‘Tis the season for Christmas Macarons! These adorable and delicious macarons are decorated to look like reindeer and filled with Thai Tea infused curd buttercream. What a perfect gift for the holiday season!
It’s Holiday season, which means I will be baking non-stop until Christmas is over. Get ready for a whole month of holiday dessert creations! I am starting out with these adorable Reindeer Macarons filled with Thai Tea infused curd buttercream.
This year I really want to challenge myself with French macarons. I made Pies and Taco’s Cranberry macarons last week and they were a success. Camila’s step-by-step instructions were so easy to follow and her YouTube videos were extremely helpful. I haven’t stopped making macarons since then! I highly recommend anyone who has never made macarons before check out her website for tips and tutorials.
These macarons make the perfect Holiday gifts for friends and family. Put them in a bag tied with ribbon, or include them in your Christmas Dessert Box!
THAI TEA CURD BUTTERCREAM
I originally wanted to make Thai Tea infused buttercream, but I didn’t want to waste the leftover egg yolks from the macaron shells. Curd buttercream is great because it is lighter and creamier than traditional buttercream. If you prefer traditional buttercream, you can simply omit the egg yolks.
How to make Thai Tea Curd Buttercream:
First, heat up 3 tbsp of milk in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Add 1 tbsp of Thai Tea Mix and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
In a small pot, add 3 egg yolks and 1/3 cup granulated sugar and whisk. Strain the tea leaves and add Thai Tea infused milk into the egg mixture. Heat on low-medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Make sure not to overcook the eggs! Transfer the curd mixture to the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour.
In a bowl with electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add in chilled Thai Tea curd mixture and mix until well combined.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip, and pipe onto macaron shells.
This is the Thai Tea Mix I used.
DECORATING
For the antlers, I used melted chocolate and pipe it onto the macarons. You can also use edible food pen or brown/black royal icing.
For the eyes and nose, I used store-bought black and red royal icing. Again, you can use edible food pen or make your own royal icing! Be creative!
MORE THAI TEA RECIPES:
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!
PrintChristmas Reindeer Thai Tea Macarons
- Prep Time: 2 hrs
- Decorating Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 3 hrs
- Yield: 15 macarons 1x
Description
‘Tis the season for Christmas Macarons! These adorable and delicious macarons are decorated to look like reindeer and filled with Thai Tea infused curd buttercream. What a perfect gift for the holiday season!
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 100 g egg whites (about 3 large egg whites) save egg yolks for buttercream
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 105 g almond flour
- 105 g powdered sugar
- Orange food coloring gel
Thai Tea Custard Buttercream
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp thai tea mix
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
Decorations
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, melted or edible food marker for antlers
- red royal icing for the nose
- black royal icing for the eyes
Instructions
Macaron Shells (adapted from Pies & Tacos)
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Gather and measure all your ingredients and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
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In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar and almond flour together. You can also use a food processor and pulse powdered sugar and almond flour together until no lumps. Set aside.
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Using a double boiler method, place egg whites and granulated sugar into a heat proof bowl and place it over a small pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Whisk the egg-sugar mixture constantly until the sugar melted.
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Transfer the egg white mixture into a large bowl. Using a handheld or standing mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg white mixture on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until stiff peaks form. When you pull the whisk attachment up, your meringue shouldn’t be falling, it should be standing upright with a slight curve at the top.
- Gently fold powdered sugar and almond flour into the meringue. Add the orange food coloring gel. Continue folding until the batter is glossy and has a thick and flowing consistency. When you lift the spatula up, the batter should falls off the spatula slowly.
[Pies & Taco has a great Figure 8 method: when you lift up the spatula, try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. The batter is ready if you can draw figure 8 without the batter breaking up]
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Transfer the batter into the piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 1-inch disk onto the silicone mat or parchment paper.
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Tap the baking sheet onto the kitchen counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles. Pop the remaining air bubbles with a toothpick.
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Allow the macaron shells to dry for about 30-60 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 325°F.
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Bake the macaron shells for 4-5 minutes, rotate, then bake for another 4-5 minutes, rotate the pan again and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Bake for 18-20 minutes total.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. If baked well, the macaron shells should have feet and come off the silicone mat easily.
Thai Tea Curd Buttercream
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In a small bowl, heat up milk in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Add Thai Tea Mix and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
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In a small pot, add egg yolks and granulated sugar and whisk. Strain the tea leaves and add Thai Tea infused milk into the egg mixture. Heat on low-medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Make sure not to overcook the eggs! Transfer the curd mixture to the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour.
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In a bowl with electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add in chilled Thai Tea curd mixture and mix until well combined.
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Transfer to a piping bag with round tip, and pipe onto macaron shells. Place another shell on top.
Decorating
- For the antlers, I used melted chocolate and pipe it onto the macarons. Microwave chocolate chip in a microwave-safe bowl, in 20 second intervals., until chocolate completely melted. Transfer melted chocolate into a piping bag. Cut a small opening and pipe it onto the macarons.
You can also use edible food pen or brown/black royal icing.
-
For the eyes and nose, I used store-bought black and red royal icing. Again, you can use edible food pen or make your own royal icing! Be creative!
Notes
Macarons can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French, Thai
Keywords: christmas, macarons, reindeer, thai tea
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