Description
Delight in these festive Santa Claus Macarons featuring delicate red almond meringue shells, decorated with royal icing to create Santa’s iconic belt and buckle, and filled with a luscious sugar cookie buttercream enriched with toasted coconut. A perfect holiday treat combining classic French macaron technique with seasonal charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 100 grams Domino® Golden Sugar
- 4 grams egg white powder (optional, see notes)
- 100 grams egg whites
- 105 grams almond flour
- 105 grams Domino® Powdered Sugar
- About 1 tbsp red gel food coloring
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
- Prepare Macaron Shells: Preheat oven to 300ºF for 60-90 minutes for temperature stability (or 270ºF if convection). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats with macaron templates. Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together and set aside.
- Make Sugar Syrup: Place a bowl over barely simmering water, add granulated sugar and egg white powder (if using), whisk to prevent clumps. Add egg whites and whisk until sugar dissolves completely without letting the bowl touch water or overheat.
- Whip Meringue: Transfer syrup to stand mixer bowl. Whip on low for 30 seconds, medium for 2 minutes, then medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 13-15 minutes). Avoid overwhipping to prevent hollow shells.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Gently fold sifted almond flour and powdered sugar into meringue along with red gel food coloring. Fold in a ‘J’ motion, pressing sides of bowl to expel air. Fold until batter is glossy and flows slowly off spatula forming figure eight patterns (10-15 seconds to incorporate).
- Pipe Macarons: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4” round tip. Pipe onto lined trays over macaron templates, then tap trays firmly to release air bubbles. Pop any surface bubbles with a toothpick.
- Rest Macarons: Allow piped shells to rest until fully dry to touch with a firm skin, essential due to added coloring (usually 30-60 minutes or more depending on environment).
- Bake Shells: Bake trays one at a time at 300ºF for 15-20 minutes, adjusting time and temperature as needed. Shells should have feet, deeper color, and should not jiggle or feel soft. Cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare Royal Icing: In a mixer bowl, mix powdered sugar and meringue powder on low. Gradually add water and whip on medium-high until thick, glossy, and flowy like sweetened condensed milk. Adjust thickness by adding water or sugar. Divide into two bowls; color one black and one yellow.
- Decorate Shells: Pipe a black icing belt line across center of half the shells. Let dry in fridge briefly then pipe yellow icing buckles on belt center. Leave other shells plain as bottoms.
- Prepare Sugar Cookie Buttercream: Heat treat flour by baking at 350ºF for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Cream butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy. Mix in cooled flour, vanilla, almond extract, and milk or cream. Adjust consistency with powdered sugar as needed.
- Assemble Macarons: Pipe buttercream onto undecorated bottom shells, sandwich with decorated shells. Roll edges in shredded coconut to finish.
- Storage: Store macarons in refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for 1-2 months.
Notes
- Egg white powder is optional and mainly used in humid climates above 30% humidity to improve meringue stability.
- Oven temperatures and baking times vary; preheat oven thoroughly and adjust based on your equipment.
- Resting piped shells until dry is critical for successful macarons especially with added gel color.
- Heat-treating flour makes the buttercream safe to consume raw.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant color without affecting macarons’ consistency.
- Allow macarons to cool completely before decorating to prevent melting icing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 15mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
