Learn how to make shaped macaron shells, perfect for holidays or special celebrations. And grab a free copy of all of my favorite shaped macaron piping templates.
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When it comes to making elevated macarons, one of my favorite techniques is piping the macaron batter into fun shapes.
These are great for a themed party or a holiday, especially when paired with a specialty filling.
This guide will walk you through all the steps and tools (including free, downloadable macaron piping templates) to pipe uniquely shaped macarons.
Be sure to check out my French macaron shell recipe to practice these shaped macarons.
Shaped Macaron Templates
Before I teach you the best techniques and methods for making shaped macarons, be sure to grab a copy of your free macaron templates!
There are 29 templates for every type of holiday, season, and festivity including:
- Valentine's Day: Heart
- St. Patrick's Day: Shamrock, rainbow, pot of gold
- Easter: Peeps bunny, carrot, egg
- Halloween: Candy corn, ghost, eyeball, bat
- Thanksgiving: Turkey
- Christmas: Gingerbread man, candy cane, ornament, Santa, Christmas Tree
- Spring: Tulip, daisy
- Summer: Shell, watermelon, popsicle, ice cream cone, lemon
- Fall: Pumpkin
- Winter: Snowman, wreath
How To Make Shaped Macarons
Here's a quick, step-by-step tutorial for piping shaped macaron shells.
Helpful Tools
- A small piping tip gives you more control over the batter.
- This is my go-to reusable piping bag.
- Use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper. The macaron batter spreads less on a silicone mat.
- A light colored baking sheet ensures the macarons don't overcook or become too brown.
Expert Tips
- Pipe slowly and take your time. It can take a bit of practice to become good at piping shaped macarons.
- Be sure not to over macaronage the batter or it will become too thin to pipe into a shape.
- When piping the macarons into the shape, make sure to build them up thick enough. If they are not thick enough, they will bake too quickly and become crunchy.
- Don't over bang the pan while releasing the air bubbles after piping.
FAQs
Try using a slightly thicker batter by macaronaging just a little less than usual.
For very intricate and small details, it's best to use an edible marker and draw directly on the macaron shell after it's baked.
You can also add sprinkles onto the shells immediately after piping so they dry and bake into the macaron shell.
Yes, you can make one batter (don't add color until right before you macaronage) and split it into multiple colors.
To do this, make the meringue and mix the sifted almond flour and confectioners' sugar into the meringue.
Next, split the mixture into multiple bowls. Add the food coloring and mix (macaronage) the batter. Be careful not to over macaronage the batter since it's a smaller batch.
All of my go-to macaron fillings are included in my digital eBook, Flavorful Fillings. It includes 100 recipes, from buttercream to ganache, jam, and caramel.
Macaron Recipes
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