Autumn Macarons
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Painting French Macarons
There's something about edible paint projects that make me so happy- the process of creating painted treats is like therapy to me. When life is chaotic (and it is most days around here), sitting down to create something like these little french macarons gives me rest and peace. If you’ve been with me for a while then you’ve seen me play with edible paint before. Last spring, I wrote an article entitled “Edible Art,” published in Johnson County Lifestyle. In the article, I explain how I painted edible flowers onto royal icing covered sugar cookies. I also included my recipe for sugar cookies, royal icing and step-by-step directions on how to paint the flowers themselves. You can still read the article “Edible Art” for more detailed information and instructions on how to paint sugar cookies of your own.
Fast forwarding through the seasons… fall has finally descended upon us here in the midwest. With the new season, I decided to play around with an autumn themed painted treat… this time on french macarons! I am so excited how these macarons turned out. They worked just as well as the sugar cookies I typically use for edible painting and I’m thrilled! If you try edible painting yourself, know that whether you decide to use macarons or sugar cookies as a blank “canvas” you will certainly be pleased with the end result. Get the kids involved too- everyone is able to make something festive and enjoy the creative fun. Unlike painting on canvas which can feel quite intimidating and permanent, edible paintings can simply be eaten if the results aren’t as imagined. Believe me, there were many macarons consumed here for that reason (to my children's delight for the immediate gratification). Allow yourself to enjoy the process and, if anything, a sweet treat at the end.
As you can tell, from painted flowers to autumn foliage, edible painting fits any season or occasion. Whether holiday themed, a seasonal look, a birthday celebration, or a wedding occasion… you can pick most any idea and run with it. Although there are endless possibilities, once the occasion or theme is decided on, I recommend limiting the collection to 1-3 images (such as leaves and acorns as you see here). That way, you can tell a creative story without it becoming too visually overwhelming.
What you will need...
To create the edible painted macarons yourself, I have put together a list of the items needed. You will notice that I made this project easier on myself by purchasing pre-made french macarons. I plan on attempting to bake them from scratch at some point but that is for another day. The goal with these autumn themed macarons was to the process of painting, not baking (this time at least). Below are the items you will need to paint your french macarons too.
French Macarons
White Gel Food Coloring (optional)
Paint Brushes (reserved for cooking only)
Small glass for your extract (or water)
Paper Towel
The Painting Process
Set up: Find a mixing surface such as a paint palette or serving platter to mix your gel food coloring. Use a small cup and fill with water or clear extract for mixing and diluting the gel food colors. Keep some paper towels near by to dab your brush as needed. To prep for painting, place one small drop of each gel food coloring onto the mixing surface. A tiny drop goes a long way so pour slowly. If needed, combine colors on the mixing surface along with a small amount of mixing liquid to achieve the colored tone you are looking for (see Color Mixing Technique below).
Application: To begin, dampened the paint brush in water or extract. Then, dip the brush into the gel food coloring to thin out to a watercolor consistency. Once your color is thinned you are ready to paint! When applying the gel food coloring to your macaron, make sure that the brush isn’t holding too much liquid or it will make your macaron soggy. If the brush is too wet then use a paper towel to remove some of the moisture before brushing onto the macaron. It is best to apply several thin layers of color onto the macaron rather than a single thick layer.
Drying: Let your painted french macarons dry for at least one hour before handling. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container between parchment paper for up to 2 days.
Color Mixing Technique
In order to create a larger color selection from the few gel food colors that I had on hand, I used the book 1500 Color Mixing recipes by William F. Powell. This book gives hundreds of “recipes” on how to mix and achieve an array of colors in different color families (1,500 colors to be exact!). Although the book is meant for watercolor and acrylic, his recipes work beautifully with gel food coloring as well. Learning the technique of mixing color is such a wonderful skill because it means you only need to purchase a small number of gel food colors to mix limitless colors on your own.
Serving French Macarons
When the days grow shorter and air becomes crisp, it signals us that the season filled with fall harvests, pumpkin patch activities and thankfulness gatherings is certainly here. What a perfect opportunity to use those autumn themed french macarons! In this particular tablescape, I created a classic fall look by using preserved pinecones, leaves, pumpkins and painted french macarons (treats that double as decor). A little hosting trick that I like to do is have a single served dessert already placed at each guest's plate before my guests arrive at the table. This gives the tablescape an extra special touch and less work as a host when my guests are gathered. Here I’ve used my painted french macarons but any single serve dessert will do the trick.
Recreate the Tablescape
To recreate this autumn tablescape, you will need one of each item listed per guest. Simply stack in the order listed below.
Black Plate (linked similar)
Ceramic Cupcake Stand (linked similar)
Pressed Leaf
Painted Autumn Macarons
I can’t wait to see your painted french macarons and recreation of this autumn tablescape if you try them. If you do, please share with me over at @silvertoothfarmhome so I can celebrate with you. Happy Gatherings!
