IMG_5281

I’d be lying if I said that feelings of motherly pride were not coursing through my veins and practically beating themselves out of my chest right now.

IMG_5266

I mean…who needs real actual crying screaming pooping adorable babies when you have the cutest macarons a girl could ask for, right?

IMG_5278

Okay so they’re not exactly the same thing {she says as her ovaries karate-chop her in the pelvis out of spite/longing/desire}.

And I didn’t exactly carry them around in my uterus for nine months, go through 36 hours of epidural-free labor, or risk a third degree tear in order to have them.

But I  did age some egg whites for them for a whole 24 hours while stress eating my way through a large fraction of their peppermint swiss meringue buttercream filling {which, ironically enough, I probably won’t be allowed to eat while I’m pregnant because of the semi-uncooked egg whites – another perk of macaron-birthing over real life labor}.

And I’ll be damned if that doesn’t count for something.

IMG_5287

Okay, but seriously. Those cute little feet?!?!

I think they get those from me.

IMG_5264

I have been deathly afraid of making macarons for FOREVER after hearing five million horror stories about everything that could go wrong and just how finicky they are.  And while these are not perfect by any means, I’m pretty proud that they turned out actually looking like macarons and not like puddles of lifeless (and feet-less) meringue.  I think part of the trick to having these turn out is to measure your ingredients by weight rather than volume, as it is much more precise. I actually always weigh my ingredients while baking (well, at least the flour, sugar, chocolate, cocoa powder, etc.) and I find it creates less mess and is way easier than trying to scoop flour by volume the “right” way.  If there’s one thing you buy for your kitchen in the new year, a food scale is definitely a worthy (and pretty inexpensive) purchase!

Peppermint Macarons 
Makes 20, adapted from Tartelette via Annie’s Eats and Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
For the Macaron Shells: 

  • 200 grams confectioners’ sugar
  • 110 grams almonds (blanched, slivered, or sliced)
  • 90 grams egg whites that have been aged at room temperature for a day
  • 25 grams granulated sugar

For the Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream: 

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Line two rimmed baking sheets with silicon baking mats (silpats) or parchment paper.
  2. To make the macarons, add the confectioners’ sugar and almonds to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer still running, slowly add the sugar. Beat the mixture until it is shiny and stiff peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the almond mixture into the egg white mixture, doing your best to not deflate the egg whites. Fold until no streaks remain.  The batter will be thick and should fall from the spatula in thick ribbons.
  3. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. Set aside at room temperature for an hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 280. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the tops look dry and matte. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
  5. To make the filling, add the sugar and egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Set over a pan of simmering water and beat, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved. Test it by rubbing the mixture between your fingers – it shouldn’t feel grainy.
  6. Attach the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and cool, about 6-8 minutes. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and, with the mixer on low, add one at a time, letting each incorporate before you add the next one. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Don’t worry if it looks curdled…just keep beating and it will come together!  Mix in the peppermint and vanilla extracts.
  7. Once cool, pair the cookies by size. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe frosting onto the flat side of one cookie from each pair and then place second macaron on top. Roll the sides of the sandwiched macarons in sprinkles or crushed candy canes.

IMG_5279

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
blog_share_subscribe
Share →

78 Responses to Peppermint Macarons

  1. These are very cute and festive little macarons! I’ve actually never made macarons…. Happy New Year, Joanne!

  2. Good for you Joanne! I made macarons one Christmas for my brother and it was so stressful! I ended up making 2 batches because I wasn’t convinced they were OK. 🙂

  3. They are definitely adorable… and worthy of a brag book. Macarons are one of those things that are on my to-make list, yet I’m not sure if I’ll ever actually make them. Lovin’ the peppermint twist!

  4. Congratulations on the adorable babies! They are so cute I want to eat them 🙂

  5. Tandy says:

    Well done, they look amazing and much easier to deal with than real life kids! A scale is a must have for any kitchen in my opinion 🙂

  6. Saguna says:

    Is it bad that I want to EAT your children?… Your loins are very fruitful indeed, Joanne. :p

    When I get the courage up to hatch a batch myself then this recipe will definitely be the one….

  7. I just started weighing flour, sugar, cocoa as well. I still don’t weigh baking soda and spices, though, since that seems a bit finicky. The macarons look wonderful! I’ve actually never seen peppermint ones before.

  8. SallyBR says:

    Oh, dear… you outdid yourself this time! Not only the photos are amazing, but macaroons also scare the living bejeezus out of me. Never made them, and probably never will, knowing Sally-limitations.

    Well, not sure this will be your last post for 2012, but just in case, let me wish you a wonderful new year, you need a year full of love and health and success, and you WILL have it!

  9. These are incredibly cute! “Adorbs” as a friend of mine would say. 😉 No doubt they are even more delicious than they are cute though!!

