Description

Make your holiday season extra special with these delightful Santa Claus Macarons. Featuring delicate almond meringue shells filled with a rich sugar cookie buttercream and detailed royal icing decorations, these festive treats combine beautiful presentation with irresistible flavor. Perfect for gifting or holiday parties, these macarons offer a blend of nutty, sweet, and creamy textures that are sure to wow your guests.

Ingredients

Scale

Macaron Shells

1 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (adds sweetness and caramel flavor)
1 tablespoon Egg White Powder (optional, stabilizes meringue)
3 large Egg Whites (room temperature)
1 cup Almond Flour (provides nutty flavor)
1 cup Domino® Powdered Sugar (sweetens and smoothens shells)

Royal Icing

2 cups Domino® Powdered Sugar (for glossy icing)
1 tablespoon Meringue Powder (stabilizes icing)
3 tablespoons Water (to adjust consistency)
2 drops Black Gel Food Coloring (for Santa’s belt)
1 drop Yellow Gel Food Coloring (for the buckle)

Sugar Cookie Buttercream Filling

1 cup All-Purpose Flour (heat treated)
1 cup Unsalted Butter (creamy base)
1/2 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (adds sweetness)
1 cup Domino® Powdered Sugar (for silky finish)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (enhances flavor)
1 teaspoon Almond Extract (adds nuttiness)
2 tablespoons Milk or Heavy Cream (for consistency)

Decoration

1 cup Desiccated Coconut (for decoration)

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Instructions

Preparation: Set up your baking station by fitting a piping bag with a round tip and lining baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking.
Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together into a bowl, ensuring the mixture is smooth and lump-free for a delicate macaron shell.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300ºF (150ºC) and allow it to fully heat for 60 to 90 minutes to ensure even baking temperature.
Melt Sugar Mixture: In a heatproof bowl, gently melt the cup of Domino® Golden Sugar over simmering water, stirring to create a caramel flavor base for the meringue.
Whisk Egg Whites: Slowly whisk the 3 large room temperature egg whites into the melted sugar until the sugar granules fully dissolve, creating a smooth mixture.
Whip Meringue: Using an electric mixer, whip this mixture to stiff peaks, which will form the sturdy structure of your macaron shells.
Fold Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the meringue, taking care not to deflate the air incorporated from whipping.
Pipe Shells: Transfer the batter to the piping bag and pipe small, uniform circles onto the prepared baking sheets for consistent baking.
Release Air Bubbles and Rest: Bang the trays firmly against the counter to release any air bubbles, then let the piped shells rest for the recommended time to develop a skin.
Bake Shells: Bake the macarons in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until shells are set and have formed characteristic footed bases.
Cool Shells: Allow the macarons to cool completely on the baking trays before handling and filling to prevent cracks or breakage.
Prepare Royal Icing: Mix the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a bowl, adding the water gradually to reach a glossy and pipeable consistency. Divide and tint portions with black and yellow gel food coloring for Santa’s belt and buckle details.
Make Sugar Cookie Buttercream: Combine heat-treated all-purpose flour with unsalted butter, Domino® Golden Sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk or heavy cream. Mix until smooth and creamy for the filling.
Assemble Macarons: Pipe the buttercream onto one macaron shell, sandwich with another shell, and decorate with the colored royal icing and desiccated coconut to create Santa-themed details and festive textures.

Notes

Allow egg whites to come to room temperature for better meringue stability and volume.
Heat treating the flour before use ensures the buttercream filling is safe to eat without baking.
Let the macarons age for 24 hours in the fridge after assembly to enhance texture and flavor before serving.
Use silicone mats or parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent sticking and promote even cooking.
Work gently when folding dry ingredients to maintain airiness in the batter.
For best results, pipe all shells uniformly and allow them to rest before baking to avoid cracked tops.