Peppermint is the flavor of the season, no doubt about it. Remember my peppermint candy cookies? So very festive… These macarons dance to the same beat, a bright red color, the delicate flavor of mint perfuming the white chocolate, and some green and white sprinkles to boot. They scream Christmas, and New Year celebrations. All macarons I’ve made so far used a French meringue. This was my first batch going for the – slightly more finicky – Italian meringue. I’ve been meaning to re-visit it for a long time, actually. Had one epic failure in the past attempting a recipe from Pierre Hermé, which traumatized me enough to keep Italian meringue at a safe distance. But finally, the light in the end of the macaron tunnel.
WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MACARONS
(inspired by several sources)
for the shells:
150g almond flour (I used fine ground from Bob Mill’s)
150g powdered sugar
110g egg whites, divided (55g + 55g)
red food gel color (I used Americolor)
pinch of salt
150g granulated sugar
40 mL water (a little over 2 +1/2 tablespoons)
for the filling:
200g white chocolate (I used Lindt)
68g heavy whipping cream
1 to 2 tsp peppermint crunch (to taste)
for decoration:
green and white sprinkles (I used nonpareils)
Prepare white chocolate ganache filling. Place chocolate cut in small pieces in a large Pyrex measuring cup. Heat the cream to almost boiling and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then gently stir. When totally dissolved, add the peppermint crunch, tasting as you go. Reserve, cooling at room temperature for a couple of hours or sticking in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the shells. Heat the oven to 300 F. Line two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper, and prepare a pastry bag with a plain tip with 1/2 inch opening, or slightly smaller.
Grind together the powdered sugar and almond powder, using a food processor, to obtain a fine powder. Sift through a sieve into large bowl. Mix the first portion (55g) egg whites with red food color, then add it to the sieved mixture of almond and sugar. It will form a paste, a bit thick. Try to incorporate the color homogeneously, keep in mind it will be lighter when you add the meringue to it, so make sure you have a very nice red tone.
Make the Italian meringue. Take a deep breath first so you are relaxed (very important). Place the other 55g egg whites and pinch of salt into the bowl of a Kitchen Aid type mixer. Set aside while you prepare the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan combine granulated sugar with water and place on medium heat. Using a candy thermometer measure syrup temperature. When it reaches 230 F start whipping the egg whites. When the syrup reaches 244 F pour it over the whipped egg whites while mixing continuously. Continue beating until the bowl has cooled slightly, and glossy peaks have formed (see my composite photo).
Add the whipped whites over the almonds mixture and using a rubber or silicone spatula gently fold in until combined and smooth. Make sure to “paint” the mixture on the walls of the bowl so that you get a smooth, lava-like consistency. Transfer the mixture to the piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1 cm) plain tip. Pipe the batter to make macarons the size you like. Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons and to remove air bubbles. Add sprinkles on top, if using. Let them sit at room temperature until a skin forms, about 30 minutes.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. They are ready when the top doesn’t move freely when you hold them and twist gently. Let cool slightly before removing from baking sheet. Marry two by two of similar size, add the filling and place in the fridge overnight. Serve them at room temperature next day. They freeze well too.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: It all started with an impulse buy. A bottle of peppermint crunch that I found at Marshall’s. That store has amazing gems waiting for a loving kitchen. I had no idea what to do with it, but decided that once in the comfort of our home, I would find a way to make it shine. I thought about sprinkling some on top of the shells before the skin formed, and actually ran a test on a few. The crunch kind of melted in the oven and it didn’t look very good. But adding it to white chocolate ganache? That worked very very well. I more or less eye-balled it, and tried a tiny bit to see if the texture and flavor were the way I wanted. I definitely did not want to have macarons tasting like toothpaste! So if you make it, either with white or dark chocolate ganache, taste as you go and stop when you hit the jackpot.
The amount I used did not even make a dent in the huge bottle… see the problem I have now? Find other uses for my beloved peppermint crunch… There are much more serious problems in life, I’ll tackle this one with a smile. And a bite of macaron, because….
