Whether you're celebrating with children or just want to sprinkle some holiday magic into your day, these Elf on the Shelf French Macarons are the perfect choice. They make a charming addition to your festivities, and they're sure to delight kids of all ages. These Elf on the Shelf inspired French macarons are a playful and delicious way to create treasured holiday memories.  

Making holiday recipes in the kitchen with family during the winter season and holidays is one of the very best memories I have of childhood.  These  Melting Snowman Hot Chocolate Bombs,  Grinch Inspired Macaron recipe,  Simple Santa Claus Hat Rice Krispie Christmas Treats are all great recipes with different flavors! Pack in all of the fun with 25 different things leading up to Christmas with this  Christmas Bucket List Printable - Ultimate Free Holiday Fun.  Curl up with one of these Must Read Books about Snow for Toddlers this Winter with one of those delicious recipes or a  Free Printable Winter Word Scramble Kids Game for lots of Christmas fun!

Elf on the Shelf French Macarons

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!

The Elf on the Shelf has become popular with kids for several reasons:

1. Mystery and Magic: The concept of a magical scout elf who reports to Santa each night is captivating. Kids love the idea of a tiny elf moving around the house, engaging in mischievous activities, and keeping an eye on their behavior.

2. Interactive Tradition: It creates a sense of excitement and anticipation during the holiday season. Kids enjoy waking up each morning to find the elf in a new location or situation, encouraging them to search and discover its hiding place.

3. Behavioral Incentive: The elf's presence serves as a gentle reminder for children to behave well as they believe their actions are being reported to Santa. It's often used as a positive reinforcement tool by parents to encourage good behavior.

4. Storytelling and Imagination: The accompanying book that explains the story of the Elf on the Shelf fosters imagination and encourages storytelling. Children love narratives involving magical creatures, and this tradition adds to the enchantment of the holiday season.

5. Family Bonding: The tradition of moving the elf and finding its new spot each day can become a family activity, fostering bonding and creating cherished memories.

6. Social Influence: Peer influence and social media have also contributed to its popularity. Seeing friends or influencers share their elf's antics on social platforms creates a sense of excitement and inclusion among kids.

The Elf on the Shelf combines elements of storytelling, mystery, tradition, and the magic of the holiday season, making it a hit with children.

Difficulty of Elf on the Shelf Macaron Recipe

Easy / Intermediate

Prep time – 45 minutes

Bake time – 12 minutes

Inactive time – 30 minutes

Assembly – 20 minutes

Servings – approximately 25 assembled cookies

Tips / Tricks for making Elf on the Shelf Holiday French Macaron Recipe:

-        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 the Elf on the Shelf French Macaron Recipe:

•    Kitchen scale

•  Sifter

• Spatula

• Electric mixer with whisk attachment

• Mixing bowl

•  Cookie sheet

• Parchment or Silicone sheet with macaron template

• Pastry bag (or a Ziploc bag)

• Large round metal tip

Ingredients for Elf on the Shelf Inspired French Macaron recipe:

• 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) 

• 2 T. dark chocolate cocoa powder

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  

Directions for Elf on the Shelf Inspired French Macaron recipe:

1. 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.  Add in the meringue powder (optional).  Slowly add granulated sugar in three increments and mix well after every addition on 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.

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

3. 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).

4. 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. 

5. 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.   

6. 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.   

For elf-sized macarons - pipe smaller circles on a separate lined baking sheet.  

1. Pipe out all the rounds until all batter has been used.    

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Once they have rested for about 30 minutes, place the tray in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.  

5. For the elf-sized macarons, bake for 6-7 minutes or until set.  

6. 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.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

• 10 oz dark chocolate chips

• ½ c heavy cream

• To decorate:

• ½ c dark chocolate chips

• ¼ c sprinkles

1. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the dark chocolate chips and heavy cream for 1 minute.  Remove and stir thoroughly.  If needed, heat for an additional 15-30 seconds and stir well again until all chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth.  Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and allow to cool until ready to assemble.  

2. When ready to assemble, lay out the macaron shells and partner up with similar size shells.  Fill one half of the shells with a the ganache.  Pipe a mound in the center and then top with the remaining shell to create the cookie sandwich.  

3. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 15 second increments and stir well between each interval until the mixture is smooth.  Transfer to a pastry bag.

4. Cut a small hole in the end of the chocolate bag and drizzle over the tops of the macarons.  Decorate with sprinkles of choice.  

5. Storage:  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!

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

The Elf on the Shelf has become popular among kids and adults and it brings such an element of excitement and anticipation during the holiday season. The idea that the elf is watching and reporting back to Santa about a child's behavior creates a sense of wonder and encourages good behavior. So add these fun Elf on the Shelf inspired macaroon batter recipes with detailed instructions.

The elf's mischievous nature and the daily anticipation of finding its new hiding spot each morning can be thrilling for kids. It sparks imagination and creativity as they come up with ideas for their elf's adventures. Have the Elf make these macarons and leave them for little ones to find in the AM as well!  The Elf on the Shelf combines the magic of the holiday season, storytelling, and the element of surprise, which resonates well with children and adds to the enchantment of Christmas.  Wishing your family a magical holiday season filled with love!