There are so many occasions where you might want to make black macarons, so don't limit these to Halloween. They're elegant on a wedding shower dessert buffet or for a kids theme birthday party. My method for making macarons is completely fool proof because it relies on powdered egg whites.
Happy Halloween! I made you spooky, creepy black macarons. And then I ate them all up before it was Halloween and had to make more. Repeat times 3.
I used my basic French macaron recipe for the shells. Also, I made a chocolate macaron version, because life is not complete without a chocolate version. I even altered the recipe to make salted caramel macarons, and put it in my cookbook. It's just a solid recipe.
I originally thought it would be hard to scale down such a finnicky French recipe, but as it turns out, the recipe is usually based on weight, which is so much easier to scale down. I wouldn't share this recipe for black macarons if it wasn't super easy to get great results!
How to Make Black Macarons
I don't pray to the macaron gods before making these tiny, chewy little black macarons, though I do take a bit of help. I use a mixture of egg whites and powdered meringue. You can find the powdered meringue at the craft or hobby store. I love it because it basically makes the recipe fail-proof, and plus, it has a hint of vanilla that flavors the macarons so nicely. Plus, it just smells so good. Sometimes, I open the powdered meringue jar in my pantry and take a sniff. This is my life.
Oh, one final note: I use whipped cream cream cheese frosting as the filling for these black macarons instead of the usual buttercream. I love the airy, lightness of macarons, and always feel that regular buttercream weighs them down.
As always, check out my recipe index to use the leftover egg yolks from making this recipe.
Black Macarons
These black macarons are perfect for Halloween.
Ingredients
- 1 older egg white
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- ⅓ cup + 11/2 teaspoons (35 grams) almond meal
- ⅓ cup + ¼ cup (76 grams) powdered sugar
- 3 drops extract of your choice (almond, vanilla, or anise)
- small dollop of black food gel*
For the filling:
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Begin by bringing the egg white to room temperature.
- Line a small half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper fits the pan exactly, as any excess paper will buckle and make the macarons spread unevenly.
- In a small bowl, sift together almond meal and powdered sugar. You may have a few teaspoons of almond skin that won't go through the seive--toss it.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with an electric mixer.
- Once frothy, slowly add the merginue powder while beating continuously.
- Once the meringue has soft floppy peaks, stop beating. Then, in 3 increments, add in the the almond meal and powdered sugar. Gently fold it in using a spatula (scrape down the middle and sweep the sides carefully).
- Add the extract of your choice.
- Once everything is well incorporated, scoop the mixture into a plastic bag or pastry bag. This is easier if the bag is inside a tall glass. Squeeze the mixture down to one side and snip the corner off of the bag.
- Squeeze gently to make 12 perfectly round circles on the baking pan. Use your finger tip to gently press away any peaks.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before baking. Before the cookies go into the oven, they should appear dry. This takes longer on humid days. While waiting, preheat the oven to 300°.
- Bake the cookies in the middle rack of the oven for 14-16 minutes. They are done when the tops are dry and they have risen up to reveal their â??feet.â??
- Let cool on the baking sheet, then carefully peel them off the parchment paper, and move them to a rack.
- Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar to make the filling. Dot it on 6 of the macarons, and top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches.
Notes
*I used food coloring gel, not the liquid. It's much more intense than liquid food colors, and that's a good thing when it comes to macarons--you don't want to add too many extraneous things to the batter for fear it might break.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 49Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
Nicole ~ Cookng for Keeps says
Macarons are literally my favorite cookie on the planet, and the two places I love most in KC that make them, WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. Saying I'm upset is a severe understatement. I've been meaning to try and make them at home, and you make them sound so easy.....It needs to happen!
Simone says
My black gel is turning blue navy how to fix this
Christina Lane says
Add a touch more....that has more to do with your gel than the recipe.
Ursula says
Hahaha. What is ? cup ?
And yes... you need to share the Halloween photos
Jasper says
whipped cream? don't they easily melt and get soggy?