Description
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these charming Red Velvet Macarons filled with a creamy mascarpone frosting. Perfectly crisp on the outside and tender inside, these heart-shaped treats combine subtle cocoa flavor with a luscious, smooth mascarpone cream—ideal for a romantic dessert or special gift.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Macaron Shells:
- 130 g powdered sugar
- 120 g almond flour
- 7 g cocoa powder
- 105 g egg whites
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- ½ teaspoon red food gel
For the Mascarpone Frosting:
- 113 g (½ cup) heavy cream, cold
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 113 g (½ cup) mascarpone, cold
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
Instructions
- Prepare Macaron Template: Trace a heart-shaped cookie cutter about 2 inches apart onto one sheet of parchment paper. Place this sheet under another piece of parchment for piping the macaron shells. Alternatively, you may free-hand the shapes without a template.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder twice to ensure uniform texture and remove lumps.
- Heat Egg Whites and Sugar: Using a double boiler, gently heat the egg whites and granulated sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved or until the mixture reaches about 120°F (49°C).
- Whip Meringue: Transfer the warm egg white mixture to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add vanilla paste and red food gel, then continue whisking until stiff peaks form—test by inverting the bowl; the meringue should not slide or fall.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Meringue (Macaronage): Fold in one-third of the dry ingredients gently with a silicone spatula, scraping around the bowl and through the center. Add the remaining dry ingredients and continue folding carefully. Spread batter along the sides of the bowl to slightly deflate it, mixing gently until the batter flows like thick lava and you can draw figure eights without breaks.
- Pipe Macaron Shells: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (e.g., Ateco 802) with batter. Pipe heart shapes using the template underneath the parchment. Remove the template carefully. Tap the baking sheet on the counter and gently bang the bottom to release air bubbles.
- Rest Shells: Let the piped shells rest for 30-40 minutes until a dry skin forms and no batter comes off when touched.
- Preheat Oven: Near the end of resting, preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Bake Macarons: Bake the shells for approximately 12 minutes. Once baked, allow them to cool completely before removing from the parchment.
- Make Mascarpone Frosting: In a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment, combine cold heavy cream, granulated sugar, mascarpone, and vanilla paste. Whisk on low speed to combine, then increase to medium-high speed until thickened, about 30 seconds.
- Assemble Macarons: Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a small round tip. Pair similar-sized macaron shells, pipe frosting onto the bottom shell, then sandwich with the matching top shell, pressing gently to adhere.
Notes
- The macaron flavor improves after resting overnight. For best results, bake the shells a day ahead, chill, and assemble the next day.
- If macarons stick to the parchment after cooling, place them in the freezer for a few minutes to help release them easily.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
