Whoa, this is my first french macaron post here. I’ll do my best to write down what I do whenever I make french macarons. I am still in pursuit of baking that perfect batch. I’ve come close… but I feel like there’s always room for improvement.
Yesterday was day 1 of my annual 12 Days of Christmas Baking. For day 2, I am bringing you these tasty french macarons, featuring two flavors: eggnog and chocolate. I think they make for the perfect festive flavor combo. You can’t go wrong with chocolate and eggnog is a fun twist on good old vanilla or any buttercream. Plus, how cute are they, with some decorative hand-drawn illustrations?
Below’s the recipe if you want to give this a try. I will say french macarons require a tad more work. Definitely follow the recipe to a T, and good luck! I hope it turns out okay for you. Don’t feel discouraged if not… I’ve had a few failed batches myself — will save that for another post later.
Assorted French Macarons: Eggnog + Chocolate Flavors
Description
Get in the holiday spirit and bake these festive french macarons.
Ingredients
Eggnog Macaron Batter
Chocolate Macaron Batter
Eggnog Buttercream Filling
Chocolate Ganache Filling
Instructions
- to make the macaron shells: preheat oven to 300º f (149º c).
line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready. this is the pastry bag that I use, and occasionally love these disposable ones too.
sift together the powdered sugar, almond meal and 2 tablespoons of cocoa (if making the chocolate macaron batter) so there are no lumps (usually i just use a fork to break any large lumps). if your almond meal isn’t so fine, you can put the ingredients into a blender or food processor to make it finer. personally, i’d just use the sifter and dump out any remaining crumbs that didn’t make it through the sifting process.
in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer — this is my preferred method), beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. while whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2-3 minutes. you can do the bowl test where you flip it upside down. if it doesn’t move, that means your meringue is ready.
carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch (3.5 cm) circles evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart. rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the countertop to flatten the macarons. then it let sit for 30-60 minutes (okay, i’ve done it with just 15 minutes before and they turned out fine, but whatever you do, do not skip this step; even at just 15 minutes) before baking them in the oven, 15-17 minutes. let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.
note: if you are making both batters, you’ll have to repeat this process again for the second batter. - to make the eggnog buttercream frosting filling: beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed (or you can use a hand mixer). add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. increase mixer speed to medium and add a tablespoon of eggnog and beat for 3 minutes. if your frosting needs a stiffer consistency, add a little more sugar. if your frosting needs to be thinned out, add the remaining tablespoon(s) of eggnog, a little at a time until you reach the right consistency. you want the buttercream to be fluffy and hold its shape. If piping, put the buttercream in a piping bag and cut the opening when ready to pipe.
- for the chocolate ganache filling: place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until completely mixed and glossy. allow ganache to completely cool and set up. when you are able to spoon the ganache and it can hold its texture, it is ready for piping/spreading. If piping, put ganache in a piping bag and cut the opening when ready to pipe.
- to assemble: before assembling these french macarons, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size. then using a knife or piping bag, spread or fill a good amount of each filling (eggnog buttercream or chocolate ganache) on the inside of the macarons and then sandwich them together.
let the macarons stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors. or if you can’t wait to dig in and eat, i say wait a few hours, at least! (shhhh, i’ve eaten them newly assembled too, and they taste just as yummy, but definitely a bit more crunchy than i’d like! hahahaha). but really, for the best optimal flavor and taste, you must wait at least one day. they really are that good and worth the wait!
store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
each batter makes about 16-20 cookies. enjoy and happy eating! 🙂
Notes
- temperatures in the oven varies. in the past, i’ve baked mine for 15 minutes at a higher temperature (350f) and they turned out fine. but i’ve since moved a couple times and had to tinker with 2 new/different ovens. my macaron baking temperatures and times now vary. the above instructions are for my current oven (i use convection at 275f when baking) and that works for me. you might have to test it out at different temperatures/times to see what works for you and your oven. good luck!
dessert, cookies, holiday baking, christmas
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