Each bite is a journey to Whoville, as you savor the sweet, crisp shell that gives way to a luscious, whipped red velvet ganache filling with these Grinch macarons. The combination of the Grinch's mischievous green and the rich, velvety red velvet creates a taste sensation that is simply magical for this holiday season.  These perfect macarons are an adorable addition to your Christmas season and throughout the winter months.

Grinch French Macarons with Whipped Red Velvet Ganache

The Grinch, with his initially grumpy demeanor and eventual heartwarming transformation, resonates deeply with audiences. Here's why this character remains a perennial favorite among kids and families:

1. Universal Themes: Dr. Seuss's story beautifully encapsulates the themes of kindness, redemption, and the true spirit of the holiday season, teaching valuable lessons to both children and adults.

2. Memorable Character: The Grinch's distinct appearance, unique personality, and journey from being a grumpy creature to learning the joy of giving make him an endearing and relatable character.

3. Emotional Resonance: Families connect with the emotional depth of the story—how love and togetherness can transform even the most cynical of hearts, making it a perfect tale for the holiday season.

4. Nostalgia and Tradition: For many families, the Grinch has become a holiday tradition. Watching the movie or reading the book together brings nostalgic feelings and reinforces the values of empathy and understanding.

The Grinch's timeless appeal lies in its ability to blend humor, heart, and an important message, making it a perennial favorite that continues to enchant and unite families during the festive season.  These Grinch inspired rice krispies are a perfect recipe for Christmas time and also make cute great gifts for loved ones!

Crank up the Christmas songs and Christmas tunes and make some Christmas Tree inspired Pretzel Rod Dessert, M and M no bake Christmas bark, Santa's reindeer Little Debbie Snack, and these adorable Christmas Mickey Mouse Inspired cookie bars.  If you are looking for a way to add excitement to your holiday gatherings, this Christmas gift exchange dice game is a huge hit. These great Christmas activities and recipes are the perfect way to have seasonal fun!  This roll of the dice snowman dice game is a huge hit for school and home as well. Christmas word search printables are so much fun for a small or large group.   These free printables and game for a White elephant game Christmas gift exchanges can be a popular and fun holiday tradition for school parties too.  My family love this fun game and we look forward to this as one of our absolute favorite Christmas games for the entire family.

 Turn on a Santa Claus Christmas movie, maybe Christmas Carol or Grinch and have some Christmas movies family fun and make these Grinch Themed Rice Krispie Treats for another festive holiday treat!   This blog post with stocking stuffer ideas are great for little ones as well to get inspiration!

These 4 FREE printable Christmas activity pages and December holiday writing prompts are a fun idea to get in the holiday spirit with your kids and students this year. Christmas holiday students writing prompts are a fun method for elementary students. These 5 letters and wish list printables are great for Santa and to get into the Christmas spirit at the classrooms annual Christmas party. 

Difficulty for this French macaron recipe: Easy / Intermediate

Prep time:  30 minutes

Inactive time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 10 minutes

Servings: 30 macarons

Tips / Tricks for making these Grinch Christmas homemade macarons:

-        Carton egg whites can be substituted; however, we do recommend freshly separated eggs for better results.

-        Room temperature egg whites whip up quicker than cold egg whites. 

-        Meringue powder is recommended to help stabilize the egg whites while whipping – but it is optional.

-        Egg white powder (available online) is recommended to help fill the gaps in the macaron shells and make them fuller.

-        Once baked, always store the shells in an airtight container.  It does not take long for them to dry out and lose their chewiness. 

 Supplies recommended for Grinch French Macarons:

-        Kitchen scale

-        Sifter

-        Spatula

-        Electric mixer with whisk attachment

-        Mixing large bowl

-        Cookie sheet

-        Parchment or Silicone sheet with macaron template

-        Pastry piping tip bag (or a Ziploc bag)

-        Large round metal tip

Macaron ingredients:

130 g almond flour (approx. 1 1/3 c. loosely packed)

130 g powdered sugar (approx. 1 c.)

90 g granulated sugar (approx. 1/3 c.)

