch above the circle's center. Keep squeezing the bag until the batter evenly flushes out to the edge of the circle. Finally, stop pressing the bag and pull it away from the piped macaron, making sure not to pull it straight up.

The gingerbread men require a different strategy. Chef Burgess recommends piping a starfish shape within the template, starting outside each limb and pulling toward the center. Remove the template under the mat when you finish piping the gingerbread men. Even out the tops of the macarons by firmly banging the sheet tray on a table. You may need to dip your finger in water and gently press down any remaining peaks.

Let the macarons dry at room temperature for 30 minutes, uncovered. After that, you can bake them for 8 minutes at 325˚F, or until they have just set and can easily be removed from the silicone mat. Make sure they’re completely cooled before filling and decorating. 

Now that the cookies are finally ready, it’s time to make the meringue filling. This part of the recipe should sound familiar, as it’s similar to the macaron batter. Start by combining the sugar and water and bringing them to a boil. Stir only enough to dissolve the sugar, and heat the mixture to 245˚F. As the sugar cooks, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.

When the sugar syrup reaches 245˚F and the egg whites are whipped, slowly pour the sugar down the side of the bowl as it mixes on medium-high speed. Wait until the outside of the bowl is at body temperature to add and beat in the butter. Lastly, add the vanilla and salt. The macarons are now ready to assemble.

If you’d like to learn more recipes like this one, check out the Institute of Culinary Education. The school offers fun and comprehensive courses, from restaurant and culinary management to plant-based culinary arts, at their New York City and Los Angeles locations.

Holiday Macarons

Base Ingredients
180g confectioner’s sugar
180g almond flour
65g egg whites
Food coloring

Meringue Ingredients
180g granulated sugar
45g water
65g egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
2. To make the meringue, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil, stirring only to dissolve the sugar. Cook it to 245˚F.
3. While the sugar is cooking, put the egg whites for the meringue into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip them until soft peaks form. 
4. Once the sugar syrup reaches 245˚F and the egg whites are whipped, slowly pour the sugar down the side of the mixer bowl with the mixer on medium-high speed. Be careful not to let the sugar syrup hit the whisk. 
5. Whip until the outside of the bowl is at body temperature. 
6. While the meringue cools, make the base: Sift together the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour. 
7. Combine the dry ingredients in a wide mixing bowl with the remaining egg whites. Stir into a paste. 
8. Add food coloring to the paste and mix until combined.
9. Once the meringue has cooled, use a whisk to add one-third of the meringue into the paste to lighten. 
10. Add remaining meringue and fold to combine. 

Chef Chelsea Burgess’s Piping Guide

1. Make a template by drawing evenly spaced snowman shapes onto a half-sheet of parchment paper. Draw evenly spaced gingerbread man shapes onto another half-sheet of parchment. 
2. Insert a large, round piping tip (Chef Chelsea used No.806) into a disposable piping bag and fill it with macaron batter.
3. Put a parchment template onto a sheet tray and place a Silpat (silicone baking mat) on top.
4. Pipe the macarons: Hold the piping bag straight up and down, and hover the tip approximately ½-inch above the parchment in the center of the traced circle. Squeeze out evenly until the batter reaches the edge of the circle. Release the pressure from the piping bag and move the piping tip away from the piped macaron; do not pull straight up.
5. For gingerbread men, pipe a starfish shape, following the template. Start from the outside of each limb and pull toward the center. 
6. Repeat this process until you have filled both trays. 
7. Remove the template from under the Silpat. Firmly bang each edge of the sheet tray on the table. This will even out any lumps and smooth the tops. If needed, smooth any peaks by dipping your finger in water and lightly pressing them down. 
8. Allow the piped macarons to dry at room temperature, uncovered for 30 minutes.
9. Bake for 8 minutes at 325˚F or until they are just set and can easily be removed from the Silpat. Let them cool completely before filling and decorating.

Italian Meringue Buttercream Filling

Ingredients
170g egg whites
50g water
340g granulated sugar
510g butter, room temperature
10g vanilla
2g salt

1. Begin by making the meringue using the same method as in the macarons. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook to 245˚F.
2. While the sugar is cooking, put the egg whites for the meringue into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until soft peaks form. 
3. Once the sugar syrup reaches 245˚F and the egg whites are whipped, slowly pour the sugar down the side of the mixer bowl using medium-high speed. Be careful not to let the sugar syrup hit the whisk. 
4. Whip until the outside of the bowl is at body temperature. 
5.  Add the butter while continuing to beat until all the butter is incorporated.
6.  Add vanilla and salt.

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