  10. Congrats on your new arrivals 😉 They’re absolutely adorable. Making these sounds way harder than giving birth, in my opinion…I’ve always wanted to attempt them but haven’t had the guts. Great job, Joanne!!

  11. Where the hell did you get those awesome Christmas sprinkles? That’s what I want to know. Freaking adorbz.

  12. these came out fantastic!!! i need to try my hand at these again. after my first go-round, there was most definitely a flop. well-timed, i suppose, since the first batch had to go to a baby shower!

  13. Debbie says:

    Oh they look so pretty and delicate! I do have a kitchen scale that I won at another food site and have yet to use it. I really should give it a try!

  14. Oh my gosh! I love macarons and peppermint flavored, totally me!! I never made macaroons, but now I want to!! I’m trying to stay away from cookies, but these are to good not to make!!

  15. They are a work of art and I’ve often looked at Helene’s macaron tutorial posts and wondered who makes these…okay, YOU do! You impress me!

    And I love the childbirth analogies – so spot on! I didn’t know you had kids!

  16. Amy says:

    A food scale is a must, as opposed to a human scale, which is never good for anyone. And also, I would have loved a couple…okay,6…of these after giving birth.

  17. I might eat these for 9 months straight just so that I can have something that resembles mother’s pride as well. Way to go on the post Christmas holiday treat. They look delicious!

  18. Danielle says:

    Congratulations on the little ones – they are precious 😉

  19. These are adorable Joanne! I definitely want to make these to give as presents, too:) Have a great weekend!

  20. sandra says:

    These are the very spitting image of pride and joy. I am tempted to try – but I just tackled phyllo dough (without a mishap) so it may be a while before I attempt such a cute feat… um feet (?) as this 🙂 Sounds like you’re ready for a baby, and pronto!

  21. Katie says:

    Ah, you should be proud! These look just delicious. I would take photos of them and send them to everyone if I made them!

  22. Elizabeth says:

    These are so adorable and festive! Macarons are so dainty and pretty.

  23. Ha, congrats on your little ones! 🙂 They are definitely beautiful and making macaroons is quite a feat! I still have a macaroon cookbook lying around from LAST Christmas but I’m too nervous to attempt them!

  24. They are perfect! And heck, I think they are Christmas card worthy! I am extremely impressed that you aged the egg whites for 24 hours. That takes patience! Nice work lady!

  25. Love the feet on these…they’re perfect little babies–seriously, you’re one lucky “mama”! =)

  26. These are just beautiful! I’ve been on a real peppermint kick lately (tooooo much peppermint bark)! I’m so with you on stress eating though – half the batch is nearly always gone before any guests get to it.

  27. Ashley Bee says:

    I took a million pictures when I made Macarons for the first time. I was SO proud they developed feet! To this day i’ve only had two feetless batches. It is something to be proud of for sure!

  28. Those are so pretty Joanne!!! Great job

  29. I still haven’t made macarons, but I need to get on that. And I love the flavour you chose!!

  30. Gloria says:

    Joanne these look really, really pretty!!xo

  31. Jessie says:

    SQUEEE! (That’s me cooing over your macaron babies 😉 )

    Seriously, these look AMAZING! And so festive! I’m impressed that you aged the whites, I totally agree with weighing baking ingredients. We have a scale just for that purpose and it makes baked goods so much better.

    Fabulous job, Joanne!

  32. Wow – these ARE the cutest macaroons ever! Happy New Year to you, Joanne!

  33. OohLookBel says:

    I’ve never seen macarons decorated this way before. They are super gorgeous, and you must be very proud!

  34. Julie says:

    Beautiful! Happy New Year!

  35. Natalie says:

    I am terrified of making macarons but like you, I will make that attempt one day! Yours actually look fabulous 🙂

  36. That Girl says:

    You know the problem with macaron babies? It’s hard to be protective when they’re also so delicious. Someone’s going to eat them.

  37. Eileen says:

    Those macarons are super impressive! I confess that I do not normally have the patience for something like this (you have to age egg whites!?), but the results could be enough to make me change my mind… 🙂

  38. Congratulations, Joanne, your macaroons are adorable! I’ve been intimidated by them for a long time so go you for overcoming your fear, I haven’t yet. But this post does help. If you can do it, I can do it right?

  39. london bakes says:

    These are so very pretty Joanne, look at the little tiny feet!

  40. Oh these are adorable and you should beam with pride! I’ve been wanting to make macarons forever but just can’t seem to find the time. You are completely motivating me now, though! And peppermint SMB? omg!

  41. Congratulations on your babies, Joanne! They turned out beautifully! I must say I felt the same pride when I first made them with trepidation and they actually were born with feet 🙂 I must have read 50 recipes and tips before I began. Proud mama.

