Description
Celebrate the festive season with these delightful Christmas Reindeer Macarons, featuring delicate almond meringue shells filled with rich chocolate buttercream and decorated with colorful royal icing to create charming reindeer faces. Perfect for holiday gatherings or as a unique gift, this recipe guides you through piping, baking, and decorating steps to achieve professional-quality macarons.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 90 grams powdered sugar
- 80 grams almond flour
- 70 grams egg whites (room temperature)
- 70 grams granulated sugar
- 2 grams egg white powder (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 drops brown gel food coloring
Chocolate Buttercream
- ¼ cup salted butter (½ stick), softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp cocoa powder
Royal Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp meringue powder
- ½ tsp water (room temperature)
- 1 drop brown gel food coloring
- 1 drop red gel food coloring
- 2 drops black gel food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients: Sift 90 grams powdered sugar and 80 grams almond flour together using a whisk to break down clumps. Set aside. Line baking trays with silicone mats and prepare a 16 inch pastry bag with a piping tip.
- Make the meringue: Whisk 70 grams egg whites on medium speed until small bubbles appear (about 15 seconds). Gradually add 3 tablespoons granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting 10 seconds between additions. Whisk until soft peaks form, then increase speed and slowly add the remaining 67 grams granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Add ½ tsp vanilla extract and 4 drops brown gel food coloring; whisk for 5 more minutes to stiff peaks.
- Combine ingredients: Fold the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour mixture into the meringue in three parts, folding gently to retain air but combine fully. Deflate batter by smearing it on the bowl sides with a spatula 2-3 times and folding once or twice, repeating until batter is smooth, glossy, and falls in ribbons that sink back within 30 seconds.
- Pipe the macarons: Transfer batter to prepared pastry bag. Pipe ¾ inch circles onto silicone mats, spaced evenly. Tap trays firmly 7-8 times to release air bubbles. Let shells rest at room temperature until a skin forms and they are no longer sticky (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 315°F (157°C).
- Bake the macarons: Bake shells for 14-16 minutes. Macarons are done when tops no longer shift when touched. Remove from oven and cool completely (at least 30 minutes) before decorating.
- Prepare royal icing: In a small bowl, mix ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ tsp meringue powder, and a few drops of water until smooth, adding water gradually. Check consistency by timing icing falling back into itself; ~20 seconds is ideal. Divide icing into three bowls; tint one with 1 drop red gel food coloring, one with 2 drops black, and one with 1 drop brown. Transfer to small piping bags with fine tips.
- Decorate macarons: Optionally mark where features will go using food coloring markers. Pipe royal icing on shells to form reindeer antlers, eyes, and noses. Allow icing to dry for about 1 hour before assembly.
- Make chocolate buttercream: Whisk ¼ cup softened salted butter until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar in two parts, whisking until combined. Add 1 tsp heavy cream and ½ tsp cocoa powder; whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Assemble macarons: Fill an 8 inch pastry bag with buttercream, cut a ¼ inch opening, and pipe buttercream onto the bottom shell of each macaron. Top with decorated shells. Refrigerate assembled macarons for at least 24 hours to mature. Before serving, bring to room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Notes
- Oven temperatures and baking times may vary; use as a guide.
- Ensure mixing bowls are clean and grease free to achieve proper meringue.
- Weigh all ingredients in grams for accuracy.
- Use room temperature egg whites; to speed this up, place eggs in warm water for 5 minutes.
- Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together as almond flour is moist and does not sift well alone.
- Mix egg white powder with sugar before adding to egg whites for better dissolution.
- Whisk meringue until stiff peaks form for stable batter.
- Let piped macarons dry and form a skin before baking to prevent cracking.
- Calories indicated pertain to macaron shells only, excluding fillings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
