Description

These Delicious Santa Claus Macarons are a festive holiday treat featuring delicate almond meringue shells filled with sugar cookie buttercream and decorated with royal icing. Perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy inside, they offer a delightful combination of flavor, texture, and charming holiday decoration to brighten any holiday gathering.

Ingredients

Scale

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)
1 teaspoon Yellow Gel Food Coloring (optional)

Royal Icing

2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 tablespoons Meringue Powder (or more egg whites)
4 tablespoons Water

Sugar Cookie Buttercream

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) (assumed included from recipe context)
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

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Instructions

Preparation: Gather all ingredients and tools. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking during baking.
Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 300ºF (150ºC) to prepare for baking the delicate macaron shells.
Make the Shells: Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar to remove lumps and ensure a smooth batter.
Create Meringue: In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, combine the golden sugar and egg whites, gently warming until the sugar dissolves completely. Then, whip this mixture to stiff peaks to create a glossy meringue.
Combine Batter: Carefully fold the sifted almond flour and sugar mixture into the meringue along with the black gel food coloring (and yellow if using) to achieve the colored macaron batter.
Pipe & Rest: Using a piping bag and a macaron template, pipe uniform circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Let them rest at room temperature until the surface becomes dry to the touch, approximately 30-60 minutes.
Bake: Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the shells develop their characteristic feet and are firm. Remove and allow them to cool completely on the trays.
Prepare Royal Icing: Mix powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until smooth. Add gel food coloring as desired and pipe detailed decorative elements onto the cooled macaron shells to create festive Santa Claus designs.
Make Sugar Cookie Buttercream: Heat-treat the flour by baking it at 350ºF (175ºC) for about 5-7 minutes to ensure it is safe for consumption. Let cool. Then mix the treated flour with the unsalted butter and golden sugar until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk or cream to achieve a smooth, spreadable buttercream.
Assemble Macarons: Spread a generous amount of sugar cookie buttercream on the flat side of one macaron shell. Sandwich it with another shell and gently roll the edges in desiccated coconut to finish the presentation and add texture.

Notes

Resting the piped macaron shells before baking is crucial to develop the smooth top and characteristic feet.
Heat-treating the flour for the buttercream is important for food safety as it is not cooked in the final product.
Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to prevent the macarons from sticking to the baking sheets.
Pipe the royal icing decorations once the shells have completely cooled to avoid melting the design.
Allow assembled macarons to mature in the refrigerator for 24 hours for the best texture and flavor before serving.
Egg white powder can be used as a substitute for fresh egg whites in the meringue if preferred.