Peppermint Bark Macarons

Here is a fun macaron flavor that is perfect for the holidays! The shell of these Peppermint Bark Macarons is peppermint vanilla with a swirl of red food coloring, and the filling is a chocolate peppermint pastry cream!

How to Make French Macarons

If you have never made macarons before, you should head over to THIS POST first to get a run down on the process. Macarons are very finicky and can be frustrating, but they are tasty and beautiful and worth the effort to make! We won't get into the nitty gritty in this post.

If you are already familiar with the macaron making process, then this should be a breeze for you! And if you are looking for more macaron recipes, check out these:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Macarons
• Snickerdoodle Macarons with Cinnamon Sugar Pastry Cream

Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this recipe for Peppermint Bark Macarons! If you give them a try, leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

Looking for more holiday inspired treats? Check out some of our other recipes below:

• Brown Butter Cardamom Linzer Cookies with Passion Fruit Jelly
• Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
• Pecan Tassies (Tarts)
• Brown Butter and Pecan Rum Cake

📖 Recipe

Peppermint Bark Macarons

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine French

Servings 8 servings

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Shells

• 112 g almond flour (approx 1 cup)
• 230 g confectioners sugar (approx 2 cups)
• 105 g egg whites (approx 3 large eggs)
• pinch salt
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 50 g granulated sugar (approx ¼ cup)
• ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
• ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
• red food gel

Pastry Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 2 tablespoon flour
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ⅛ teaspoon peppermint
• 2 egg yolks

Instructions

 

SHELLS

• Combine almond flour and confectioners sugar in a food processor. Pulse several times until thoroughly combined and mixture no longer contains clumps. Set aside.
• Measure out egg whites, then add to a large bowl with salt and cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until egg whites appear foamy.
• Add granulated sugar slowly, and continue to beat on high speed until egg whites become a fluffy meringue (approx 3-5 min). You want the egg whites to have soft peaks at this point, meaning that when you stop the mixer and pull the beaters out, the egg white tips fold over onto themselves and don't stand up straight.
• Add vanilla and peppermint and continue to beat until you achieve stiff peaks, meaning the egg white tips do not fold over on themselves.
• Take your flour and confectioners sugar mixture and sift it using a fine sieve or manual sifter onto the top of the merengue. Discard any clumps or balls that do not sift properly.
• Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the meringue, in other words, do not furiously whisk, but gently scoop the ingredients onto the spatula and then over onto itself. You should expect to continue this folding process for about 50 turns. Make sure you press out some of the air as you do so. You will continue until the mixture is completely combined and resembles lava as you lift your spatula and let it drop into the bowl. It should flow slowly in an even stream. You are now ready to pipe your shells.
• Prepare a silicon baking sheet or parchment paper on a baking tray. Drop red food coloring down 4 sides of your piping bag to achieve the swirled look. Transfer your batter into a piping bag with a 1a round piping tip attempting to avoid any extra air bubbles in the process.
• Pipe 1 inch round discs onto your baking sheet, one sheet at a time. Pick up the baking sheet and slam it onto the counter or cooking surface 4-5 times to remove extra air bubbles. Use a tooth pick to fill air bubble holes or pop larger air bubbles. Continue with the 2nd and 3rd baking sheet. You should be able to pipe approx 50-60 circles with this recipe.
• Set aside and allow to dry for 45 min to 1 hr or until the shells are not sticky to the touch. You want the shells to form a nice skin and dry completely prior to baking. Place shells in a draft free location in order for them to dry evenly.
• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Bake one tray at a time at 300° for 15-17 minutes. If your oven is electric, you should not need to turn the tray mid-bake. If your oven often bakes uneven or is gas, you may need to turn your tray after 7-8 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from baking mat/parchment paper. Add filling and enjoy! For best results, allow macarons to sit for 24 hrs before eating. This will allow the cookie to develop fully with better texture and flavor.

PASTRY CREAM

• Heat cream over medium low heat in a saucepan until just warm.
• In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients: cocoa powder, espresso powder, flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar.
• Add egg yolks to dry mixture, and mix until combined.
• Slowly add the cream to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
• Transfer mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat and set a fine sieve over a bowl nearby.
• Whisk continuously for about 5-10 until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency then remove from heat.
• Stir the vanilla and peppermint extract and then pour through the sieve.
• Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is touching the top of the cream. This will prevent it from forming a skin on top. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!