Bloody Spooky Macarons

Get into the Halloween spirit with these bloody and totally spooky macarons! This recipe is the absolute best macaron recipe that is basically guaranteed you the most amazing results ever. 

Halloween is one of the best holidays of the year. Spooky season starts early in my house, and these bloody and spooky macarons are the most delicious way to get celebrating.

Ingredients

So, believe it or not, but the ingredient list isn't actually that long. We need a few ingredients for the macaron shells, and a few more for the frosting and the filling.

For the macarons

• Almond flour - I recommend looking for finely ground almond flour. Do not use almond meal. If you cannot find almond flour, I have a tutorial for how to make almond flour.
• Powdered sugar - For sweetness and helping to process the almond flour even more to make it extra fine.
• Egg whites - The egg whites are needed to make the meringue. It also adds structure. You can replace the egg whites with aquafaba, which is the liquid in canned chickpeas. This will give you a nice vegan macaron.
• Granulated sugar - The granulated sugar adds sweetness and also helps whip the meringue to a nice glossy, stiff peak which is needed for good macarons.
• Vanilla extract - The macarons shells are often unflavored but you can add a little vanilla, which is exactly what we do here with this recipe.

For the filling:

• Unsalted butter - The butter flavors the frosting and adds structure.
• Powdered sugar - For sweetness and structure.
• Vanilla extract - Used to add flavor.
• Heavy cream - Adds creaminess and creates a smooth consistency
• Cherry jam - It adds flavor and a bit of spookiness when you bite into the bloody macarons

Method

We use a completely different macaron method for this recipe. I find it gives more consistent results for new and experienced bakers alike and is my new favorite method for making them. I still love French macarons, but if you've struggled with them in the past, I recommend this method.

1. Process and sift! You should always process your almond flour and powdered sugar together for about a minute, then sift the mixture.
2. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar into a heat-proof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan filled with simmering water (you are essentially creating a double boiler). Whip the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are foamy.
3. Transfer to a mixer and beat until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. You should be able to lift the bowl upside down over your head without the mixture budging even a little.
4. Mix in the almond flour and mix together. You want to deflate the meringue at this point. Be careful because the mixture can get runny easily, so check often. The mixture should flow from your spatula back into the bowl like lava.
5. Pipe the mixture onto lined baking sheets, then let them rest until they form a skin on top.
6. Bake low and slow until feet have formed and the shells are baked through. Allow them to cool before removing from the baking pan. While they cool, make your splatter.
7. Make your frosting and pipe!

Tips

My biggest tip is to take things slowly. Don't rush any part of the recipe, especially if this is your first time making macarons.

I like to press the batter all around the sides of the bowl, then bring it together in the center. This is great for deflating the meringue without being too aggressive, and you can check the consistency after every time you bring the batter back together.

The consistency of your food coloring is important. I highly recommend using gel food coloring. The color is a lot better, and it has a nicer consistency.

Vodka is best (don't worry, it doesn't make the macarons boozy, its no different than the alcohol that is in our vanilla extract). In a pinch, you can use something similar such as rum.

Mix the food coloring and alcohol together until it is thinned out, but still thick enough to coat your paintbrush fully.

When adding the splatter, you want to tap the brush onto a finger while hovering over the shells. Do your best to not get big splotches as they tend to not dry fully and soak through the shell and ruin the texture.

Related recipes

If you are in love with all things Halloween, you will love these black velvet cupcakes, spiderweb cupcakes, Halloween cake pops, and bloody white cake. For more macarons, check out my chocolate peppermint macarons, vanilla bean macarons, lemon rhubarb macarons, chocolate raspberry macarons, and caramelized honey macarons.