  42. Erica Berman says:

    Adorable…and a lot better behaved than my girls, I’m sure!

  43. I am so impressed! I had to make macarons a couple of times when I worked at a restaurant (I think the chef was just trying to torture me), and they never came out right. These look beautiful!

  44. Lora says:

    Yay! Welcome to the macaron makers club. Those decorations are adorable. Well Done!

  45. Karen says:

    Adorable… and triplets, yet! I’m with ya on the food scale… love mine.

  46. Candace says:

    You definitely have the right to be proud of these. They look beautiful!

  47. These are so cute! Macaroon making scares me a little. Great job 🙂

  48. Elizabeth says:

    Those are so cute! I have to admit I’ve been a little obsessed with macaroons since I ate a few at a macaroon bakery in San Francisco, but I can’t get up the courage to try them.

  49. Chris says:

    Those are so freaking cute. But almost every pic I had the same thought, if you used a dark middle, these would look like adorable mini-cheeseburgers 🙂

    Happy Holidays!

  50. Martha says:

    They came out perfect! Since I barely cook anymore I probably won’t be trying to make these myself anytime soon – but I did make 3 adorable babies in my time, that counts for something right? 😉

  51. Joanne, these macs look absolutely gorgeous and festive. Happy New Year to you and family.

  52. Kari says:

    These are gorgeous! I am so impressed – I’m fearful if making them too and have the greatest admiration or your new babies!

  53. Reeni Pisano says:

    They’re so stinkin’ cute! I’ve been afraid of making them too! I feel a tiny bit braver now seeing how these turned out so exceptionally good. I bet they just melt in your mouth too.

  54. Hotly Spiced says:

    That’s a great tip about ageing the egg whites. These do look very delicious and I love the holly around the cream. I’ve had a few disasters making macarons so you can be very proud of these xx

  55. I’d take these macarons over crying babies any day! They do have adorable feet. 🙂

  56. What a lovely post. Beautiful, descriptive writing. You’ve really captured what birthing is all about. I have to say, I’ve never tried macaroons as what i have read about its cooking technicalities scare me but I’m jealously hoarding this idea away for a next happy occasion at home.Will hope that our babies end up looking similar 🙂

  57. Johanna GGG says:

    I would be very proud of these – just gorgeous with the sprinkles – congratulations on your feet – I have never attempted macarons but am always wary of the feet issue

  58. Katerina says:

    Beautiful macaroons Joanne!I would be proud as well if I could make such little cuties!

  59. These macarons are gorgeous with colourful sprinkles!
    Happy New Year!

  60. I can see why you are so proud of them…they are so cute! Have a great New Year.

  61. Those macarons are stunning! I can’t wait to make a batch of my own. Glad they worked out for you on the first try.

  62. Lynn says:

    I wish I had one of those right now!

  63. Geni says:

    These are total stunners Joanne. Please take care, and I wish you a better year. Virtual hugs going your way.

  64. Suzie says:

    Your descriptions before the recipe are the absolute best. Comparing the cookies and babies had me laughing!! Love the cute little feet 😉

  65. tigerfish says:

    They look so pretty! I do not have much of a sweet tooth and “peppermint” tooth, can I say?

    You master the savory cooking and sweet bakes so well!

  66. These are most definitely the cutest macarons I’ve ever seen! I hope they went somewhere that their cuteness was appreciated!

  67. Cathleen says:

    These are ridiculously cute!! I have also been super scared to even attempt macarons, but you have inspired me. This is going to happen sometime..

  68. They really do look nice and airy. You should definitely be a proud mama!!!!

  69. grace says:

    these are so festive! i STILL have not tasted or made my first macaron, but i can see why you’d be proud. 🙂

  70. cquek says:

    All the best for 2013 – may it be peaceful and prosperous for you, your family, and all of your readers

  71. Melissa says:

    Very impressed this was your first time making macarons! I recently took a class at Sur La Table to make macarons and they measured all of the ingredients with a scale. The macarons were of course perfect. I’ve tried twice at home on my own and something always goes wrong. I definitely need a kitchen scale! Yours look perfect!

  72. Laura says:

    “Hey those are cookies that look like hamburgers!” Profound insight from my 6 YO. Who wants to eat one. As do I. And yeah I am kinda afraid of macarons too, so I am totally impressed. I am not a huge fan of almonds, another reason I have never made them–did they taste like peppermint and almond or just peppermint?

  73. Gorgeous!! I’m afraid of making them, but I also went out and bought ingredients for macarons today. SO maybe I’ll give them a shot =P I want to make rose flavored ones 🙂

  74. sandra says:

    when you age the egg whites do you separate the yolk from the white first? Or just let some eggs still in their shells sit on the counter for a day? you didn’t rap your baking sheets on the table and have no cracks!! how is that possible? you’re amazing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *