Santa Claus Macarons & Snickerdoodle Apple Pie Bites
Santa Claus Macarons are festive red almond meringue cookies filled with a rich sugar cookie buttercream, decorated with royal icing to resemble Santa’s iconic belt. These whimsical treats capture the spirit of Christmas with every sweet, chewy bite.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 22 macarons
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 100g golden sugar
- 4g egg white powder (optional)
- 100g egg whites
- 105g almond flour
- 105g powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp red gel or powder food coloring
- 1½ cups powdered sugar (for royal icing)
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 drops black gel food coloring
- 1 drop yellow gel food coloring
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (heat-treated)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup golden sugar
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp almond extract
- ½ tbsp milk or cream
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (for decoration)
Instructions
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together to remove any lumps and create a smooth macaron batter base.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and golden sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form to make the meringue.
- Add red food coloring to the meringue, then fold in the almond flour mixture gently until the batter flows like lava and passes the figure-eight test.
- Pipe the batter onto parchment-lined trays and tap to remove air bubbles. Let rest for 2 hours until the tops are dry to the touch.
- Bake at 300°F for 15–20 minutes until the shells rise and form feet. Cool completely before decorating.
- For the royal icing, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. Whisk until glossy, then divide and color one portion black and the other yellow.
- Pipe a black belt across half the macaron shells and add a small yellow square buckle in the center. Allow to dry.
- For the sugar cookie buttercream, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add cooled, heat-treated flour, vanilla, almond extract, and milk or cream to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the bottom macaron shells, top with decorated shells, and roll the edges in shredded coconut.
- Store macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Allow the macarons to rest completely before baking to prevent cracks.
- Use gel food coloring for a more vibrant red hue that won’t fade during baking.
- Heat-treat the flour for the buttercream to ensure food safety.
- Keep royal icing covered at all times to prevent it from drying out.
- Frozen macarons taste best when thawed overnight in the fridge.