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A ghost-shaped French macaron for Halloween on a black napkin.

Halloween Macarons

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Cute, simple, six-ingredient Halloween macarons!  Little ones love creating spooky faces on baked shells. This small-batch recipe is approachable and great for first-time macaron bakers. 

If piping the ghost shapes seems intimidating, simply use a circle template instead. A five-minute chocolate ganache is a dark and mysterious filling fit for Halloween. If only grown-ups plan to partake, you can add a tablespoon or two of your favorite liqueur to the ganache. 

Find all the Edible Times printable macaron templates here.

  • Total Time: About 1 hour
  • Yield: 14 to 16 Macarons 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Macaron Shells

  • 120 grams or ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 80 grams or ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of almond flour
  • 2 fresh egg whites (about 60 to 70 grams)
  • 50 grams or ¼ cup of granulated sugar
  • Tiny pinch of cream of tartar (about ⅛ teaspoon), optional

Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • 2 ounces or ¼ cup of dark chocolate, chips, or chopped chocolate bar
  • 2 ounces or ¼ cup of heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract, optional
  • 1 tablespoon of liqueur such as Kahlua, Godiva, Kirsch, or Cointreau, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven. Aim for a temperature between 285° F and 300° F. A slightly lower heat than you might typically use for French macarons helps prevent the white ghost shells from browning.
  2. Prep your tools. Line two baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and place your template underneath the parchment. Snip the corner of your pastry bag or large plastic food bag and push a round pastry tip all the way to the small end.
  3. Sift. Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar with a sifter or mesh sieve, pushing the powdered sugar through the sieve with your hands to break up the clumps. Discard any large pieces of almond flour (don't force them through). 
  4. Meringue. Pour the egg whites into a mixing bowl or bowl of your stand mixer (use the whisk attachment). Whip on medium-high speed until the whites are frothy, then drizzle in the granulated sugar while beating (you can also add the sugar at the start). Turn the speed to high and beat until the meringue is glossy, opaque, and resembles shaving cream. When the meringue makes little peaks off the beater that look like a bird's beak—nearly sticking straight up—it's ready.
  5. Macaronage (mix the batter). Add all the sifted dry ingredients to the whipped meringue. Fold the mixture a bit vigorously at first to create a somewhat homogenous mixture. Then fold gently by scraping in a circular motion around the inner sides of the bowl and then up over the top of the batter. Cut your spatula through the center of the batter about every other stroke. 
  6. Aim for ribbons. Your macaronage is complete when the batter ribbons off the spatula and flows slowly. Be careful not to over-mix, or you'll end up with a batter that is too thin. Transfer it to your prepared piping bag. Then, twist the bag closed at the top.
  7. Pipe the shells. Hold the piping bag vertically and a quarter-inch off the baking pan. Begin at the top of each ghost outline and move the tip downward as you squeeze. I like to pipe with tiny left-and-right motions and gradually make them larger as I go. I typically ignore the detail at the bottom of the ghosts and finish each with a straight line of batter corner-to-corner. Stop squeezing and flick the tip away at the second corner to prevent batter dribbles.
  8. Settle the batter. If your batter doesn't settle after a few moments, tap the underneath of the pans to help it flatten out.
  9. Rest the macarons. Resting isn't a do-or-die step in baking macarons. But it's great insurance for getting those frilly feet and nicely set shells in the oven. Rest piped batter on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes until it turns dull and looks dry (you should be able to gently touch one without ruining your piping work).
  10. Make the ganache. While the batter rests, bring the heavy cream just to a boil and pour it over the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Let it sit for five minutes, then whisk to smooth it out. If you are adding liqueur or any extract, whisk it in now. Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a small piping bag (you don't need a tip). Snip a small opening when you're ready to pipe the filling. 
  11. Bake. Bake the macarons for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once the signature le pied, or “feet” form. Gently nudge the tops of a couple of macaron shells with your finger. If the tops don't wiggle, the ghosts are done. 
  12. Fill. Remove the ghosts from the parchment once they're cool enough to handle by gently pushing up from underneath and peeling the macarons away. Pair up like-sized shells, and pipe your filling onto half of them. Top with the remaining shells.
  13. Decorate. Use a tiny, pointed (clean!) paintbrush to create ghost faces with black food coloring. I recommend a food coloring gel. Barely dip the paintbrush in it to avoid splatters. For the best flavor, allow macarons to mature for a day before serving.

Notes

Bake low and slow. I bake uncolored macarons at around 280° F to reduce browning. It takes a bit of trial and error with your own oven, and an inexpensive thermometer can help you find that sweet spot. A gentler heat can also prevent the shells from cracking or the feet from becoming overly large.

 

  • Author: Christina
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14-18 minutes
  • Category: Macarons
  • Method: Meringue
  • Cuisine: French
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Macaron
  • Calories: 93
  • Sugar: 10.7 g
  • Sodium: 7.5 mg
  • Fat: 3.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12.1 g
  • Protein: 1.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 3.7 mg

Keywords: Halloween macarons recipe, Halloween macarons, ghost macarons

Find it online: https://edibletimes.com/halloween-macarons-ghosts-and-more/