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Santa Claus Macarons Recipe

Santa Claus Macarons Recipe
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★★★★★

5.1 from 17 reviews

These festive Santa Claus Macarons combine delicate almond meringue shells with a smooth sugar cookie buttercream filling, decorated with royal icing to resemble Santa’s iconic belt and buckle. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these macarons not only look charming but deliver a perfect balance of texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Macaron Shells

  • 100 grams Domino® Golden Sugar
  • 4 grams egg white powder (optional)
  • 100 grams egg whites
  • 105 grams almond flour
  • 105 grams Domino® Powdered Sugar
  • Red gel food coloring (about 1 tbsp)

Royal Icing

  • 1 1/2 cups Domino® Powdered Sugar (187 grams)
  • 1 tbsp meringue powder
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 drops black gel food coloring
  • 1 drop yellow gel food coloring

Sugar Cookie Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (63 grams)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
  • 1/4 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (50 grams)
  • 1 1/4 cup Domino® Powdered Sugar (156 grams)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut shredded (50 grams)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Ingredients and Tools: Gather all ingredients and prepare a large piping bag fitted with a 1/4” round tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats with macaron templates.
  2. Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together and set aside.
  3. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300ºF for about 60 to 90 minutes to stabilize temperature. Use 270ºF for convection ovens and adjust as needed.
  4. Make Sugar Syrup: Place a bowl over barely simmering water. Add granulated sugar and egg white powder if using, whisk to remove clumps. Add egg whites and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved but don’t overheat.
  5. Whip Meringue: Transfer mixture to a stand mixer bowl. Whip on low for 30 seconds, then medium-low for 2 minutes, then medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 13–15 minutes, dependent on conditions).
  6. Fold Dry Ingredients: Pour sifted dry ingredients into meringue and add red gel food coloring. Gently fold using a spatula forming a letter J until batter is glossy and flows slowly, forming figure 8 shapes when dripped from spatula.
  7. Pipe Macarons: Transfer batter to piping bag and pipe onto prepared sheets using the template. Tap trays on counter to remove air bubbles. Pop surface bubbles with a toothpick.
  8. Rest Shells: Allow shells to rest until a thick skin forms and surface is dry to touch (important due to food coloring).
  9. Bake: Bake one tray at a time for 15-20 minutes at 300ºF (time varies by oven; macarons should develop feet and not jiggle). Cool completely.
  10. Prepare Royal Icing: Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder on low, gradually add water and whip on medium-high until glossy and fluffy. Divide into two bowls, color one black and the other yellow with gel food coloring.
  11. Decorate Shells: Pipe a black line in the center of half the shells for Santa’s belt, let dry (fridge can speed drying). Pipe a yellow square buckle over the black line.
  12. Treat Flour for Buttercream: Spread flour on baking sheet, bake at 350ºF for 5 minutes, stirring halfway. Cool before use.
  13. Make Buttercream: Beat butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Add cooled flour, vanilla, almond extract, and mix on low to incorporate. Add milk or cream as needed; adjust consistency with powdered sugar.
  14. Assemble Macarons: Pipe buttercream onto undecorated shells, sandwich with decorated shells. Roll edges in desiccated coconut to finish.
  15. Storage: Store macarons in fridge up to 5 days, or freeze for 1-2 months for best freshness.

Notes

  • Egg white powder is optional but helps stabilize meringue; omit if fresh egg whites are used.
  • Resting macarons before baking is essential to prevent cracking and achieve smooth tops.
  • Oven temperatures vary—test and adjust temperature and baking time accordingly for best results.
  • Heat treating the flour in buttercream makes it safe to eat raw.
  • Keep royal icing covered to prevent drying and crust formation during decorating.
  • Adjust royal icing consistency by adding water for thinner or powdered sugar for thicker textures.
  • Desiccated coconut on edges adds texture and festive appearance.

Nutrition

Keywords: Santa Claus Macarons, Holiday Macarons, Christmas Macarons, Almond Macarons, French Macarons, Festive Dessert, Sugar Cookie Buttercream

Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/santa-claus-macarons-recipe/