Original Post: https://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/mint-french-macarons/
Mint Chocolate Macarons
Servings: 20 filled macarons
Calories: 137kcal
Minty, chocolatey, and surprisingly simple to make! With a silky smooth ganache and a creamy mint candy surprise inside, these mint chocolate macarons taste just like your favorite mint chocolate treat, but fancier! With my clear, step-by-step instructions, you'll be able to bake beautiful, bakery-style macarons with confidence.
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Ingredients
For macaron shells:
- 100 g fine almond flour Note 1
- 65 g powdered sugar Note 2
- 70 g egg whites Note 3
- 75 g fine granulated sugar Note 4
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Note 5
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 drop green gel food coloring Note 6
Mint Chocolate Ganache
- 3 ½ oz (100 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 ½ oz (100 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter softened and cubed
Mint Candy Filling:
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
To make macaron shells:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, a Teflon sheet, or a silicone mat.
- To prepare dry ingredients, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. (Note: If you have up to 2 tablespoons of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don't have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.)
- To make meringue, in a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt and beat the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. (I set it to speed 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. It takes 30-40 minutes to whip the meringue, but it's well worth it for nice and full shells.)
- When the meringue reaches soft peaks, add a few drops of green gel food coloring.
- Continue beating the meringue at the same medium speed until hard peaks form. Visual cues: Meringue should ball up inside the whisk, and when you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy end and have sharp ribs.
- Once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, add the peppermint extract and whisk for about 30 seconds or so.
- To make batter, sift the almond flour mixture into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight. To test, take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on their own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold a couple more times and test again. Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP: Making French macarons is all about the technique. This is one of the most crucial steps. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides, and cut the batter in half. If you’re a beginner macaron-baker, I suggest counting every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple of folds.)
- To pipe macaron shells, transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. (I use a Wilton 2A tip.)
- Hold the pastry bag at a straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (TIP 2: Download my free macaron template. Simply pipe the batter to fill the inner circle.)
- Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or slap the bottom of the baking sheet with one of your hands) a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops.
- Let the macarons rest on the counter for 15 minutes before baking.
- To bake, bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes, one baking sheet at a time, on the middle rack. It’ll take longer for larger macarons. To test for doneness, touch a macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move.
- Cool the macarons complete and then remove the shells from the baking surface. (TIP: Don't remove the shells while warm, you may risk breaking the shells, or the bottom might get stuck to the baking surface.)
To make the mint chocolate ganache:
- Bring heavy cream to a simmer, not a boil. Alternatively, you can microwave it for 30-45 seconds.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Then mix with a silicone spatula until smooth.
- Add the peppermint extract and butter.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until silky smooth, which means the mixture is emulsified.
- Pour the ganache into a flat container and cover it with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the entire surface of the ganache.
- Allow the ganache to stabilize at room temperature until a scoopable consistency, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the ganache into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I use a Wilton 2A tip.)
To make the mint candy filling:
- In a medium bowl, beat the powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, and peppermint extract with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- If not using immediately, transfer the mixture to a small bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
To assemble macarons:
- Pair the macaron shells by size and arrange them on a wire rack. Line them up so that bottom shells are upside down.
- Pipe a ring of ganache filling on the bottom shells.
- Drop ½ teaspoon of mint candy filling in the center of each macaron.
- Place the top shell over the filling and press lightly so the filling spreads to the edges.
- Refrigerate the filled macarons in an airtight container for at least 24 hours to mature, allowing the filling to soften and infuse the shells with flavor.
- To serve, bring the macarons out about 30 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Note 1: It’s best to use super fine almond flour to ensure smooth tops. Weigh the ingredients before sifting.
Note 2: I don’t recommend making your own powdered sugar because commercial powdered sugar often contains cornstarch. And it helps with the texture of the cookies.
Note 3: I’ve had success with carton egg whites (Bob Evans brand, #notsponsored). You’ll need 1/3 cup of egg whites.
Note 4: It’s important to use fine granulated sugar for meringue, as it dissolves quickly. You can also use caster sugar, aka baker’s sugar.
Note 5: Cream of tartar is optional and can be omitted. However, it helps to stabilize egg whites and create sturdier meringue. It’s just an extra insurance!
Note 6: I used about ¼ teaspoon of Wilton Kelly green gel food coloring.
Note 7: You can easily double this macaron recipe.
Mint Candy Filling: You'll get about 140g of mint candy filling, enough for 28 macarons. Estimate about ½ teaspoon (5g) of filling per macaron.
GOT MACARON TROUBLE? Check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze the filled macarons in an airtight container for up to 1 month. To thaw, place the frozen macarons in the fridge and let them thaw slowly for at least 1 hour. Then, bring them out 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Servings: 1 filled macaron
Calories: 137kcal
Carbohydrates: 16g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 7g
Sugar: 15g
Sodium: 11mg
