There’s nothing more fun than playing with your food. And these Galaxy Macarons are totally an experiment I enjoyed playing at.
So, I am not a very “play with your food” kind of gal–AHA! That is a blatant LIE.
I love to play with my food. A lot.
So much so that I sometimes make things that are super wacky and no one will see me remaking them anytime soon. But these Galaxy Macarons–not these.
I will definitely be making them again. They were so simple–and it turns out that I can make some amazing cookies, y’all. No, really, these Galaxy Macarons were so yummy.
What is a Macaron Supposed to Taste Like?
Just a normal, lightly nutty, not-too-sweet cookie with sweet buttercream filling and an amazing crispness. Because of the almond flour, the macaron flavor will be similar to marzipan. The outside of the cookie will be dry and crackly, but the inside texture will be slightly chewy–amazing!
Do Different Colored Macarons Taste Different?
The flavor of the macaron is not affected by the color. The food coloring should be tasteless. However, macarons can have any number of flavorings or extracts added to them. Sometimes the baker will add food coloring that will complement the flavoring. Some of the flavorings that can be added are:
- Lemon Juice
- Strawberry
- Key Lime
- Buttered Rum
- Raspberry
- Blackberry Jam
- Orange
- Vanilla Extract
- Coconut
- Lavender
How do You get the Right Shape and Size on Macarons?
To help you out, I made a simple template for measuring how much to pipe onto my silicone mat (paid link)…you know, things…
And, if you don’t know about them, I’ve got 12 Hacks for Perfect Macarons that you should definitely look at before diving in if it’s your first time.
But, it’s really NO BIG DEAL. People stress over these cookies for no reason. Now, you get this recipe for Galaxy Macarons pinned, then let’s get baking.
How Do You Dye Macarons Purple?
If you want truly purple macarons, you will need to purchase some gel food coloring in black and purple. Mix some of the purple and black together and keep adding one or the other of those colors until you achieve your desired shade of purple.
Can You Use Food Coloring in Macarons?
Yes, you can use food coloring, but not the liquid you buy in your local grocery store. If you want vibrant colors, you will need to purchase gel food coloring (paid link). The gel food coloring starts with brighter colors, and the colors remain brighter through the macaroon mixing and baking process.
Can You Paint Macarons with Food Coloring?
Painting macarons and other baked goods is so easy! Just gather up your gel food coloring, a food-safe paint brush, parchment paper, and a bottle of vodka. No, you’re not going to drink the vodka, although you can have a sip if you’re of age. Put the cookies on parchment paper, so you don’t make a mess, and use the vodka to dilute the gel food coloring. The vodka will evaporate and leave no taste or smell.
Ingredients to Make Easy Macaron Cookies
I thought you might appreciate just a basic recipe – since making galaxy macarons is detailed in the recipe card below. So, here’s a quick rundown of what a basic macaron recipe looks like:
Basic Macaron Cookies
- 4 oz. confectioners sugar
- 2 oz. almond flour I recommend Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 ounces granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 ounces egg whites (roughly two eggs at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional or you can use your favorite extract
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoons water
White Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions to Make Basic Macaron Cookies
Cookies
- First, weigh out all of your ingredients. Next, sift together your almond flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl and set aside.
- Add your egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and start mixing on a medium speed until they get frothy. Add in the salt.
- Gradually add in your sugar to the egg whites and mix on a medium-high speed until soft peaks form. (see photo in the slideshow video, VERY important – if you wait until stiff peaks form, you will not have the right consistency, so be careful not to go too far.) After the egg whites are the right consistency, add about 1/3 of the dry mixture to the egg whites and fold in until there are no dry spots left. Add in the remaining dry mixture to the meringue and fold in until there are no dry spots.
- Resume folding the batter. Begin to check for the “ribbon” stage, where the batter falls off in ribbons and you can make a figure 8 without it breaking off. Once you get to this consistency stop folding. This is the most critical step. Everything you do depends on this figure 8 being a real 8 not a 7 or a 6. You’re looking for an 8. Then stop and put your batter in a piping bag.
