White Chocolate Cranberry Macarons
These sparkling sugared macarons are filled with a creamy white chocolate ganache and a bright cranberry fruit filling. Perfect for your winter cookie platters!
Ingredients
Macaron Shell
- 130 grams Egg Whites Approximately 4 Large Eggs
- 120 grams Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 200 grams Almond Flour
- 200 grams Confectioner’s Sugar
- 15 Drops White Gel Food Coloring optional
- 2-3 TBS Clear Sanding Sugar
White Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz White Chocolate Chips
- 2 oz Heavy Cream
- 1 Pinch of Salt
Cranberry Filling
- 1 Cup Cranberries
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 3 TBS Water
- 1 TBS Orange Juice
- 1 Small Pinch of Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Corn Starch
- 1 tsp Water
Instructions
Important Note
- The white chocolate ganache takes about 2 hours to set, and the cranberry filling can take a bit to cool as well. Take this in to consideration when prepping so you can allow adequate time for fillings to set and cool before assembly.
Macaron Shells
- Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone mat (circle template optional but recommended).
- Place a medium round piping tip (Like a Wilton #2A or #12) in a large piping bag. Twist the bag right behind the tip and add a clip to seal off the opening. Place the bag tip down into either a clean tall cup with the edges folded over the rim to keep the bag open, or clip it into a bag holder.
- Using a kitchen scale, carefully weigh out and sift the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk well to fully blend the two together.
- Place egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar into a large mixing bowl, and begin beating with a whisk attachment using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer for 3 minutes on a medium low speed (Kitchen Aid Speed 4).
- Turn up the mixer to a medium speed (Kitchen Aid Speed 6) and beat for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add white gel food coloring (optional)
- Turn mixer up to medium high speed (Kitchen Aid Speed 8) and beat for 3 more minutes, or until peaks are very stiff and the meringue clumps up in a ball in the center of the whisk. Test stiffness by removing whisk and pointing it upward. (See photos in basic french macarons post) Once the peaks can hold their shape flipped upright, your meringue is ready.
- Pour half of your almond flour/confectioner’s sugar mixture into the bowl with your meringue, and fold 15 times. One fold is scraping all the way around the edge of your batter in your bowl, and then dragging your spatula through the middle. Be sure to scoop around the bottom of the bowl as well so you don’t miss any dry ingredients.
- Pour in the remaining powdered sugar and almond flour, and continue folding (approximately 30 more folds) until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overfold. Start checking your batter’s readiness every 5 folds or so at this point by scraping all batter down to the bottom of your bowl, and then wiggling your bowl back and forth several times. If the batter levels out with very few peaks and lines remaining, it should be ready. This is a thicker macaron batter than most and should not be folded to the point where you can do the figure 8 test or it flows in ribbons off your spatula.
- Pour batter into prepared piping bag, and twist the opening off. Hold your bag at the twist between your thumb and pointer finger. Remove the clip.
- Holding the piping bag straight up and down, apply pressure to begin piping your batter in the center of your circle templates, releasing pressure once you are a few millimeters short of your desired size. After you release pressure, use a small quick circular flick to release your tip from the piped macaron.
- Once you’ve piped a full tray, firmly bang the tray on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles and smooth out shells. Pop any remaining large bubbles with a toothpick. Repeat with the second tray.
- Sprinkle sanding sugar on the top of the shells for decoration.
- Begin preheating your oven to 295 degrees, using an oven thermometer if possible to ensure accurate temperature readings.
- Set aside shells to dry until they form a skin and are no longer tacky to the touch. Once you can gently run a finger over your shells, they are ready to bake. Use a fan to speed up the process, rotating the tray every few minutes to ensure even drying. This usually takes at least 16-20 minutes for me even with a fan.
- Once shells are dry, and the oven has fully preheated to 295, place one tray in the center of the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 18 minutes.
- Quickly open door to check the shell’s doneness by gently pressing on the side just above the feet to see if it’s firm. If it moves at all, bake for another 2 minutes.
- Check shells by performing the same test, pressing on the side. If they are still unstable, bake for one more minute, and check again. Repeat until shells are firm and do not budge.
- Allow shells to cool completely, and the carefully remove from silicone mat or parchment paper by gently peeling them off.
White Chocolate Ganache
- In a medium size microwave safe bowl, stir together the white chocolate, heavy cream, and salt.
- Microwave for 20 seconds, and stir.
- Continue microwaving in 10 second intervals, stirring well each time until smooth.
- Cover ganache with plastic wrap and set ganache aside to cool until set. This can take hours, so make the ganache far enough in advance to allow time for it to set.
Cranberry Filling
- Combine cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, and cinnamon in a small sauce pan and cook over medium high heat until the berries have begun to burst.
- Turn the stove down to medium heat, and use a wooden spoon to mash the berries while they simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and remaining water, and then pour in to the sauce pan with the filling while stirring. Cook until the filling has thickened.
- Cool in fridge until chilled.
Assembly
- Match each shell with a partner shell of equal size.
- Wait to fill macarons until both the white chocolate ganache and the cranberry filling are no longer warm and have set. Using a piping bag with a round piping tip (Wilton #12 or #10 size), pipe a border of white chocolate ganache on one shell in each pair.
- Fill the center of the white chocolate ganache border with the cranberry filling. A quick way to do this is to place the filling in a ziploc bag, and then cut off a corner of the bag and use it to pipe the filling.
- Gently sandwich the matched shell on top to complete your macaron.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for 24 hours to allow the macarons to “mature” and fully develop their flavor and texture. Eat within 3-4 days. Enjoy!