Macaron recipes were the sweet treat that I became obsessed with while quarantining here in New York. French Macarons have been produced in the Venetian monasteries since the 8th century A.D. and were thought to be a favorite of French Queen Catherine de’ Medici.
I thought it would be fun to give this traditional treat a festive twist. Peppermint Macarons will be the hit of your cookie tray, perfect with a cup of hot cocoa, and a new holiday favorite for your family. Give them as a gift or keep them as a gift to yourself. Enjoy!
Drop me a line below to let me know what you think.
Peppermint Macarons
These little Peppermint Macarons will be the star of your holiday cookie trays. Perfect to give as a gift or keep them as a gift to yourself.
Ingredients
For Macarons:
- 100 grams almond flour
- 80 grams powdered sugar
- 2 Large egg whites
- 75 grams sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white food coloring optional
For Ganache:
- 8 ounces heavy cream
- 8 ounces white chocolate
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Finely crushed peppermints
Instructions
To Make Macarons:
- 1. Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor or blender to combine well.
- 2.Beat egg whites in a clean bowl of a stand mixer until foamy. While mixer is running, slowly add 75 grams regular sugar to eggs. Beat egg white mixture to stiff peaks. Stir in white food coloring, if using.
- 3. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in almond flour mixture in three batches. Continue to stir mixture with spatula, pressing mixture against the sides of the bowl to deflate egg whites a bit. Batter is ready when you can make a figure 8 in batter, and it slumps slowly back together and flows a bit like lava.
- 4. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe round 1 1/2-inch circles of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to make them the same size.
- 5. Once the tray is full, bang the tray on the counter a few times to knock out bubbles and flatten batter circles. Allow trays to sit for 30 minutes or until batter is dry to the touch. This forms a skin on the surface of the macarons. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 300℉
- 6. Bake macarons at 300° for 13-15 minutes. Place an empty baking sheet on the rack above the macarons, to keep them as white as possible. Allow them to cool completely.
To make White Chocolate Ganache:
- 1. Heat cream one the stove on a medium pan until just simmering. Remove from heat and pour over a bowl of white chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Stir to combine completely. Chill for 20 minutes.
- 2. Beat ganache mixture with a hand mixer until mixture thickens.
- 3. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe ganache onto a macaron half; top with another macaron half to make a sandwich.
- 4. To decorate, if desired, sprinkle edges of macarons with finely crushed peppermints. Store in fridge for a few days or in the freezer for even longer.
