Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these festive Christmas Tree Cake Macarons featuring delicate almond meringue shells tinted green, filled with a creamy buttercream mixing crumbled Christmas tree snack cakes, and decorated with white chocolate drizzle, colorful sprinkles, and edible gold stars for an elegant touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 1 3/4 cups (175g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour (finely ground, blanched)
- 3 large egg whites (about 90g), room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Green gel food coloring
Filling
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (150g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (85g) finely crumbled snack cakes (Christmas Tree Cakes or similar)
- Pinch of salt
Decoration
- White chocolate drizzle
- Red and green sprinkles
- Edible gold stars (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Macaron Batter: Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together twice to ensure a smooth mixture. Beat the room temperature egg whites until foamy, then add cream of tartar. Gradually add granulated sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Mix in green gel food coloring to achieve the desired shade. Gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg white batter until it reaches a lava-like flowing consistency.
- Pipe the Macarons: Transfer the macaron batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe tree shapes or circles onto baking sheets lined with baking mats or parchment paper. Tap the trays firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Let the piped batter rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes until a skin forms on the surface.
- Bake the Shells: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake one tray at a time for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking for even color and texture. Once baked, allow shells to cool completely on the mats before attempting to remove them to prevent cracking.
- Make the Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat softened unsalted butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, followed by vanilla extract, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt, mixing on low speed until creamy and smooth. Fold in finely crumbled snack cakes gently to combine evenly. Transfer the filling to a piping bag.
- Assemble the Macarons: Pair macaron shells of similar size. Pipe a generous amount of filling on one shell and sandwich it with its matching shell, pressing lightly to spread the filling to the edges.
- Decorate: Drizzle melted white chocolate over the assembled macarons. Sprinkle with red and green sprinkles for contrast and festive appeal. Add edible gold stars on top for an optional elegant holiday touch.
- Mature for Best Flavor: Place the decorated macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for 24 hours. This maturation time allows flavors to meld and the filling to soften for the perfect texture and taste.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature before beating for better volume and stability.
- Resting the piped macarons before baking is critical to develop the characteristic smooth skins and feet.
- Customize decorations with different sprinkles or edible embellishments to suit your holiday theme or color preferences.
- Use a fine almond flour and double sift the dry ingredients to prevent grainy shells.
- Allow macarons to come to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
