White Chocolate Peppermint French Macarons

1 . Stage

Boil the cream: In a small pot, set over medium-high heat add the heavy cream. As soon as it comes up to a gentle boil, remove it from the heat. This should take about 5 minutes.

2 . Stage

Whisk in the chocolate: In a medium heatproof bowl, add the chocolate chips. Carefully pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Whisk it until fully combined and smooth.

3 . Stage

Flavor the ganache filling: Add the peppermint extract and stir to combine. Set it aside at room temperature while you make the macaron shells. Do not put it in the fridge because it will harden!

4 . Stage

Sift the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, use a sifter or fine mesh strainer to sift the almond meal and powdered sugar together. Discard any large pieces of almond meal. Set it aside.

5 . Stage

Whip the egg whites: Dampen a paper towel with a bit of distilled white vinegar and wipe down the inside of a 4- or 5- quart mixing bowl. A glass or metal bowl would work! Add the egg whites to the mixing bowl and using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, whisk on medium-low speed for 3 minutes until the egg whites are foamy, but not yet holding their shape. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 3 for this step. You can do this with an electric handheld mixer set on medium, but it will take a little longer. Follow along with the visual cues for doneness.

6 . Stage

Make the meringue: Add the cream of tartar first and continue whisking for 3 minutes. Then, with the mixer running, sprinkle in the sugar slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar has been added, increase to medium speed and continue whisking for about 5 minutes. The egg whites will have increased in volume, become white, and look thick. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 4 for this step.

7 . Stage

Check for stiff peaks: Stop the mixer, lift the whisk from the egg whites, and turn the whisk upside down. It should have a stiff peak of meringue that slightly bends at the very tip, but it should not slide off the whisk.  If the peak curls or falls over then continue whisking the meringue, about 1 to 2 minutes. If the meringue starts to look chunky or curdled, the egg whites have been overwhipped and you’ll have to start over. 

8 . Stage

Fold in the dry ingredients: Add one third of the dry ingredients into the meringue. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them together. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, one third of it at a time until fully combined.

9 . Stage

Scrape the batter: Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter against and around the sides of the bowl to knock some of the air out of the batter. Do this 5 or 6 times. Knocking some of the air out of the batter is important because too much air will cause the shells to crack while they bake.

10 . Stage

Test the batter: Use a rubber spatula to pick up some of the batter and drizzle it over the batter in the bowl. It should stream down like honey. Draw a figure 8 with it over the batter. The figure 8 should start to sink back into the batter after 10 to 20 seconds, but not disappear.

11 . Stage

Prepare baking sheets and the piping bag: Turn two large baking sheets upside down and line the bottom of the baking sheet (which is now the top!) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set them aside. Fit a 12- to 18- inch pastry bag with a small round pastry tip—I use a small #12 Wilton round tip. Place the pastry bag into a tall cup with the pastry tip touching the bottom of the cup. Cuff the excess bag over the edge of the cup. Use a small pastry brush to dab a bit of the red food coloring on the tip and brush 3 streaks of red along the inside of the bag from the bottom (where the pastry tip is) all the way to the top of the opening of the pastry bag. Use a rubber spatula to gently scrape the batter into the piping bag. Twist the top of the pastry bag so that the batter doesn’t fall out of the bag while you’re holding it. If using parchment paper, pipe a small dot of batter in each corner of the baking sheet to help secure the paper. 

12 . Stage

Pipe the shells: Pipe 1- to 1 1/2-inch circles 2 inches apart from each other on the prepared baking sheets. The pastry tip should point directly down, not at an angle, for evenly sized and perfectly round shells. If the tops have a pointy tip from the piping, gently smooth them out with an offset spatula or the back of a small spoon. You will get 30 to 32 circles, which will yield 15 or 16 macarons.

13 . Stage

Remove more air bubbles: Firmly grasp the sides of the baking sheet and tap it hard against your counter. Tiny air bubbles may come up to the surface of the shells and pop. You can use the sharp pointy end of a toothpick to pop them, if desired. Rotate the baking sheet as needed to tap all sides evenly.

14 . Stage

Rest the shells: Allow the shells to rest for 30 to 40 minutes. It may take up to 1 hour if your home is humid. The shells are ready to bake when they look matte and you can touch the tops without them sticking to your finger or leaving a mark.

15 . Stage

Bake the shells: Set the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300° Bake the shells, one baking sheet at a time, for 13 minutes. When the timer goes off, carefully open the oven door, and gently touch the top of a shell. The top of the shell should not move from the feet where it touches the pan. If it moves slightly, bake it for 1 minute more.

16 . Stage

Cool the shells: Place the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack. Allow the shells to cool completely before removing them from the mat. Do not try and lift them up using a spatula or other tool, especially if they are sticking. Once they are completely cool, use your hands to peel the baking mat or parchment paper back from the shells slowly and gently. If they are completely cool, the shells should come off easily.

17 . Stage

Pair the shells: Match up similar-sized shells in pairs and set them aside on your counter. Each pair will be filled with the white chocolate ganache.

18 . Stage

Fill with the peppermint ganache: Fit a small piping bag with a round #12 Wilton tip. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the peppermint ganache into the pastry bag. Twist the top of the pastry bag so that the ganache doesn’t fall out of the bag while you’re holding it. Pipe a little less than a tablespoon-sized dollop of ganache onto one of the paired shells. Sandwich the pair together. Repeat with all other macarons.

19 . Stage

Mature the macaron shells: Transfer the macarons into an airtight container and place them in the fridge overnight, at least 12 hours, to soften for the best texture. This step is called maturing.