Description

These festive Santa Claus macarons are a delightful holiday treat featuring delicate almond-flavored shells filled with a luscious sugar cookie buttercream, decorated with royal icing and finished with a touch of desiccated coconut for snowy edges. Perfect for holiday parties and gift-giving, these macarons combine intricate decoration with rich flavors to bring Christmas cheer to your table.

Ingredients

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Macaron Shells

1 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tablespoons Egg White Powder (optional)
3 large Egg Whites (essential for meringue)
1 cup Almond Flour (or finely ground hazelnuts)
1 cup Domino® Powdered Sugar (sifted)
1 teaspoon Black Gel Food Coloring (for decorating)

Royal Icing

2 cups Powdered Sugar (for icing)
2 tablespoons Meringue Powder (or more egg whites)
4 tablespoons Water
1 teaspoon Yellow Gel Food Coloring (optional)
1 teaspoon Black Gel Food Coloring (for decorating)

Sugar Cookie Buttercream Filling

1 cup All-purpose Flour (or gluten-free flour)
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (or vegan butter)
1 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for flavor)
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract (or additional vanilla)
3 tablespoons Milk or Heavy Cream (or plant-based milk)

Decoration

1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut (for decoration)

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Instructions

Preparation: Gather all ingredients and baking tools. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300ºF (150ºC) to ensure it’s at the right temperature for baking delicate macarons.
Make the Macaron Shells: Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar to create a fine, lump-free mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the golden sugar and egg whites over simmering water and gently heat until the sugar melts. Whip this mixture into stiff peaks to form a meringue. Carefully fold the sifted almond mixture into the meringue, adding black gel food coloring for decoration. Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheets using a macaron template or guide. Allow the piped shells to rest at room temperature until dry to the touch, which typically takes 20-40 minutes.
Bake the Shells: Place one tray of macarons at a time in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm and set. Remove from oven and cool completely on the trays.
Prepare the Royal Icing: In a bowl, mix powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until smooth. Divide and color the icing with yellow and black gel food coloring as desired for decorating the macaron shells. Use piping bags to apply Santa Claus-themed designs onto the cooled shells.
Make the Sugar Cookie Buttercream Filling: Heat-treat the all-purpose flour by baking it in the oven at 300ºF (150ºC) for about 5 minutes to eliminate any bacteria. Let cool. Cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then gradually add the cooled flour, vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk or cream to achieve a smooth, spreadable buttercream.
Assemble the Macarons: Pipe a generous amount of sugar cookie buttercream onto the underside of one macaron shell. Sandwich with another shell on top. Roll the edges gently into desiccated coconut to give a festive snowy appearance.

Notes

Resting the piped shells before baking is crucial to form the characteristic macaron ‘feet’ and prevent cracking.
Use gel food coloring to avoid adding extra liquid to the batter, which can affect texture.
Heat-treating the flour ensures food safety when using it in no-bake fillings like buttercream.
For vegan or dairy-free versions, substitute butter and milk with plant-based alternatives.
Keep the assembled macarons refrigerated and consume within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.