Making Eggnog Macarons | Risk 23 Series

Guys, it’s been a journey for me! Let me say that I’ve tried to make the infamous French macarons before. Note: It didn’t go over well at all. However, this time I decently succeeded. I would like to give a special shoutout to The Gunny Sack because I adapted her recipe for my macarons. However, Honeysuckle was a lifesaver! She has one of the easiest to follow macaron recipes! If you’re new to macaron making, I would recommend following Honeysuckle’s recipe and then adapting the ingredients that the Gunny Sack used. You can also adapt the recipe to any flavor, I think! So, to make these eggnog macarons, I combined their two recipes and finally came to some decent-looking macarons.

Now, when I’ve made macarons before, it has turned out horribly. If you’re a fan of Threadbanger on YouTube, it went exactly like Corinne’s experience. Since I’ve been really into French things for the past few months, I decided to kill three birds with one stone! Something French, something for Blogmas, and something for the Risk 23 series. Check out some of my French posts below!

So, let’s get started! You know the drill!

How was your day/week?

My day was a journey! A very interesting journey!

What did you do?

I made eggnog macarons! Not to be confused with the American macaroons, these French divas are incredibly finicky! It took me about 5 or 6 times to get some decent looking ones.

So, how did this all go down? Well, I started at 5 pm and used the Gunny Sack’s eggnog macarons recipe. I really liked her recipe and the buttercream turned out perfect. However, I think I had some trouble with the actual macarons because I don’t have a food scale. The ingredients have to be precise!

For the first batch, my egg whites wouldn’t peak and become stiff. So, I had to start over. Then after enlisting help from Santa’s helper aka my mom, I got my egg whites to peak. Well, instead of getting parchment paper, I had wax paper. Little did I know, you can’t put wax paper in the oven. So, I had to start over, run to the grocery store, and get parchment paper.

Now, I got the egg whites to peak, and after folding in sugar and flour into the mixture, I noticed that something wasn’t right. So, they went into the oven and they were way too crusty. The next batch looked like ovals and by that time I ran out of powdered sugar. By this time, I had completely run out powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Fail! So, I went back to the grocery store.

After this, I looked at a few videos before coming across Honeysuckle on YouTube. She saved my life! Her measurements are in cups and teaspoons, so it was really easy for me to follow along. This time I didn’t use egg white beaters from a carton, but rather I used actual eggs. I already suspected that this was the problem so while I was gone out to the grocery store, I sat some eggs out so they can reach room temperature.

The final two batches were a semi-success! I say semi-success because they weren’t perfect rounds. Next time I will definitely use a template! However, I did it! I made eggnog macarons!

Did you learn anything new about yourself?

I never knew that I could get so stressed out about making macarons. However, these things definitely tested my perseverance!

How did you feel about this risk before?

Like I said, I’ve tried to make macarons before. It was only once and I completely failed. Needless to say, I didn’t bother to try again until recently. These cuties are so hard to make! I definitely thought I would have an easier time this go around, but I was severely mistaken.

How do you feel about this risk now?

I still think French macarons are little divas! It seems like many people have trouble making them. So, I’m glad it’s not just me! However, making these eggnog macarons was rewarding.

Why did you pick this risk?

I picked this risk because I really wanted something that was going to challenge me. Because I tried to make macarons before, I knew that this was going to be difficult. Additionally, since it’s Blogmas and I believe the last post in the Risk 23 series for the year, why not finish the year off with something delicious!

Would you take this risk again?

Absolutely! I think because I kind of got the hang of it, I know what I should do if I want to make these treats again!

Additional comments?

I got really stressed about making these macarons and I guess that’s the whole point of doing the Risk 23 Series. I definitely felt out of my element here. I know I’ve been posting a lot of treats for Blogmas, but baking is definitely not my strongest skill. For anyone who wants to make these eggnog macarons or any kind of French macaron, patience and perseverance is the biggest advice I have to give.

Make sure to share this post with your friends who want to get into the holiday spirit! And follow Girl In Gamba on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin!