Candy Cane French Macarons
Candy cane macarons are filled with a peppermint buttercream filling and rolled in crushed candy canes for a beautiful, festive look.
Can you think of anything more festive than candy cane macarons? Once you see those red and white sticks of peppermint in the stores, you know the holiday season has officially begun.
What type of macaron is that?
There are three ways to make macarons-French, Swiss, and Italian. The French method, which is what we are using, is the easiest. In this method, we are whipping the egg whites and sugar together without heating the mixture. In the Italian method, the sugar is heated into a syrup and then drizzled into the egg whites while whipping them. This forms the Italian meringue. In the Swiss method, the sugar and egg mixture is heated together over a double boiler and then whipped into a meringue.
The French method is the easiest way to make macarons, and best for beginners. In my opinion, this method makes wonderful macarons.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients for macarons is simple.
- Almond flour
- Powdered sugar
- Granulated or castor sugar
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Spices, extracts, and food coloring (if the recipe calls for it)
Let’s Make Macarons!
Making the Shells
Tip#1 Weigh your ingredients. Macarons are a finicky cookie so weighing the ingredients helps ensure we are working with the proper amount of what we need.
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together into a large mixing bowl. Be sure to use fine-ground almond flour. This will help ensure you get smooth tops when you are finished. Do not use almond meal.
Make the Meringue
Tip#2 Only use glass or metal bowls. Plastic bowls can hold onto fat residue, and fat is the enemy of a perfectly whipped meringue.
Tip #3 Wipe down the bowl you will be using to make the meringue with vinegar or lemon juice. This will get rid of any lingering fat residue.
We want to whip the meringue to stiff peaks. This means that when we lift the whisk out of the meringue, it will form a ‘peak’ that will stick straight up with maybe a slight curve. When you turn the bowl upside down, the meringue won’t move. I highly recommend using a stand mixer to make your meringue. You can use and electric hand mixer, but it will be harder on the hands.
Make the Macaronage
To make the macaronage, we’ll add the meringue to the flour/sugar mixture in three batches and fold everything together until the batter flows off your spatula like honey. You don’t want the batter to be too thick, nor too thin; you want it just right, like Goldilocks. To check the consistency, you’ll perform the figure eight test. To do this, pick some batter up with your spatula and make a figure eight with it as it flows off the spatula. It should sink back into itself in 10 seconds. If it takes longer, perform a few more folds, then test again. Stop once the macaronage has passed this test. If you overmix the batter, it will be too runny. There’s no saving it at this point.
Pipe the Shells
Now that the batter is at the right consistency, it’s time to pipe it onto our prepared baking trays. I like to use a Wilton 12 tip to pipe my macarons. It’s small size allows for greater control of the batter.
Tip #4 I much prefer using silicone mats over parchment paper. It is resuasable and heats more evenly than parchment paper. Plus, if you buy the mats with the macarons circles printed on them, it makes piping the shells a lot easier. Silicone can hold on to stains easier, so I have a set I use just for making macarons.
Tip #5 I recommend using light baking pans for the shells. The dark pans can get too hot causing your shells to overcook.
Drying the Macarons
The macarons need to form a skin before baking. The skin prevents the steam from escaping through the top of the macarons, which causes cracks, and forces the steam to escape from the bottom, lifting the macarons up and forming their trademark ‘feet.’ You’ll know the skin has formed when you can lightly touch the macarons and no batter transfers to your finger. The tops will feel dry and smooth. Humidity does affect the time it takes for the skin to form. A more humid climate will cause the skin to take longer to form, a dryer climate will have the skins forming quicker.
Tip #6 Be sure to pop any air bubbles in the shells once they have been piped and before the skin forms. After piping the shells, bang the trays firmly on the countertop a few times to pop any bubbles. I also like to go through with a toothpick afterward and pop any remaining bubbles I see. Air bubbles in the shells can cause cracks.
