These heart shaped macarons have a light French macaron shell filled with creamy white chocolate ganache and decorated with fun Valentine's Day sprinkles!
Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a large bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the white chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully smooth.
Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape. [Don't try to pipe the ganache before it's fully set!] If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
Heart Macarons
Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then add in the cream of tartar.
Turn the mixer up to medium-high and gradually add in the granulated sugar. Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk on high until soft peaks form.
Add in 1-2 drops of pink food coloring, then continue to whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the dry ingredient mixture until fully combined. Then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
Continue to gently fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. As soon as you reach this consistency, stop mixing! If you over-mix the batter, the macarons won’t rise properly in the oven.
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place the heart macaron template underneath.
Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe the hearts by dragging the tip from the top of one side of the heart to the bottom, lightening up on the pressure as you go. Then repeat the other side of the heart.
After piping, you can use a toothpick to help spread the macaron batter to the edges of your heart template so that they're nice and uniform.
Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to help bring any air bubbles to the surface of the macarons. Then use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to make a smooth surface.
If using the templates, gently slide them out from underneath the parchment paper after you're done piping the heart shaped macarons.
Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without any batter being disturbed.
While the heart macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or when they do not move on their “feet” when touched.
Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.
Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over. If desired, drizzle with some extra melted chocolate and garnish with Valentine's Day sprinkles. Then pipe the white chocolate ganache in the center and top with the decorated shell.
Put the assembled white chocolate heart shaped macarons in an airtight container, then place them in the fridge to mature for 12-24 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, for the best taste/texture, let them come up to room temperature for about an hour before eating! [Directly out of the fridge they can sometimes be super hard but at room temperature they're perfectly soft and tender!]
Notes
Tip: Clean mixing bowl and whisk attachment of your stand mixer with lemon juice or white vinegar to make sure there are no trace fats on either (if you skip this step, your meringue may not form).