gingerbread macarons

I have made a lot of macarons recently - or so it feels. I made two batches of peppermint macarons in early December. I got a little fancy with my piping bag food coloring to create red swirls. But this weekend, I felt the urge to make another batch but it did not feel exciting to do more peppermint ones.

That's how I ended up with gingerbread macarons.

If you can make regular macarons, there is nothing stopping you from these seasonal favorites. I was a little nervous about how the spices would affect the almond batter consistency ... even though it is such a small amount. These shells are so ridiculously finicky that you don't want to mess with them too much. The last time I made macarons I changed up my recipe a bit and I feel pretty great about them now.

What did I change? Lowered the temp significantly to 300F and added more dry ingredients to the whipped merengue. This tutorial from Tasty is the best macaron tutorial I've ever read.

  1. I will now always look for the figure 8 in my batter. Watch the demo video and you'll see what I mean.
  2. Bloom time? I had never heard of this but it makes a lot of sense. After fully assembling the macaron, you let it sit for 24 hours (or so) in an airtight container. Macarons always felt better the next day or even a couple hours later... and now I know why.
  3.  In spite of the "figure 8 technique", I think there is a chance that I'm overmixing my batter occasionally. On the Great British Baking Show, I learned that if your macaron shells feel a bit hollow it is because they are overmixed. 
  4. Absolutely whack the cooking sheet a few times to get the air bubbles out. I could literally see them come to the surface after hitting the sheet.

Other macaroon recipes I've tried: peppermint swirl, matcha coconutmargaritaraspberry with coconut fillingstandard, and these award winning Christmas cookie variety.

  1. Make the macarons: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
  2. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out).
  3. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the food coloring and beat until just combined.
  4. Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up. 
  5. Transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. 
  6. Pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch (3-cm) circles, spacing at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart.
  7. Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles. 
  8. Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch. This helps the feet form under the shell.
  9. Preheat the oven to 300˚F. 11 Bake the macarons for 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper. 
  10. Transfer the macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Shopping List
1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
1 cup almond flour, finely ground
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3 egg whites, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger

Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

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