Baking the shells
Once the skins have formed, we can bake the shells. I’ll preheat the oven while the macarons are drying. I bake the shells at 315 Fahrenheit for 13 minutes, baking each tray individually on the middle rack. The shells should look smooth and not jiggle on their feet when they’re done.
Filling and Decorating the Macarons
The filling for these macarons is a simple peppermint buttercream. You can use your choice of tip, but I like Wilton 4B and 2A. Pair the macarons together with ones that are closest in size to each other. Flip over one from each pair and squeeze about a nickel-sized amount of filling onto the shell. Gently sandwich the cookies together.
For the decorations, I just crushed up some candy canes and used simple syrup to help them stick to the tops of the macarons. A simple syrup is a 1 to 1 ratio of sugar and water. One tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of granulated sugar. Mix until clear, and there you have it. I lightly dipped the top of the macaron into the sugar water, just enough to get some on the top, and then I dipped the top into the crushed candy cane. It’s helpful to have some small pieces and some candy cane ‘dust’ if you will. This will help it stick to the tops of the macarons.
Other Macarons to Try
- Gingerbread Spice Macarons
- Eggnog Macarons
- White Chocolate Peppermint Macarons
- Fig and Honey Macarons
- Mint Chocolate Macarons
Frequently Asked Questions
For maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 24 hours. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie. Store them the same way in the fridge for up to one week.
To freeze the shells, first lay them in a single layer on a large baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Line the container with parchment paper, and put parchment paper on each layer of macarons. Freeze them for up to one month. Thaw the macarons in the fridge overnight and decorate as normal.
To freeze-filled macarons, follow the same instructions. Not all filled macarons freeze well due to the type of filling they have. Buttercream and ganache would freeze well. Fillings like jams or curds would not hold up well after being thawed out, so it is recommended not to freeze those types.
There are a couple reasons your macarons could be cracking. If you don’t give them a long enough resting period, they could crack. Remember, they need to be dry on top. Depending on your climate, this could take anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour. If you don’t whip the meringue to stiff peaks, it will be weak thus making the macaron shells weak and more prone to cracking. You could also have a too high oven temperature. You may want to invest in an oven thermometer to be sure your oven is set to the right temperature.
A perfect macaron will have a smooth top due to the fine-ground almond flour used in the recipe. It’s also due to creating the perfect macaronage. The filling should be smooth and reach all the way to the edges without spilling out. The crust of the cookie should be thin and break easily when biting into the macaron. It should not be thick, nor should it be too hard and shatter. The interior of the cookie should be soft and chewy, not mushy. The feet should not be too tall, nor should they be tiny. They should extend upward just enough, and they should not extend out over the sides. The macaron should be sweet enough, but you should be able to taste the flavor of the cookie without the sweetness overpowering it.
Candy Cane Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 105 grams egg whites
- 130 grams almond flour, fine ground
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 75 grams granulated or castor sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 drops pink gel food coloring
Peppermint Buttercream
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Separate the egg whites (105 grams) from the yolks about 24 hours ahead of when you will be making the macarons. Don't worry if it's not quite 24 hours. To separate the eggs, crack the shell as close to the middle as you can get. Pass the yolk back and forth between the half shells until all of the whites have separated out into your bowl. You may want to do this over a small bowl first in case some of the yolk gets into the whites.
- Line two large baking sheets with either silicone mats or parchment paper. Set them on a flat surface.
- Weigh out the almond flour (130 grams), powdered sugar (130 grams), and granulated or caster sugar (75 grams) into separate, small bowls. Use superfine flour so you get smooth tops. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites to a clean metal bowl. Add the cream of tartar (1/4 teaspoon) and peppermint extract (1/4 teaspoon). Whip the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy and the whisk leaves track marks in them. Now it's time to add the granulated sugar. Add the sugar in 3 separate batches with the beater running on low speed. Once you've added all of the sugar, turn the beater on high.
