Sparkling Wine Grape Macarons (video)
I love wine and I love French macarons so I came up with a recipe that has both! These sparkling wine and grape macarons are so fun, fruity and delicious! I add sparkling wine extract to purple-colored almond wafers and create a grape filling with grape jelly! And to make these extra special, spray them with edible pearl spray! Get the sparkling wine extract and edible pearl spray in my SHOP! This is one French macaron recipe that you must try if you love unique flavors!
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Tips for French Macaron Success!
Many bakers dread making French macarons because these little cookies can be a little finicky, but set that fear aside! I’ll walk you through the steps with my precise instructions and video tutorial so you can make these at home. And don’t get disappointed if your first attempt doesn’t work well. My first three attempts at making macarons failed horribly! But practice makes perfect! Here are a few crucial tips for making these cookies:
- Whisk the egg whites just until they reach stiff peak stage. Under mixing will result in a flat batter; over mixing can cause the cookies to spread while baking.
- Fold the batter thoroughly, flattening the egg whites against the side of your mixing bowl. BUT, be careful – you don’t want to over mix the batter! That will also cause your cookies to be just flat, shapeless disks.
- Allow those cookies to REST! Let the cookies stand for an hour at room temperature, allowing a thin shell to form on the outside. This shell gives the cookies their shape so it’s crucial! If your macarons are cracking on top, you might need to let the cookies rest longer. If you live in a humid climate, extend the timing even more as humidity and moisture will prevent a shell from forming.
More Macarons!
Looking for more French macaron recipes? I have so many incredible recipes with unique flavor combinations! Check out some of these other macaron recipes I have on my site:
- For the caramel toffee lover – these ‘Almond Roca Macarons’!
- And try these ‘Chocolate Pomegranate Macarons’ are sweet and tangy!
- One of my favorites – ‘Lavender Blackberry Lemon Macarons’ are bound to be a hit!
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Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- Here is the sparkling wine extract I use for this recipe.
- This set of jumbo cake decorating tips includes a simple round tip and star tips for filling.
- Get a set of disposable pastry bags – no more washing any bags!
- You can use parchment paper or these silicone mats for baking.
- I love my classic KitchenAid stand mixer – a must for every kitchen!
- And this kitchen scale is a must for making perfect macarons!
Sparkling Wine Grape Macarons (video)
Ingredients
- 120 g almond flour
- 200 g confectioner's sugar
- 100 g egg whites, about 3 regular eggs
- 50 g white granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp sparkling wine extract
- purple gel food coloring
For Filling:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tbsp grape jelly
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- edible pearl spray; optional
Instructions
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Prepare a large pastry bag with a simple, round tip.
- Prepare the meringue. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk on high speed just until stiff peaks form. Add the extract and food coloring last, whisking for additional 15 to 20 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the almond flour and confectioner's sugar. Add the meringue to the dry ingredients and begin to fold and flatten the meringue into the flour, scraping from the bottom of the bowl. Batter should just reach lava stage, where it ribbons and settles back down on it self. Transfer the macaron batter into prepared pastry bag.
- Pipe even-sized cookie dollops. Once a pan is full, tap the baking sheet against counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with graham crackers crumbs. Rest the cookies for 1 hour at room temperature, allowing a thin shell to form on the outside of the cookie.
- Preheat oven to 325F/163C and bake the rested cookies for 18 to 19 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack. Once cookies are cooled, spray the tops with edible pearl spray, if desired. Allow the spray to dry for 10 minutes before filling.
- Prepare the grape filling. First, cream the softened butter with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar and mix again until creamy. Add the lemon juice and grape jelly last, mixing for about 1 minute, leaving small bits of jelly in the filling. Transfer the filling into a pastry bag; I used Ateco tip #4FT.
- Pipe a generous amount of filling onto half the cookies, topping with a plain second half. Transfer the macarons into an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least 1 day; 2 to 3 for best results. When ready to enjoy, remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Hello,i am from china,i have question for you ,what is the “sparkling wine extract”? thank you !
I have the product in my ‘Shop’ where you can purchase it online. It’s like vanilla extract, except champagne flavored 🙂