A Step-by-Step Guide to Our Santa Claus Macarons Recipe

Are you looking for a truly spectacular festive bake that will delight your family and friends this Christmas? Just picture a beautiful platter of delicate, chewy, and irresistibly charming Santa Claus macarons, with each one looking like a miniature edible masterpiece. While it might sound a little ambitious, we are here to guide you through every part of the process. With our detailed Santa Claus Macarons Recipe, you can craft these magical treats in your very own kitchen, adding a touch of patisserie-style elegance to your holiday festivities.

Macarons do have a reputation for being a bit tricky, but we have carefully broken down the entire method into simple, manageable steps. We genuinely believe that with a little patience and our clear instructions, anyone can achieve macaron-making success. Let’s begin this wonderful baking journey together and make this the most delicious Christmas yet!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly Charming: These are so much more than biscuits; they are edible decorations! The delightful Santa design ensures they will be the highlight of any Christmas gathering or cookie swap.
• A Delicious Festive Flavour: We have paired the classic sweet almond shells with a rich, creamy white chocolate and peppermint ganache, a flavour profile that truly embodies the taste of Christmas.
• A Rewarding Baking Project: For those looking to elevate their baking skills, this recipe is the perfect opportunity. We provide all the tips and tricks you need to achieve flawless shells with those sought-after “feet.”
• Perfect for Gifting: When packaged in a lovely box, these santa macarons make for a truly impressive and thoughtful handmade present for your loved ones during the festive season.
• Easily Customisable: While we adore the peppermint filling, feel free to substitute it with vanilla buttercream, a sharp raspberry jam, or any other flavour you prefer!

Ingredients

To ensure the best possible outcome, we wholeheartedly recommend using a digital kitchen scale. Making macarons is very much a science, so precision is your greatest asset!

• For the Macaron Shells:
• 150g Icing Sugar
• 150g Ground Almonds (Almond Flour)
• 110g Egg Whites (from about 3-4 large eggs), divided into two 55g portions
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 38g Water
• Red Food Colouring (gel or powder recommended)
• Nude/Ivory Food Colouring (gel or powder recommended)
• For the White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache:
• 150g Good Quality White Chocolate, finely chopped
• 75ml Double Cream
• 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract
• For Decoration:
• White Royal Icing or thick buttercream in a piping bag with a small round tip
• Black Edible Ink Pen

Step-by-Step Instructions to Create Your Santa Macarons

Before we jump in, let’s get everything organised. We’re going to approach this one step at a time. Go ahead and prepare your baking trays by lining them with parchment paper or silicone mats. We find it helpful to have a Santa face template printed out and placed beneath the parchment to act as a piping guide.

Step 1: Prepare Your Dry and Wet Ingredients

First up, we will make our almond paste. In a food processor, pulse the icing sugar and ground almonds for around 15 seconds to combine them and break down any lumps. Pass this mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl at least twice. This step is absolutely essential for achieving beautifully smooth macaron shells. Any large pieces of almond left in the sieve should be discarded.

Following that, pour one 55g portion of egg whites directly onto the sifted almond mixture. Don’t be tempted to stir it in yet! Simply allow it to rest on top and set the bowl to one side.

Step 2: Making the Italian Meringue

We use the Italian meringue method as it provides a very stable foundation, which is brilliant when making character macarons.

1. In a small saucepan, mix the caster sugar and water, stirring gently just until they are combined. Place the pan over a medium heat and attach a sugar thermometer.
2. As the sugar syrup begins to heat, place the other 55g of egg whites into the clean bowl of a stand mixer that has the whisk attachment fitted.
3. Once the sugar syrup reaches a temperature of 110°C (230°F), begin whisking the egg whites on a medium-high speed until they form soft peaks.
4. Keep a vigilant eye on your syrup. As soon as it hits 118°C (245°F), take it off the heat straight away. With your mixer running on a medium-low speed, carefully and slowly pour the hot syrup in a steady, thin stream down the inner side of the bowl. Try to avoid pouring it onto the whisk, as this can cause it to splash and form hard sugar crystals.
5. After all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer speed up to high and continue whisking for another 8-10 minutes, or until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and the bowl feels cool when you touch it.

Step 3: The Macaronage Process

Now it is time to bring everything together. Add roughly one-third of your Italian meringue to the almond mixture and fold it in quite firmly to slacken the paste. Once that is combined, add the rest of the meringue. This is the macaronage stage, where we fold the batter until it has the perfect consistency. You’re aiming for a smooth, shiny batter that falls from the spatula in a thick, continuous ribbon, often described as having a “lava-like” flow.

When you have achieved the right consistency, separate the batter into two bowls. A good ratio is roughly two-thirds for the red batter (for Santa’s hat) and one-third for the nude/ivory (for Santa’s face). Add the food colouring to each bowl and fold gently until the colour is uniform. Take care not to overmix!

Step 4: Piping Your Santa Claus Macarons

Spoon your coloured batters into separate piping bags fitted with a medium round tip (approximately 8-10mm).

