PEPPERMINT MACARONS
Author : Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme Total Time : 50 minutes Yield : 18 macarons Diet : Gluten Free Peppermint Macarons with festive red shells , creamy peppermint buttercream , and a white chocolate candy cane topping are the ultimate Christmas cookies . They ’ re delicate and melt-inyour-mouth — crisp on the outside and chewy inside .
FOR THE MACARONS :
• 140 grams super fine almond flour ( about 1 ½ cups )
• 120 grams confectioners ’ sugar ( about 1 cup )
• 100 grams egg whites ( about 3 large egg whites ), at room temperature
• 110 grams super fine white sugar ( about 1 cup + 2 teaspoons )
• 1-2 teaspoons red gel food coloring
FOR THE MACARONS TOPS :
• 4 ounces white chocolate , melted
• 3-4 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy canes
FOR THE PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM :
• ½ cup ( 114 grams ) unsalted butter , softened
• 1 cup ( 240 grams ) confectioners ’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
MAKE THE MACARON SHELLS : Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat ( or if you have enough , prepare 2 baking sheets ).
Using a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl on a scale , sift almond flour until you reach 140 grams . Discard any large pieces of almond flour . Repeat with the confectioners ’ sugar . Whisk together the almond flour and confectioners ’ sugar until very well-combined . Set aside .
Add egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer . Using a whip attachment , beat the mixture , starting on low . Once soft peaks have been formed ( about 2 minutes ), add the sugar and increase the speed to medium . Once medium peaks are achieved , increase the speed to high . Beat on high until stiff peaks have formed , about 2 minutes . Add in the red food coloring and beat until just combined .
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer , and place a sieve over top . Pour the dry mixture into the sieve , then sift the dry ingredients into the meringue .
Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue . Be careful not to overmix and over-deflate the meringue . The mixture is ready to be piped when it ribbons off your spatula . The batter , when lifted with a spatula , should keep flowing off the spatula in ribbon shapes nonstop , without drizzling off too quickly . If it is coming off in large V shaped chunks it needs to be folded more . Another test is the figure 8 test : If you can lift some batter up and use it to draw several figure 8 ’ s without the stream breaking , it is ready !
Add batter to a piping bag with a medium to large sized round tip ( I recommend a large ½-inch top ). Pipe 1 - 1 ½-inch small circles of batter onto the prepared baking sheet . Make sure the piping bag is held straight up and perpendicular to the baking sheet .
After you ’ ve piped all the macarons , gently tap the baking sheet multiple times against the counter to remove any air bubbles from the macarons . If some air bubbles still remain , use a tooth pick to gently poke them out .
Preheat oven to 300 ° F . While the oven is preheating , allow the macarons to sit and form a “ skin ”. This “ skin ” should form anywhere from 8 minutes to an hour . You know the macarons are ready to be baked when you can touch them lightly without having the batter stick to your finger . Keep checking them periodically to see if they have formed a skin .
Bake for 15-20 minutes . Check at 15 minutes , and if they are not ready then keep checking every minute . The macarons are ready when the tops are firm and do not move around their base at all . Allow the macarons to cool completely before attempting to remove them from the silicone mat .
DECORATE THE MACARON TOPS : Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave . On the stove : Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a saucepan over
medium-low heat . Then , turn the heat to low and place a medium heatproof bowl on the mouth of the pot . Make sure that there is a gap of a few inches in between the bottom of the bowl and the water ( You can also place a bowl on a steamer attachment on top of your pot ). Add the chocolate and stir constantly as it melts . Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted . This should take a few minutes .
In the microwave : Place a medium heatproof bowl of chocolate into the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals . Remove the bowl at each interval and stir well . Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted . Stir until completely smooth .
Dip the tops of half of the macarons into the melted white chocolate then sprinkle with crushed candy canes . Set aside in the fridge to harden .
MAKE THE PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM : Dip the tops of half of the macarons into the melted white chocolate then sprinkle with crushed candy canes . Set aside in the fridge to harden . Assemble the macarons : Place buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large ½ inch round tip .
Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom half of the macaron shells ( undecorated half ).
Top each bottom half with the decorated macaron tops .
Place into the fridge overnight to mature and meld together .
HOLIDAY 2023 25 GAINESVILLE LIVING