Beautiful Peppermint Macarons filled with chocolate ganache and adorned with crushed candy canes. These gluten free and dairy free cookies are everything.
4large egg whitesaged and room temperature (about 130 grams)*
170gramsalmond mealI used Bob’s Red Mill
200gramspowdered sugar
1/8teaspoonfine sea salt
1/4teaspooncream of tartar
70gramsgranulated sugar
For the Ganache
4oz.dairy free semi sweet chocolatechopped
1/4cupcoconut creamor full-fat coconut milk
1tablespoongheeor butter or coconut oil
1/2teaspoonpeppermint extract
1/2cupcrushed candy canes
Instructions
To Make the Macarons:
Add the egg whites to a large glass or metal bowl and bring to room temperature.
Add the almond meal, powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse until it is a fine powder. Set aside.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and use a whisk attachment on a hand mixer (or stand mixer) and whisk until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly add the granulated sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Continue mixing as you add all of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Fold until completely incorporated and the batter runs off the spatula in long ribbons.
Line 2 baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper. Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip (about 1/2 inch in diameter) and pipe the batter into 1 1/2 inch circles.
Once all the rounds are piped, gently lift and drop the baking sheets onto the counter to help pop any air bubbles. Let the macaron shells sit uncovered at room temperature for 45-60 minutes to help form a dry shell on the outside.
When the shells have dried, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake the shells for 10-12 minutes. When done, carefully slide the silicon mats or parchment paper onto wire racks so the macarons don't over-bake by cooling on the hot pans. Cool completely before carefully removing from the parchment paper or silicon mat. Make the ganache while the macaron shells are cooling.
To make the ganache:
Add the chocolate, coconut cream, and ghee to a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt at 50% power for 1 minute and then stir really well until the chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, continue to heat at 50% power for 20 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring after each heating. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the peppermint extract.
Cool the ganache to room temperature then transfer it to a piping bag (I did not use a tip to pipe, I just cut the tip off of the disposable piping bag). Pipe the ganache onto a macaron shell, starting in the middle and pipe in a swirl/circle working your way outwards - do not pipe all the way to the edge of the shell. Sprinkle the ganache with crushed candy cane pieces and then top with a second macaron shell. Repeat with all remaining macaron shells.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature if your house is cool or in the refrigerator.
Notes
*See post for notes on aging egg whites.Don't over-bake the shells, you do not want them to brown.Do not use pasteurized egg whites from a carton.This recipe makes about 48 shells which yields 4 dozen sandwich cookies. Yield will depend on how big or small you pipe your shells.