Top 10 Halloween Macaron Ideas For Spooky Treats

Top 10 Halloween Macaron Ideas

It's funny. Every year the French become a little more accustomed to Hallowe'en. When I arrived here in 1992, it was a total non-event. However, over the years with tourism, Parisian shop windows in the fall have gradually been increasing their spooky spirit with Halloween ideas.

Don't be scared at making your own macarons or having nightmares about batter breaking or using a piping bag.

To make macarons easily from scratch, follow my full step-by-step recipes for spiced pumpkin macarons and raspberry macarons. For each, I guide you how to whip up your egg whites to stiff peaks using French meringue, mixing the almond flour mixture - right up to piping out on to lined baking sheets with parchment paper. Use the fillings in both recipes, use fig jam, for example - or take some of my tips below.

1. Halloween Macaron Skeleton Faces

Here's an idea from Fortnum and Mason's in London (the UK does Halloween better than Paris). They usually have Hallowe'en treats with names like Pick your Poison. These rum macarons have skeleton faces. If making for large quantities, use a black food colouring spray with a stencil.

However, for smaller quantities at home it's just as easy to draw them on by hand using edible food ink pens. Create your own simple spooky faces using a jet black edible pen on these salted caramel macarons, for example.

Food ink pens are available in all good specialist cake shops.
Have a favourite store with good quality products? Share in the comments below.

2. More Halloween Macaron Faces

I'm not much of an artist but if you are, then I'm sure you can do more elaborate Hallowe'en decorations on your macarons. Using edible food ink pens, draw on pumpkin lantern faces, a ghost face, write the words, 'Boo', and so on.

Edible Glitter Look

Brush on some edible glitter (lustre) - such as bronze or deep pink - to make your macarons extra shiny. They're particularly good on salted caramel, raspberry macarons, and chocolate macarons.

3. Make your Own Edible Eyes with Smarties

Mini and regular smarties are great for making quick and easy edible eyes. Create a one-eyed monster's bloodshot look using black and pink edible pens.

Stick them on with a dab of melted chocolate. It's what I did to create the Witch's Hat Macaron Tower. Don't be scared to make a mess, either, as too much chocolate 'glue' can make them look like black eyes!

4. Halloween Black Macarons

Bring out the black food colouring to make black macarons. I find that gel is better than powder for creating black macarons - so use good quality black food gel to make liquorice macarons extra black.

Available in good baking specialist shops, my favourite brand in Paris is DecoRelief (not sponsored) but many others are good from any of the Parisian stores on Rue Montmartre.

5. Witch's Hat Macaron Tower

Use a polystyrene cone (again, available in specialist decor and baking shops like Zodio in France). Wrap some black crêpe paper around it or simply place over a (clean) fancy-dress witch's hat. Then stick the whole thing in place with cocktail sticks.

They not only keep the paper in place but, by sticking them in two-thirds of the way into the polystyrene, you can pierce each macaron in place.

7. Mummie Macarons

Cut up tiny marzipan strips and stick them on with melted chocolate to make Mummie decorated macarons.

8. Halloween Fall Macarons

Just looking for fall macaron flavours? Try these scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Macarons made with a white chocolate ganache. Without any added sugar in the filling, they're not too sweet.

Unlike many pumpkin macarons that just use pumpkin spice, these ones actually contain delicious roasted pumpkin - or use your favourite Libby's purée. They have a good hint of pumpkin spice too.

Exploding Sugar

Add some extra exploding sugar (sucre pétillant) to top these already fizzy Orangina or Fanta macarons. The recipe was in my book,Teatime in Paris and easily adaptable to make Coca-Cola macarons too, making it a spookily black filling!

However, it's probably even funnier to get them when they don't expect it in, say, raspberry and rose macarons. Let me know if you try it...

Add Some Surprising Spice to Spooky Macarons!

Pistachio, Coconut and Wasabi Macarons are definitely my favourite macarons to die for (in my first book). The macaron flavours were inspired by Michelin starred chef, William Ledeuil from tasting a dessert like this pistachio ice cream.

Did I say WASABI? Yes, this fiery Japanese mustard packs a punch. There's just enough wasabi to add some intriguing heat in that macaron ganache filling. Yet the sweetness of the macaron puts out the fire!

Although it looks like a whopping load of wasabi in the ganache recipe, the right dosage of white chocolate, coconut cream, vanilla and pistachio makes a perfect Hallowe'en concoction. The surprising mixture cuts out the fire just leaving the hint of wasabi behind on the tongue.

Savoury Macarons: Witch One?

Mini savoury macarons create a real element of surprise and are a fun Hallowe'en idea that adds some tasty creativity.

Serve little cups of this mushroom cappuccino soup with a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder. and mini savoury mushroom macarons with a hint of truffle.

10. Purple Halloween Colours to Pair with Macarons

Here are more purple macaron halloween ideas around flavours to pair together for dinner.

• Replace these French Vichy carrots with purple carrots
• Purple carrot cake - a delicious carrot cake made with purple carrots!
• Replace purple versions of vegetables in soups (replace regular potatoes in this Arugula or Rocket Soup with Vitelotte; cauliflower with purple cauliflower (yes, it exists! It's natural and healthy too.)
• For some purple fun, serve mini beetroot and horseradish macarons (from Mad About Macarons) with a fun and fiery spicy beetroot and horseradish risotto.

There are also Bloody Mary macarons to choose from for a real trick AND treat.
For more, see my post on what to serve with savoury macarons.

The scariest of all? Frankly, it's when people confuse a macaroon with a macaron and call macarons macaroons! However, if you want to make these coconut macaroons, you'll soon discover the difference and spook away anyone that gets it maca-wrong!