Painting on macarons with food coloring will give your macarons some color contrast and be more eye catching.
You can paint on macarons using either powdered food coloring or gel food coloring with a couple of drops of almond extract.
In order for you to apply the food coloring to paint your macarons, you will need to use a food safe paint brush.
Macarons have delicate shells that can be damaged if pressed too hard with a paint brush. Apply the food coloring to the macaron gently, as if you were painting a picture.
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When you’re making up your coloring for painting on macarons, you don’t want to use too much almond extract to make your coloring. If you pour too much, the food coloring will be more like watercolor paint. The color will not go on the macaron as strong, and it will be too runny to really show up on the macaron.
Just use a little almond extract for your coloring. The color will be strong and easily painted on the macaron. The color will not run if you only use a drop or two.
Sometimes the color will dry out in your bowl, just add another drop or two of almond extract to make it liquid again.
You can begin painting your macarons after you have filled them. They will be easier to hold onto, and you won’t have to worry about the color being disturbed if you’re kind of messy when you fill your macarons.
Lay all of the filled macarons on a plate, and pick up the macaron when you’re ready to fill it.
Hold the macaron steady and you apply paint with the other hand. If you lay the macaron on a plate to paint it, you’ll still have to hold onto the macaron because it will move away when you try to apply paint. Macarons are not heavy enough to stay in place as you paint them.
For each color you want to paint your macarons, you’ll need a new bowl. You don’t want any of your colors to mix together, so it’s best to keep the food colors separate from each other.
If you’re changing colors with your paint brush, wash it out with soap and water and rinse well. Dry the paint brush with a dark towel (just in case the color runs and ruins your towel) and then you can paint your next color on your macaron.
