I am a sucker for Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday, and I love going all out with decorations and spooky food ideas. Last week I showed you guys a super cute Halloween lunch idea for kids. This week we’re moving on to dessert and I’m showing you how to make these super cute Mummy French Macarons with Maple Cinnamon Filling. If you are planning a Halloween get together, these will for sure be a hit.
Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I love baking sweet treats for any holiday, and Halloween is the perfect time to get the whole family involved in the fun. Macarons are one of my favorite treats, having tried them for the first time in France. They are a light treat that is the perfect after-dinner coffee accompaniment. They actually date all the way back to the 8th Century, where they were produced in Venetian monasteries. If you ever get the chance to try Ladurée’s macarons you are in for a treat! This Parisian bakery makes the most exquisite treats, and you’ll want to bring boxes of them home with you.
White macarons make the perfect base for a spooky Halloween makeover, and what better character to dress them as than a mummy? Once you’ve mastered the craft of the macaron, you can easily personalize them to bring them to life for any holiday season. I’m excited to try some fun designs for Christmas this year as well!
This is the perfect arts and crafts activity to get kids involved in, as the icing and creation of the mummy is super easy but fun. Kids of any age love being involved in baking, and they can take the treats to share with their friends at school or a Halloween party.
Another super fun idea for these is having a decorate your own mummy station for kids at your Halloween party. There’s always a certain point in family gatherings where younger children start to get a bit restless, so why not let them decorate their own dessert? It’s a fun way to keep them entertained and out of the way of the adults for a short while. You never know what fun new designs they’ll come up with.
If it’s your first time making macarons, don’t be put off by the challenge! I’ve included some of my top tips below to ensure you have a successful bake. I’d highly recommend using an oven thermometer, and I find this is the key to my success. It took me a few attempts to master the macaron, but now they are one of my favorite treats to make! I’ve incorporated maple syrup into the filling of this recipe, and it’s one of my favorite ingredients to use when baking for sauces and fillings.
I’m excited to bake these this year, and I’m planning to serve them as a dessert for Halloween along with some of the other fun recipes I’ve posted recently. Macarons add a sophisticated touch to any dessert buffet and are perfect for adults who just like a small dessert after a big feast. I hope you have fun getting the whole family involved in this Mummy French Macaron recipe this Halloween season.
Mummy French Macarons with Maple Cinnamon Filling
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the Shell
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup almond flour see notes
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Filling
- 2 ounces whipped cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup Grade A is recommended
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
To Decorate
- 1/3 cup white candy melts
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
- Black Food Pen
Instructions
Making the Shells via the Swiss Method (Recommended for Beginners)
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium sized bowl. Add the powdered sugar and almond flour to the sieve and sift them together. Discard any large lumps that remain in the sifter. Set aside.
- Fill a small saucepan half way with water. Place it over high heat and bring to a rolling boil.
- Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the bowl with the egg whites on top. Begin whisking the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved— about 2 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and place in on the mixer. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they hold a stiff peak— about 8-10 minutes with a Kitchenaid mixer on speed 6-8.
- Once the egg whites can hold a stiff peak, remove the bowl from the mixer stand and place the fine mesh sieve on top. Pour the powdered sugar/almond four mixture into the sieve and sift it into the egg whites. Again, discard any remaining clumps.
- Begin to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Proper folding technique is to cut through the center of the batter with your spatula and scoop around the bottom of the bowl and flip the batter from the bottom to the top. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat.
- Once the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated, it’s time for the Macaronage stage. Smush all of the batter against the sides of the bowl and then scrape it down and fold it back together again. Repeat 5-6 times, or until the batter reaches the “lava stage”. You could be able to lift the batter with your spatula and draw a figure 8 without the batter clumping. If it doesn’t flow evenly and smoothly, repeat the smushing another 1-2 times and test again.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe 1” circles that are about 2” apart on the baking sheet. Once you’ve finished the first tray, pick it up approximately 6” off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 6-7 more times, or until you do not see any large air bubbles remaining.