- Place the macaron template under a silicon mat on a baking sheet.
- Hold your piping bag completely vertical when piping and lift straight up. Making about 1 1/2 to 2 inch circles.
- After you have piped all the batter, bang the baking sheet on the counter 10-20 times (seriously) to remove all air bubbles. Use a toothpick or something sharp to pop them.
- Now it is time to let them dry. Leave them sitting on the counter for 30-60 minutes until you can touch them and you can feel a “shell” form over them. No batter should come off on your finger.
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. and bake your macarons for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. When you touch the top of the macaron it should not wiggle around on the “feet”.
- Allow them to cool COMPLETELY before taking them off the baking sheet.
Adding the Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl and melt in thirty second increments until fully melted. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until thickened. You can also put the ganache in the fridge to speed up the thickening process.
- Once the ganache is ready, place in a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe a generous amount on half the macaron shells.
- Sandwich them with the remaining macaron shells.
- Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours to allow them to “mature”. Enjoy!
Now, with all that being said, here’s the recipe for the Galaxy Macaron Cookies!
Galaxy Macarons
Galaxy Macarons
There's nothing more fun than playing with your food. And these Galaxy Macarons are totally an experiment I enjoyed playing at.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 4 oz. confectioners sugar
- 2 oz. almond flour I recommend Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 oz granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 oz. egg whites roughly two eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla optional or you can use your favorite extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp black GEL food color
- 1 tsp blue GEL food color
- 11 tsp purple or pink GEL food color
- 1/4 tsp white GEL food color
- 1 tbsp water
Ganache
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cookies
- First, weigh out all of your ingredients.
- Next, sift together your almond flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl and set aside.
- Add your egg whites to the bowl of your mixer and start mixing on a medium speed until they get frothy. Add in the salt.
- Gradually add in your sugar to the egg whites and mix on a medium speed until you get a soft peak consistency. (see photo about in the slideshow, VERY important)
- After the egg whites are the right consistency, add about 1/3 of the dry mixture to the egg whites and fold in until there are no dry spots left.
- Add in the remaining dry mixture to the meringue and fold in until there are no dry spots.
- Separate out a small portion (a spoonful) into two separate bowls. Add the black food color to the large amount left in the primary bowl, the blue food color to one of the smaller bowls and the pink/purple food color to the final bowl.
- Resume folding the batter. Begin to check for the “ribbon” stage, where the batter falls off in ribbons and you can make a figure 8 without it breaking off. Once you get to this consistency stop folding. Repeat this with all 3 bowls of batter.
- Prepare your piping bag with a medium round tip. Place your bag in a large cup to make it easier to add your batter. Dribble the blue batter down one side in a semi-consistent way. Do the same with the pink/purple batter on the other side of the bag. Slowly add in your black batter, taking care to not mix the other colors as much as possible.
- Place the macaron template under a silicon mat on a baking sheet.
- Hold your piping bag completely vertical when piping and lift straight up. Making about 1 1/2 to 2 inch circles. Swirl or wiggle a little, if you can manage it--that will make the blue and pink colors pop a little.
- After you have piped all the batter, bang the baking sheet on the counter 10-20 times (seriously) to remove all air bubbles. Use a toothpick or something sharp to pop them.
- Mix the white food color with a the water. Using a paint brush, flick droplets of white over the top until you have a desired number of "stars".
- Now it is time to let them dry. Leave them sitting on the counter for 30-60 minutes until you can touch them and you can feel a “shell” form over them. No batter should come off on your finger.
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. and bake your macarons for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. When you touch the top of the macaron it should not wiggle around on the “feet”.
- Allow them to cool COMPLETELY before taking them off the baking sheet.
Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl and melt in thirty second increments until fully melted. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until thickened. You can also put the ganache in the fridge to speed up the thickening process.
- Once the ganache is ready, place in a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe a generous amount on half the macaron shells.
- Sandwich them with the remaining macaron shells.
- Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours to allow them to “mature”. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 72Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
If you’re really digging this recipe, be sure to check out all the other fabulous French Macaron Recipes we’ve got here on Nerdy Mamma!
