Red Velvet Macarons

🥘 Ingredients

Red Velvet Macaron Shells

• Almond Flour - Macarons cannot be made without almond flour, so you unfortunately can't substitute it.
• Powdered Sugar - Confectioners' sugar adds sweetness and helps to achieve the perfect consistency.
• Cocoa Powder - I recommend using dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the best flavor.
• Egg Whites - Make sure you let the egg whites come to room temperature before getting started.
• Vanilla Extract - Pure vanilla extract adds flavor.
• Cream of Tartar - Cream of tartar helps to strengthen your meringue.
• Sugar - Regular granulated sugar will be used in the meringue.
• Red Gel Coloring - When making macarons, I highly recommend gel food coloring (not liquid drops). To achieve a truly red color, it will take a lot of coloring. Keep in mind that the cocoa powder will dull the color slightly.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream Cheese - Try to use full-fat cream cheese and make sure you let it come up to room temperature.
• Butter - Your butter also needs to be at room temperature so it can mix properly.
• Powdered Sugar - This will thicken your frosting and add sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract - Pure vanilla extract for flavor.
• Heavy Cream - You can use small amounts of heavy cream to thin out your frosting.

Topping

If you want to upgrade the appearance of your macarons, try adding a drizzle of melted white chocolate or even sprinkling crumbled red velvet cake on top!

🔪 How To Make Red Velvet Macarons

The key to perfect macarons is to read each step carefully. You don't want to take any shortcuts here. You will need a baking sheet, an electric mixer, glass or metal mixing bowls, a kitchen scale, and a silicone spatula.

This recipe will yield 52 macaron shells or 26 assembled macarons.

Make the Macaron Shells

Step 1: Add the dry ingredients. In the bowl of your food processor, add 150 grams (1½ cups + 2 teaspoons) of almond flour, 145 grams (1¼ cup + 2½ tablespoons) of confectioner's sugar, and 5 grams (1 tablespoon) of dark cocoa powder.

Step 2: Pulse. Blend with the food processor on low speed until the mixture has become extra-fine. Then, use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Step 3: Beat the eggs. In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the 110 grams of egg whites (3-4 large egg whites), ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ⅛ teaspoon of cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

The egg mixture will start out looking foamy and will have soft peaks once the whisk begins to leave tracks.

Step 4: Slowly add sugar. Gradually add 95 grams (¼ cup + 3 tablespoons) of sugar to the egg whites while continuing to mix, until everything is fully distributed. Then, add your red gel food coloring.

Step 5: Beat. Continue to beat the egg mixture until stiff peaks form.

Step 6: Scoop. Scoop ⅓ of the whipped egg mixture into your flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it in until it is combined.

Step 7: Continue adding. Repeat this process with the remaining ⅔ of the egg whites, only adding ⅓ at a time, gently folding in between each addition.

Step 8: Finish the macaronage. After the last bit of the egg mixture has been added, continue to gently and slowly fold the macaron batter until the batter falls from the spatula in ribbons. *The consistency should be similar to honey or lava. If you let the batter fall from your spatula, it should only take about 10 seconds to sink back into itself.

Pipe the Macarons

Step 9: Transfer. Once you have reached the perfect consistency, transfer the batter into a piping bag that has been fitted with a round tip (or a storage bag with the corner cut off).

Step 10: Prepare. Prepare your baking sheet with a silicone macaron mat or parchment paper.

Step 11: Pipe. Pipe the macarons onto your parchment paper (or mat) in 1½-inch circles, making sure to space them at least ½-inch apart from each other.

Step 12: Remove air bubbles. Firmly tap the baking sheet on the counter 5 times to get rid of any air bubbles. Then, use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles that you might see.

Step 13: Rest. Allow the macarons to rest on the counter at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, or until they are dry to the touch and no longer tacky.

Step 14: Preheat. While the macarons are resting, preheat your oven to 325˚F (160˚C/Gas Mark 3).

Step 15: Bake. Once your oven is fully preheated, bake the macarons for 10-13 minutes, or until the macarons don’t move if you tap on them slightly.

Step 16: Cool. Remove the macarons from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

Step 17: Beat. In a large mixing bowl, add 4 ounces (113 grams) of cream cheese and ¼ cup (57 grams) of butter. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat it for 1 minute until it has become light and fluffy.

Step 18: Add sugar. Add 1½ cups of confectioners sugar (180 grams) and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Step 19: Reach the right consistency. Gradually add ½ tablespoon of heavy cream in small increments, making sure to beat in between each addition until you reach your desired consistency.

Assemble the Macarons

Step 20: Prepare the frosting. Scoop the frosting into a piping bag with a round tip (or a storage bag with the corner cut off).

Step 21: Pipe. Take one cooled macaron shell and pipe some frosting into the center. Place a second macaron shell on top and gently press them together, forming a sandwich.

Step 22: Repeat. Repeat this process with your remaining macaron shells and cream cheese frosting.

Step 23: Drizzle. If desired, you can melt ¼ cup (45 grams) of white chocolate chips in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring well in between each one. Then, you can drizzle the chocolate over the macarons.

Step 24: Chill and serve. For best results, place the macarons into an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, allow them to come up to room temperature and serve.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• Have stiff peaks. Your meringue should have stiff peaks before you stop mixing. When you remove the whisk, the meringue should stick up in a peak. You could also flip the bowl over, and nothing falls out.
• Use a piping bag. I recommend using a piping bag with a round tip (I used a Wilton 12 tip). You could also use a storage bag with the tip cut off.
• Decorate. In my photos, you can see how the white chocolate is drizzled down the sides of the macarons. If you only want the top to be decorated, drizzle the white chocolate on the macaron shells before assembling them.
• Use a template. If you plan on making macarons frequently, I recommend picking up some silicone macaron baking mats or parchment paper with a template printed on them. If you don't have one, you can print a template out online.
• Sift the dry ingredients. Don't skip out on sifting your ingredients. This is what helps to achieve the perfect texture.
• Let them rest. Let your macarons rest for 30-60 minutes before putting them in the oven. This allows them to form the feet and is a crucial part of the process. They should be dry and no longer tacky.

🥡 Storing

Place shells into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 6 days. Simply add your filling when you are ready.

If assembled, place your macarons into the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezing

Once the shells have fully cooled, place them into an airtight container and freeze them. When ready, allow them to thaw in the fridge for a few hours before filling and assembling them.

You can also freeze assembled macarons. Allow your macarons to fully bloom in the fridge for 24 hours before freezing them.

Stack them carefully in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. When ready, allow the macarons to thaw in the fridge for a few hours.

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