Christmas Tree Cake Macarons Recipe
Celebrate the holiday season with these delightful Christmas Tree Cake Macarons featuring crisp almond meringue shells tinted green and filled with velvety buttercream. Decorated with festive sprinkles and edible stars, these elegant French-style treats offer a perfect balance of crunchy shells and creamy filling, making them a show-stopping addition to your holiday dessert table or a charming gift for loved ones.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus 24 hours chilling)
- Yield: Approximately 24 macarons (12 sandwich cookies) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Macaron Shells:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup almond flour (fine, blanched)
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring
- Gold and white sprinkles or edible stars (for decoration)
For the Buttercream Filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- Pinch of salt
Optional Filling Variation:
- 2 tablespoons marshmallow fluff or white chocolate ganache
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients: Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl, discarding any larger particles. This ensures a smooth and shiny macaron shell surface.
- Make the meringue: In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add vanilla extract and green gel food coloring, mixing gently until evenly tinted.
- Combine the mixtures: Fold half of the dry ingredients into the meringue using a silicone spatula. Gently fold until the batter is smooth, thick, and flows like lava, falling in slow ribbons that blend back in 10 seconds.
- Pipe the macarons: Transfer batter to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe 1½-inch circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets. For a festive touch, pipe some in Christmas tree shapes using a star tip and zigzag motion. Tap trays firmly to remove air bubbles.
- Rest the shells: Let piped shells rest at room temperature for 30–40 minutes until a dry skin forms and they don’t stick when touched lightly.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake one tray at a time for 15–18 minutes, rotating midway. Macarons should develop “feet” and release easily from parchment. Cool completely on the sheet.
- Make the buttercream filling: Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla, salt, and cream. Whip until light and fluffy. Optionally fold in marshmallow fluff or white chocolate ganache for extra flavor.
- Assemble: Pair macaron shells by size. Pipe buttercream onto one shell, then sandwich with another. Decorate tops with melted white chocolate drizzle, sprinkles, or edible gold stars.
- Chill before serving: Refrigerate filled macarons for 24 hours to meld flavors and soften shells for perfect chewy texture.
Notes
- Use aged egg whites (separated a day ahead, loosely covered) for stable meringue.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent flat or cracked macarons.
- Decorate with sprinkles before baking; add drizzles and stars after assembling.
- Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze unfilled shells for up to 2 months; thaw before filling.
- Try flavor variations like peppermint extract, nutmeg with rum extract, or chocolate ganache filling.
Keywords: Christmas macarons, holiday desserts, French macarons, buttercream filling, festive cookies, almond meringue, Christmas tree treats
