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Eggnog Macarons

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Homemade eggnog macarons - a perfect Christmas cookie treat! Eggnog macaron recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

You know the holiday season would not be complete here at Goodie Godmother without a macaron recipe, and this year, I’m sharing my eggnog macarons! First of all because they are delicious and second because there is no cookie that matches the macaron in terms of presentation at a fete. Macarons were made for a party, and these have “ugly sweater party” written all over them! Well, not really, but you’ll be invited back next year. 😉

If you’re new to making macarons, please head over to my nifty “How to Make Macarons” post and read up on the two major styles of preparation and all my tips and tricks. Today, I used the Italian method with the cooked syrup because macaron making happens when I have time nowadays and I don’t always have aged egg whites on hand. You can make the French method with fresh egg whites (I’ve done it), but it was raining, and the humidity was crazy high, and my current oven is temperamental. Pick your method, have fun with it, and know the macarons will be delicious no matter what.

Homemade eggnog macarons - a perfect Christmas cookie treat! Eggnog macaron recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Making these was actually a bit of an adventure, because I remembered the measurements for the shells incorrectly and ended up with too much egg white for not enough syrup or dry ingredients. I didn’t catch this mistake until I was in the middle of the macaronage process (oops), and instead of starting over, I decided to add extra almond meal and powdered sugar to get the right consistency. Thankfully it worked, and my Italian/French method hybrid macarons turned out, but goodness! So… don’t do what I did, please, and always double check the measurements. 😉

Typically, the bulk of a macaron’s flavor comes from the filling, but for my eggnog macarons I like to add some of the dry spices into the shell batter. I use a little nutmeg and a bit of cinnamon in the batter, and then the same eggnog buttercream recipe I use to fill my gingerbread eggnog sandwich cookies. If you’d prefer to use a Swiss meringue buttercream, just halve this recipe and add your eggnog at the end with some nutmeg instead of the vanilla bean. For a bit of a stronger flavor, I sprinkled the finished macarons with a little nutmeg and cinnamon, but that’s up to you.

Homemade eggnog macarons - a perfect Christmas cookie treat! Eggnog macaron recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

I hope you enjoy this recipe! A friend of mine who doesn’t like eggnog tried one and messaged me to tell me that even she liked them. A tin filled with macarons makes a great gift for anyone, and if it’s for an aspiring macaron baker, print the recipe and toss in a set of baking mats (like these: Artisan Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat – 2 Pack), and you’re good!

Happy macaroning, darlings!

Homemade eggnog macarons - a perfect Christmas cookie treat! Eggnog macaron recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Eggnog Macarons

Yield: 2 dozen macarons
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Shell Ingredients:

  • 150 g almond flour
  • 150 g powdered/confectioner's sugar
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 30 g water
  • 110 g egg whites, divided
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp eggnog
  • pinch salt
  • 1/16-1/8 tsp nutmeg, adjust to your preference
  • Optional - additional ground nutmeg and cinnamon for sprinkling over finished macarons

Instructions

  1. Sift together the almond flour, spices, and confectioner's sugar into a mixing bowl. Top with 55 g egg whites. Do not mix.
  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with your whisk attachment, place the other 55g egg whites.
  3. In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture up to soft ball stage (235 F/112 C) over medium high heat. When it is about 5 degrees away from the soft ball stage, start whisking your egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Once the sugar has reached soft ball stage, immediately remove from the heat, increase your mixer speed to high, and carefully drizzle in the sugar syrup, avoiding the sides of your bowl as much as possible. Continue whisking until you've reached a soft peak.
  4. Dump in the almond meal mixture and fold it into the egg whites until the mixture is homogeneous and looks like slow moving lava. Be careful not to over mix.
  5. Place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe onto parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheets. Set aside.
  6. Heat your oven to 300 F.
  7. Bake the sheets one at a time for 15-17 minutes until the shells easily lift off the parchment or baking mat but aren't colored around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
  8. While the macarons are baking, make the filling by beating the butter until light and fluffy, then adding the sugar, eggnog and nutmeg.
  9. When the shells are cooled, pair them together. Pipe a bit of filling on one side of the macaron and then top with the other.
  10. Allow the macarons to rest in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 24 hours before serving (ideally). Remove from the refrigerator a few minutes before eating to allow the filling to soften. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg and cinnamon if desired.

Did this recipe inspire you?

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Lindsay

Thursday 8th of December 2016

When you say to bake one sheet at a time, what should you do with the additional batter waiting to be baked? Keep at room temp? Or put in the fridge? Should they be piped on a sheet ready to go? Sorry for the million questions!

Thank you in advance! I'm going to try these tomorrow :)

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Friday 9th of December 2016

Hi Lindsay! Leave it at room temperature, ideally piped onto a baking sheet waiting. The little bit of drying time may actually help you achieve a better result depending on ambient humidity. I usually pipe no more than 2-3 sheets at a time. You won't need more than that unless you're making a big batch or multiple batches though since the shells don't spread too much. Happy baking! :)

Whitney @ That Square Plate

Wednesday 23rd of December 2015

I have GOT to make these soon. I've always been a little to intimidated to try! I know these are amazing.

Paige @ Where Latin Meets Lagniappe

Monday 21st of December 2015

Mary, your macarons are incredibly inspiring! And I can imagine that these taste delicious :) I have always been scared to try making them...but with your instructions, I may have to give it a go :) They are beautiful!

The Godmother

Tuesday 22nd of December 2015

Thanks! Check out the Macarons 101 post on the blog for lots of troubleshooting tips and to take a look at the French and Italian methods. That way you can pick which you're most comfortable trying. Enjoy!

Brian Jones

Sunday 20th of December 2015

I only tried to make macaroons once and failed miserably, these look spectacular!

The Godmother

Tuesday 22nd of December 2015

They're temperamental cookies sometimes, but I'm sure they still tasted good!

Whitney

Saturday 19th of December 2015

These are beautiful macarons, Mary! I have never been able to get mine to be flat-topped!

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