- Continue piping the second tray and then drop it to release any air bubbles.
- Allow the macarons to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour if it’s humid) or until they have developed a skin. You should be able to touch the top of the macaron without it sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons are resting, preheat your oven to 325F.
- Bake the macarons in a preheated oven one tray at a time— on the center rack— for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms are just starting to turn a light brown.
- Leave the macarons on the tray to cool.
Making the Shells via the French Method
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium sized bowl. Add the powdered sugar and almond flour to the sieve and sift them together. Discard any large lumps that remain in the sifter. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat the egg whites on medium speed (speed 6-8 on a Kitchenaid Mixer) and add the granulated sugar slowly. You should add about 1 tablespoon of sugar and then wait for it to become fully incorporated before adding the next tablespoon. The process of adding sugar should take 2-3 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak— about 4-6 minutes.
- Once the egg whites can hold a stiff peak, remove the bowl from the mixer stand and place the fine mesh sieve on top. Pour the powdered sugar/almond four mixture into the sieve and sift it into the egg whites. Again, discard any remaining clumps.
- Begin to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Proper folding technique is to cut through the center of the batter with your spatula and scoop around the bottom of the bowl and flip the batter from the bottom to the top. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat.
- Once the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated, it’s time for the Macaronage stage. Smush all of the batter against the sides of the bowl and then scrape it down and fold it back together again. Repeat 5-6 times, or until the batter reaches the “lava stage”. You could be able to lift the batter with your spatula and draw a figure 8 without the batter clumping. If it doesn’t flow evenly and smoothly, repeat the smushing another 1-2 times and test again.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe 1” circles that are about 2” apart on the baking sheet. Once you’ve finished the first tray, pick it up approximately 6” off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 6-7 more times, or until you do not see any large air bubbles remaining.
- Continue piping the second tray and then drop it to release any air bubbles.
- Allow the macarons to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (up to an hour if it’s humid) or until they have developed a skin. You should be able to touch the top of the macaron without it sticking to your finger.
- While the macarons are resting, preheat your oven to 325F.
- Bake the macarons in a preheated oven one tray at a time— on the center rack— for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms are just starting to turn a light brown.
- Leave the macarons on the tray to cool.
Making the Filling & Assembly/Decoration
Make the Filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Next, add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix again on medium speed until they are completely incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer on low speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, turn the mixer to high and beat until the filling becomes light and airy— about 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag.
Assemble
- Once the macarons have cooled fully, place them in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the size of your macaron) of filling into the center of one macaron. Place the second macaron on top and gently press it down to smush the filling all the way to the edge. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
Decorate
- Add the candy melts and vegetable shortening to a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
- Microwave for an additional 30 seconds and stir again. Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic bag. Cut the very tip of the corner of the bag off.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the macarons to create the mummy look.
- Once the chocolate has set, use a food pen to draw on two eyes.
- Place the macarons in an airtight container in the fridge to age at least 4 hours— if you have the time, aging overnight is preferred and will result in the best texture.
- Bring to room temperature before serving. Macarons can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make sure to use Almond Flour. It is not the same thing as Almond Meal. Bob’s Red Mill Superfine Almond Flour is my go-to.
- Your egg whites can, but do not need to be at room temperature.
- Using whipped cream cheese in the filling makes a lighter icing but standard cream cheese works as well.
- There are two things that can help ensure the success of macarons. First, make sure you are deflating the batter only to the lava stage. If you don’t deflate enough, the batter will be too thick and your macarons will have peaks (typically called nipples). If you deflate too much, your batter will be too runny and the macarons won’t rise properly.
- Secondly, using an oven thermometer is highly encouraged. An oven that is too hot will cause the feet on the macarons to spread and result in hollow shells. An oven that is too cold will result in wrinkly, undercooked macarons.
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