1. Begin by piping the red batter to form the triangular shape of Santa’s hat.
2. Immediately afterwards, switch to the nude/ivory batter and pipe a circle directly underneath the hat to create the face. The two colours should meet and merge seamlessly.
3. Once you have piped all of your Santas, tap the baking trays firmly on your work surface 3-4 times. This action helps to release any trapped air bubbles, which are a common cause of cracked shells.
4. Leave the piped macarons to rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, or until a skin has formed. You should be able to touch the surface gently without any batter coming away on your finger. This is a crucial step for developing their signature “feet”.

Step 5: Baking to Perfection

Preheat your oven to 150°C (130°C Fan / Gas Mark 2). The true temperature can differ from one oven to another, so you may need a little trial and error to discover what works best for yours.

Bake the macarons for 14-18 minutes, making sure to rotate the tray halfway through the baking time. The shells are ready when they feel firm on their feet and do not move when you give them a gentle nudge. Allow them to cool down completely on the baking tray before you try to peel them off.

Creating the Filling and Decorating Your Santa Macarons

While your shells are cooling, we can get on with preparing the delicious filling. This is the stage where your festive bakes really come to life and become beautiful christmas cookies decorated with love.

How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache

1. Place your finely chopped white chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, gently warm the double cream until it just starts to simmer around the edges.
3. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and leave it to stand for 2-3 minutes, which will allow the chocolate to melt.
4. Gently stir the mixture until it becomes completely smooth and is fully combined. Stir in the peppermint extract.
5. Cover the ganache with cling film, pressing the film directly onto the surface to stop a skin from forming. Place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour, or until it reaches a thick, pipeable consistency.

Assembling and Decorating

Once the shells have cooled and the ganache is ready, we can move on to the final, fun part!

1. Pair up your macaron shells, matching them by similar sizes.
2. Transfer your chilled ganache into a piping bag. Pipe a generous amount onto the flat side of one shell, then gently place its partner on top to create a sandwich.
3. Using your white royal icing or buttercream, pipe the fluffy trim onto Santa’s hat and create his big, bushy beard. Don’t forget to add a small pom-pom on top of his hat!
4. Lastly, take the black edible ink pen and carefully draw on two little eyes.
5. Let the finished macarons mature in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours. This important step allows the filling’s moisture to soften the shells, resulting in that perfect chewy texture.

Planning Your Festive Feasts

An ambitious session of christmas baking is always more enjoyable with a little forward planning! To ensure you’re not trying to manage a complicated dinner while perfecting your macarons, why not prepare a simple but delicious meal beforehand? Our easy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe is always a hit, or for a quick and flavourful option, these Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls are a superb choice. A satisfying meal will set you up wonderfully for an afternoon of creative festive baking.

FAQ

Conclusion: Share Your Festive Masterpiece!

And there we have it! Our complete guide to creating the most magical Santa Claus macarons. We know this recipe requires a little care and attention, but the final result is so incredibly rewarding. Seeing those charming little Santa faces smiling up at you from the cooling rack is a moment of pure Christmas joy. They are a wonderful testament to your baking skills and a truly special way to share the festive spirit.

We hope you will embrace the process, have a wonderful time decorating, and not feel disheartened if your first attempt isn’t flawless. Every baker has a tray of less-than-perfect macarons in their history! Now it’s over to you to fill your home with the sweet scent of Christmas baking.

Have you given our Santa Claus Macarons Recipe a go? We would be thrilled to see your creations! Please share your pictures on social media and tag us so we can admire your beautiful and festive treats.

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Prep: 1 hour 20 mins
Cook: 16 mins
Additional Time: 1 hour 30 mins (for resting & chilling)
Yield: 24 Macarons

Ingredients

For the Macaron Shells:

• 150g Icing Sugar
• 150g Ground Almonds (Almond Flour)
• 110g Egg Whites, divided into two 55g portions
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 38g Water
• Red Food Colouring (gel or powder)
• Nude/Ivory Food Colouring (gel or powder)

For the White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache:

• 150g Good Quality White Chocolate, finely chopped
• 75ml Double Cream
• 1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract

For Decoration:

• White Royal Icing or thick buttercream
• Black Edible Ink Pen

Instructions

1. Sift icing sugar and ground almonds together. Add one 55g portion of egg whites on top without mixing.
2. Make Italian meringue: Heat caster sugar and water to 118°C (245°F). As it heats, whisk the second 55g portion of egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly pour the hot syrup into the whisking egg whites. Continue whisking on high until the meringue is stiff, glossy, and the bowl is cool.
3. Perform macaronage by folding the meringue into the almond mixture until the batter flows like lava. Divide the batter (2/3 for red, 1/3 for nude/ivory) and gently fold in food colouring.
4. Transfer batters to piping bags. Pipe the red hat and then the nude face for each Santa. Tap trays firmly to release air bubbles. Rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, until a skin forms.
5. Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C Fan). Bake for 14-18 minutes. Let cool completely on the trays before removing.
6. Make the ganache: Place chopped white chocolate in a bowl. Heat double cream until simmering and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Stir in peppermint extract and chill for at least 1 hour until pipeable.
7. Assemble the macarons by piping ganache between paired shells. Decorate with white royal icing for the beard/hat trim and a black edible ink pen for the eyes.
8. For the best texture, mature the macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving.