Festive Christmas Macarons with Snowflake Icing – Holiday...

Ingredients

• • 1 ⅞ cups almond flour
• • 1 ⅞ cups powdered sugar
• • 3 ⅞ large egg whites (room temperature)
• • ⅞ cup granulated sugar
• • ⅞ tsp cream of tartar
• • ⅞ tsp salt
• • 2 ⅞ tbsp egg white (for piping)
• • 1 ⅞ cups powdered sugar (icing)
• • ⅞ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• • 1 ⅞ tsp vanilla extract
• • Red, green, and beige food gel
• • Festive sprinkles (snowflakes, trees)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sift almond flour and powdered sugar into a bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form.

2. 2

   Gradually add granulated sugar to the egg whites while mixing on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. The meringue should hold a straight line when piped.

3. 3

   Gently fold the sifted almond flour mixture into the meringue using an offset spatula until the batter flows like lava. Tap the bowl on the counter to remove air bubbles.

4. 4

   Transfer batter to a piping bag. Pipe 1.5-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Tap the sheets on the counter to release air bubbles. Let rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes until a skin forms.

5. 5

   Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake for 15–18 minutes, avoiding opening the oven during baking. Let cool completely before removing from the sheets.

6. 6

   In a stand mixer, beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla extract and 1–2 tsp water. Divide the icing into three bowls and tint red, green, and beige.

7. 7

   Transfer icing to piping bags with a small round tip. Pipe snowflake patterns, smiley faces, and tiny trees onto macaron shells. Add sprinkles while icing is still wet.

8. 8

   Pair macaron shells by size. Pipe a dollop of matching-colored icing onto the flat side of one shell, then press the second shell gently to form a sandwich.