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Macaron Christmas Tree

Macaron Christmas Tree is made with green French macarons filled with vanilla buttercream and stacked into a festive, centered tree. After maturing in the refrigerator, the shells have a chewy center and crisp outer layer, finished with white nonpareils and a gold star.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 36 minutes
Drying, chilling, and standing 1 day 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 day 2 hours 51 minutes
Servings: 28 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 110
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the shells and buttercream
  • 4 oz almond flour super-fine blanched
  • 9 oz powdered sugar divided (4 oz for the shells and 5 oz for the buttercream)
  • 4 oz egg whites room temperature (about 4 large egg whites)
  • 4 oz granulated sugar
  • 0.25 tsp green gel food coloring
  • 3 oz unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp heavy cream
  • 0.125 tsp salt
For decorating
  • 1 tbsp white nonpareils
  • 1 gold star sprinkle large

Equipment

  • 2 13x18-inch half-sheet pans
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 12-inch platter

Method
 

Make the shells
  1. Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the center.
  2. Line two 13x18-inch half-sheet pans with parchment.
  3. Draw 28 1 1/2-inch circles, spaced about 1 inch apart, on the underside of each parchment sheet.
  4. Sift the almond flour and 4 oz powdered sugar into a bowl, pressing any larger bits through the sieve.
  5. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
  6. Gradually add the granulated sugar, then increase to medium-high and beat for 5–7 minutes to stiff, glossy peaks.
  7. Add the green gel coloring during the last minute of beating.
  8. Fold the dry mixture into the meringue in 3 additions, scraping and pressing the batter against the bowl, until it falls from the spatula in a thick ribbon and blends back in within about 10–15 seconds.
  9. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip.
  10. Pipe the batter into the circles.
  11. Tap each pan firmly on the counter a few times and pop any visible air bubbles with a toothpick.
  12. Let the piped shells stand for 30–60 minutes, until the tops feel dry and are no longer tacky.
  13. Bake one pan at a time for 15–18 minutes, until the shells have formed feet and the tops feel set without browning.
  14. Cool the shells completely on the pans, at least 20 minutes, before peeling them from the parchment.
Make the buttercream
  1. Beat the softened butter in a medium bowl on medium speed for 1–2 minutes, until creamy.
  2. Add the remaining 5 oz powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and salt.
  3. Beat on low until combined, then on medium-high for 2 minutes, until fluffy.
Assemble and decorate
  1. Match the shells in pairs by size.
  2. Pipe about 1 teaspoon buttercream onto the flat side of one shell from each pair.
  3. Sandwich each pair gently.
  4. Place the filled macarons in a single layer in an airtight container and refrigerate for 12–24 hours to mature.
  5. Let the macarons stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  6. Pipe a small dab of buttercream beneath each macaron to anchor it to a 12-inch platter.
  7. Arrange the macarons in centered rows of 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, nesting each upper row into the gaps below.
  8. Pipe a small buttercream dot on each macaron and decorate the dots with the nonpareils.
  9. Place the gold star on the top macaron.

Notes

For neat shells, wait until the piped tops feel dry and are no longer tacky before baking. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze yes, in an airtight container. For a dairy-free variation, use dairy-free butter and plant-based cream in the buttercream.