- You will see the egg whites begin to build volume and start to look a little more solid. They will also turn a bright white color. After about 5 minutes, stop and check for doneness. They will most likely not be done and will still be runny. Continue whisking. The egg whites will start to look thick and the whisk will leave deep track marks. You are looking for the egg whites to form stiff peaks. This is when you remove the whisk from the egg whites and they come to a point without melting away. They will form a 'peak' with possibly just a slight curve. You will also be able to turn the bowl upside down and they will not move. This is the meringue. Add 3 drops of pink gel food coloring to the meringue. You don't need to mix it into the meringue; it will mix in once you start folding it into the flour/sugar mixture.
- Add the meringue to the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture in 3 batches. You won't be able to mix it all together until you've got all the meringue in there, but it's easier to do it this way. It will look very dry at first. As you continue mixing, it will come together. I like to use a spatula with a rounded side. It seems to move along the bowl easier, allowing me to scrape the sides and fold everything inward. The mixing is what takes the air out of the batter, allowing it to form the honey-like consistency we are looking for. The batter should flow off your spatula like honey without breaking, and you should be able to form a figure 8 with the batter that's flowing off the spatula. It should sink back into itself in 10 seconds. Then it's ready.
- Using a large pastry bag and a small, round tip (I like the Wilton 12 tip), fill the pastry bag with the batter. I like to use a large cup to set the bag into. Twist the bottom just above the tip and fold it over before putting it in the cup. This will prevent the batter from pouring out the bottom into the cup. Fold the sides over the cup and spoon the batter into the bag.
- Take the cup over to where your prepared pans are. Lift the bag out of the cup, hold the top closed, and gently squeeze the bag to push the batter down towards the tip. Work quickly as the batter will keep flowing out of the tip once it starts. If you have the mats with the macarons stenciled on them, then aim for the middle of each stencil. There should be a dot in the middle. Holding the bag upright, count to four and gently squeeze the batter onto the mat. Repeat this process until you have filled all of the circles or run out of batter.
- Bang the trays firmly on your countertop to remove any air bubbles. I also go through with a toothpick and lightly pop any air bubbles I see. Let the macarons rest for 30-40 minutes (longer if it's humid out) so they can form their 'skin'. You should be able to lightly touch the tops of the macarons without getting any batter on your finger, and they will feel smooth.
- Now it's time to bake them. Bake each tray one at a time on the middle rack for 13 minutes in a 315 F oven. The macarons will look matte on top, and they will not jiggle when you move the pan. I like to preheat my oven about halfway through the macarons resting.
- Once the macarons are done baking, let them rest for 10 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to continue cooling down. Once they're cooled down, they can be filled.
Peppermint Buttercream Filling
- The filling is a simple buttercream frosting. Beat the softened butter (1/4 cup) until it's smooth, about 60 seconds. Add the powdered sugar (1 cup). Beat on low until it starts to incorporate with the butter, then turn it up to medium until it's fully mixed together. It will clump up. Turn the mixer off. Add the milk (2 teaspoons) and vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon). Beat on high until everything is mixed well and the frosting is smooth.
- Fill a pastry bag with the frosting, fitted with your choice of tip. Match the shells by size, flipping one over of each pair. Holding the filled pastry bag upright, squeeze out roughly a nickel-sized amount onto the turned-over shell. When completed, sandwich the macarons gently. I make a circular motion when sandwiching them as I don't want to press down and potentially crack the beautiful shells.
- For this part, you can either crush up some candy canes or buy them already crushed up. I use a simple syrup to help the candy cane pieces stick to the tops of the macarons. A simple syrup is just a 1-to-1 ratio of sugar and water. I used one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of granulated sugar and mixed it together until it was clear. Then, I lightly dipped the tops of the macarons in the syrup and then dipped them in the crushed candy canes.
- Refrigerate the macarons for 24 hours to let the flavors fully develop. Honestly though, just eat one. If you don't have time to refrigerate them for that long, they're still delicious.
Notes
- or maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie.
- For best results, follow the recipe as written.
- Be sure to only use gel or powdered food coloring. Liquid food coloring can make the macaron batter too wet.
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