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French macarons are the elusive french cookie, that so many bakers try to master! They’re elegant on their own, but you can decorate macarons in so many unique ways to get them to look even more elegant and an absolute indulgence!
I love French Macarons! Not macarOOns, with two OO’s but MacarOns, with one O.
If you haven’t tried them, you must! They are these delicious, dainty French cookies, made with just a handful of ingredients: Almond flour, sugar, and egg whites.
They’re delicious, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside. They are known for their ruffled edges or feet that give them their signature look!
A macaron is actually just an elegant French cookie, but there’s something so luxurious about them; I always feel like I have to eat them with my pinkies up!
Macarons are definitely challenging
These dainty little cookies, can be a challenge. There are so many rules to follow to get them just right, it all comes down to practice.
They are definitely temperamental, with so many variables that can cause them to fall flat: ingredients, overbeating t
But once you get them right, the possibilities are endless!
Once you master the macaron, there are lots of options for macaron decorations!
You can color them however you like, and fill them with your favorite flavors! Decorate the macarons in whichever way you please. You can get really creative with them once you master them! There are so many ideas to decorate macarons.
When you decorate your macarons, they make for great additions to a dessert table, or as favors for a party! You can use colors or sprinkles to match the colors of theme of your party as ideas to decorate macarons.
There are ways you can decorate macarons before you bake them, like using sprinkles or different ways to color the macaron batter. Or you can decorate macarons after they have baked, using gold leaf or dipping them in chocolate.
Here are my favorite ways to dress up or decorate French macarons!
Five Ways to Decorate Macarons
ONE: Sprinkles
As a baker, sprinkles are my favorite accessory!
Sprinkles are the simples macaron decorations! You can play with any combination of colors, and mix your own sprinkle mixes. You don’t need a lot! I prefer to use sprinkles that are smaller so they don’t overpower the cookie. You don’t need a lot of sprinkles, probably just a tablespoon of small sprinkles for a dozen cookies – a little goes a long way!
They are by far the simplest macaron decorations to make your macarons special! You can play with any combination of colors, and mix your own sprinkle mixes. You don’t need a lot of these for your macaron decoration!
I prefer to use sprinkles that are smaller so they don’t overpower the cookie. You don’t need a lot of sprinkles, probably just a tablespoon of small sprinkles for a dozen cookies – A little goes a long way!
Some tips on how to add sprinkles to macarons:
- Use smaller sprinkles – that way they set into the macaron batter properly
- Make sure to use good quality sprinkles go a long way – I usually use either Wilton brand, like these gold sprinkles, or a Sweetapolita medley, which I usually find at Bulk Barn, here in Toronto!
- Make sure you sprinkles are not too old – these can result in cracked macarons!
When to add sprinkles to your macarons:
After you’ve piped your batter on your baking sheet, and popped all the air bubbles, add a few sprinkles.
Tip: Don’t wait too long after piping the batter as the batter tends to dry out. You want the sprinkles to stick to the batter while it’s still wet!
TWO: Play with color
Macarons are meant to be colorful! This is an easy way to make your macarons unique.
Using different colored batter is a fun way to use color as macaron decorations!
Make two different colored batters for your macarons. Fill your piping bag, with one color on each side, so they flow through at the same time. This method is a bit more difficult, as it requires both the colors to be mixed equally. Dividing my batter in different colors is still something I need to practice a little more with!
Try to use good quality gel food coloring that has not expired. This will ensure that your macarons turn out great after baking! I really like Americolor gel food color or Wilton’s Color Right System for this!
Tip: Make sure to mix both batters at equal consistency before you add them to your piping bag, or it can produce inconsistent cookies.
THREE: Watercolor or Marble macarons
This is a super simple, but such an impressive method of coloring your macarons! Each macaron looks unique!
I use this method to make my marbled peppermint macarons!
Before you pipe your batter, paint your pastry or piping bag with the colors you want. Then fill the bag with white batter.
You can use just one color. Here I used the color teal Americolor Soft Food Gel to color my pastry bag.
Or you can use multiple colors, like here: I used pink and teal, and you get colorful macarons.
Tip: Make sure you paint all the way through the bag, including the tip, else you’ll get some macarons that will be left plain white, without any color.
FOUR: Gilded Touch – Gold Leaf
Edible Gold leaf is one of my favorite ways to make any dessert look elegant.
This is another simple, and elegant idea to decorate macarons.
Once you’ve filled your cookies, you can decorate them with Edible Gold leaf. Carefully use a brush or tweezers to tear part of the gold leaf sheet, and place on top of the macarons. I only chose to decorate the top shell of each macaron.
I prefer to use the Edible Gold Sheets by SloFoodGroup, which I usually get on Amazon!
This is also a great way to decorate store-bought macarons!
Tip: Be patient with the gold leaf. Don’t touch them with your fingers. You’ll have to put it straight from your brush to the macaron. They tend to be finicky to use and disintegrate very quickly if you touch them.
FIVE: Dipped Macarons
These dipped macarons remind me of Black and White Cookies, but they’re so much better!
Once you’ve filled your cookies, dip your macarons in chocolate or use colored or white candy melts and get creative. The color combinations are endless!
Melt candy melts in a shallow bowl, and wait for it to cool down just a tad. You don’t want to use warm candy melts as it might affect your macaron. Dip half the macaron in the candy melts, and add sprinkles if you’d like. Let them cool on a baking sheet until the candy coating has hardened!
Tip: Make sure your cookies are not over-filled, and that the filling is not temperature sensitive. If it is it might start mix in with the candy melts and create a mess.
Which of these ideas would you try to decorate macarons?
Follow me on Instagram @sprinklesandscribbles for more baking inspiration!
Love this! What would you use to adhere sprinkles to already-baked macarons?
Usually I stick them on before baking. But if it’s after, you can maybe do a drizzle with chocolate, candy melts or royal icing and add the sprinkles before it dries! Hope that works out!