100 g egg whites (approx. ½ c. – about 3 large eggs worth)

½ t. meringue powder (optional)

1 t. egg white powder (optional) 

Green gel food coloring

Instructions and Step-by-step photos:

1. Preheat oven temperature to 300 degrees.  

2. Separate the eggs and retain the egg whites – be sure that there is no yolk, or they will not whip up.  Beat egg whites until foamy in the bowl of the mixer with the whisk attachment, about one minute. I would recommend using a bowl mixer but you could use handheld mixer if that's what you have. Add in the meringue powder (optional).  Slowly add granulated sugar in three increments and mix well after every addition on low speed to medium speed. Once all the sugar has been combined, increase the speed to medium / high and mix for another five minutes.  Mixture should be very stiff peaks and balled up in the whisk attachment and pulling away from the sides of the bowl for best results.  Add in the green food coloring and mix just until combined.  

3. Combine almond flour, powdered white sugar, and egg white powder (optional) together in a fine mesh strainer and gently sieve, leaving behind any larger chunks and discarding.  

4. Pour the sifted dry ingredients into the whipped mixture and stir only enough to incorporate.  From here, slowly start to fold, deflating the mixture and occasionally checking for consistency.  Take special care to scrap the bottoms and sides of the bowl to ensure no dry ingredients are hiding.  To check the consistency, pull a scoop of the mixture up with your spatula and let the mixture drop back into the bowl.  This is not the time to take out your aggression – treat it nicely and mix gently!  When it’s ready, it should flow nicely off the spatula, ribboning as it falls and then re-incorporating back into the mixture within about a 20 second count. The mixture should be the consistency of lava.  Too few turns will result in tall macarons with a “peak”.  Too many turns will result in the macarons spreading outward like traditional cookies rather than upward to get the nice, ruffled edges (feet).

5. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round metal tip.  If you do not have a tip, then just a straight cut across will do.  Also, if you do not have a pastry bag, a Ziploc will also work. 

6. Prepare your baking pan by turning it upside down if it has a rim to it.  Place your mat on the pan or your template with parchment paper covering it.   

7. Holding the bag approximately ½ inch above the template and perpendicular to the pan, using the center as a bullseye in the center and slowly squeeze the bag, keeping it in one place until the mixture reaches the inner circle of the template (provided).  The mixture should settle to the outer line.   Pipe out all the rounds until all batter has been used.    

8. Take the entire baking sheet with the piped rounds on it and firmly hit the sheet on the counter several times, releasing any air bubbles and settling the batter.  Any stubborn air bubbles can be popped with a toothpick.

9. Allow the piped rounds to rest for at least 30 minutes (that’s for our climate in the Colorado mountains.  Higher humidity areas will need to increase this rest time).  The tops should no longer be sticky/tacky.  Sacrifice one shell to test by gently touching the surface.  If it sticks to your finger, it’s not ready yet. Allow it to rest until you can touch it without sticking to your finger.

10. Once they have rested for about 30 minutes, place the tray in the oven and bake for 10-11 minutes.  If baking more than one tray at a time, make sure to rotate the pans halfway through the cooking time.  Let them cool on the pan.  When cooled, very gently remove from baking sheet.  Store in an airtight container stacked on their sides until ready to fill.

Whipped Red Velvet Ganache

10 oz white chocolate chips

⅓ c heavy whipping cream

1 T. red velvet flavoring (available online or in hobby stores)

½ c green candy melts

¼ c red heart sprinkles

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips and heavy cream.  Heat for about 1 minute and stir well.  Heat for an additional 15 seconds if needed and stir until smooth.  Add in the red velvet flavoring and stir well.  

Transfer the ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Set aside to cool slightly. 

Once the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, whip the ganache for 2-3 minutes on medium speed or until the ganache looks more like frosting and is fluffy looking.  Transfer the whipped ganache to a piping bag and set aside until ready to assemble. 

To assemble - lay out your macaron shells and pair up similar size partners.  Pipe one half of the shells with the whipped ganache.  Sandwich with the top half of the shells.  

Melt the green candy melts in a microwave safe bowl, heating in 30 second increments and stirring well between each interval until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piping bag.  

Cut a small hole in the bag of the green melts and drizzle over the macarons.  Quickly sprinkle with the red sprinkle hearts before the candy melt sets up.  Repeat with remaining macarons.  

Can be enjoyed right away, but to get the best texture, it’s best to wait 24 hours for the shells to mature and create the chewy goodness we all love!

Store in an airtight container refrigerated for about two weeks or frozen for up to three months (watch for freezer burn for macaron sandwiches).  If stored in the freezer, allow it to reach room temperature before enjoying. 

The Grinch's timeless appeal lies in its ability to blend humor, heart, and an important message, making it a perennial favorite that continues to enchant and unite families during the festive season.