A final comment: French or Italian meringue for macarons? I think the French does a perfect job with a lot less hassle. However, if you live in a very humid climate, the added stability of the Italian meringue might be better for you. At any rate, I feel that mastering the technique of the Italian meringue will come in handy in plenty of recipes. So I’m happy I gave it a try.
Enjoy the holiday season, and grab a pin, because sharing is caring!
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FIVE YEARS AGO: Pumpkin Espresso Loaf
SIX YEARS AGO: Caramelized Carrot Soup
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EIGHT YEARS AGO: A Special Holiday Fruitcake
Omg….they look too good
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thank you!!!!
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Will you PLEASE stop making me fat(ter)?? I swear to god, I’m sometimes sorry I ever decided to start stalking you. I have no willpower!! These look as good as anything I’ve ever seen you make, and that’s saying something. They look fantastic, even with that crummy toy camera you use!
ps. Ever make Swiss meringue?
🙂
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Husband just said – “I echo those sentiments” – and he is closer to macaron reality, so yeah, it can be a bit tricky to keep cool. Cool as in slim. Thin. With a recognizable waist But, seriously, our department comes to the rescue and through their group effort our dangerzone is reduced…. like that, dangerspouse?
yes, I made swiss meringue – and used it for macarons. It was a disaster, but the thing is with macarons you just never know what exactly is the problem. I was at first tempted to blame the Swiss, but it could be my macaronage technique. Swiss meringue is a lot easier, and just for fun I intend to re-visit the issue. It’s just that after a failure I need some time to forget… 😉
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Yeah, blaming the Swiss seems the natural thing to do, the bloodthirsty warmongers. I can see why you need time to heal.
I’m liking your hubby more and more 🙂
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that makes it two of us… 😉
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So…did you get to WallMart and buy those slippers (if you saw the reply at my place)? Or do you not love him quite *that* much?
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I must be careful. Cannot risk being way too sexy, you know….
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Too late!!
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oh too too nice for words. I need to eat a batch of these forthwith 🙂
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And I need a batch of your passion fruit and then one of the snowmen… those are impossibly cute, and the stem ginger filling? Great idea!
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consider them posted to you ……. 🙂
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I just recently flagged a recipe for the Italian method. It didn’t even require the 30 minute wait, which didn’t seem right. I have heard that, even though this is fussier, that the results are more consistent. But how does the hot sugar not produce an egg white omelette? Ha ha!
P.S. These look amazing, and I love Marshall’s for these little finds as well.
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I never baked them without resting – I know that some say with the Italian method resting is not necessary, but I always seem to get better “feet” on the last tray I bake, which is the one that sat the longest waiting. So I prefer to rest them – the skin formation helps with the overall bake, in my experience….
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AMAZING!!!! they literally look perfect!
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I was happy with this bake… cannot wait to go home and bake some more! Miss my oven… miss my kitchen… miss my pups…
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I know, not long now x
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Another macaron masterpiece, Sally!
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well, not sure they are masterpieces, but I love making them… as you know! got two more to blog, and countless in my imagination, waiting for an opportunity to turn into reality….
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Oh my gosh, these are just perfect – festive and gorgeous! (so glad I circled back to see them… busy time of year) that peppermint crunch… (and the final photo is especially irresistible). Sending hugs and best wishes ✴ ✴ ✴ (snowing in my heart #forevercanadian) x
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can you believe we had snow overnight? So it’s all white outside – I am afraid it won’t last the whole Christmas Day, but it’s nice enough
I hear you on the busy times – hard to visit blogs and all – so your presence here feels like a super special HONOR!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
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Thanks so much for sharing this over at First Monday Favorites. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making Macarons, but haven’t quite gotten the courage up just yet.
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May 2018 be the Year of the Macaron for you!
😉
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So cute and who doesn’t love a macaron?!?!?!
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