Peppermint Mocha Macarons
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These Peppermint Mocha Macarons are inspired by a popular Starbucks drink, which I enjoy around Christmas time. I even made macaron shells red to look like a Holiday cup. For the filling, I’ve chosen milk chocolate ganache with cocoa powder and peppermint. If you like the Peppermint Mocha drink, then you must try these macarons. You will be impressed!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Macarons taste delicious. Try also Chocolate Mint or Sugar Cookie Macarons.
- This is a perfect winter flavor for macarons. Check also Mulled Wine and Eggnog Macarons.
- If you are looking for macarons based on popular drinks, try Aperol and Pina Colada Macarons.
Ingredients
- Flour: Almond flour. Make sure you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
- Sugar: Powdered sugar and white granulated sugar.
- Egg: Egg whites at room temperature. I do not “age” egg whites.
- Cocoa powder: For better results, use Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder.
- Chocolate: Milk Chocolate. I used Callebaut chocolate.
- Cream: Heavy cream. Do not substitute with half and half or milk.
- Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Glucose Syrup: Can substitute with inverted sugar or honey.
- Extract: Peppermint extract.
- Decor: Crushed peppermint candy.
How to Make Peppermint Mocha Macarons
- Make Peppermint Mocha ganache.
- Bake Red Macaron shells. I used my Basic Macarons recipe based on French meringue. If you prefer Italian Meringue, I have that recipe too. I even have a recipe for macarons made in the Thermomix.
- Assemble macarons.
In the saucepan, mix heavy cream, cocoa powder, glucose syrup, and peppermint extract. Bring the mixture to a boil, but do not boil.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or using the double-boiler method. Pour the hot mixture over the milk chocolate.
Emulsify with an immersion blender. Then add butter and emulsify again.
Transfer ganache into a flat container and cover with the plastic wrap “to contact”.
In the mixing bowl, sift together almond flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.
Start adding sugar in a few parts. After that, change the speed in the mixer to medium and set up the timer for 15 minutes.
French Meringue should be sinny and stable.
Add sifted dry ingredients to the French meringue and fold the batter using a spatula.
Do not overfold! Check the batter every 5 folds. The batter is ready when it flows fast from the spatula.
Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start piping, then stop when you reach the desired size of the macaron shell.
Lightly tap the baking tray to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick or a baking needle to remove the bubbles from the piped macaron shells. Let macaron shells rest (dry) on the countertop for about 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150 °C). Bake macaron shells in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Baking time and temperature may be different, depending on your oven. Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the macaron shells cool to room temperature before removing them from the mat. Pair macaron shells of similar sizes before filling them.
How to Assemble
When ready to assemble the macarons, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a round piping tip. Pipe ganache on the flat side of one macaron shell.
Sandwich a macaron with another macaron shell and press lightly. Make sure there is no ganache coming out from the sides of the macaron.
Expert Tips
- Use good-quality milk chocolate.
- This ganache stabilizes fast. Ganache should be soft and easy to pipe. Bring ganache to room temperature before transferring to a pastry bag.
- Decorate macarons after “maturing” with Royal Icing.
Recipe FQAs
Store filled macarons in the airtight container for 2-3 days.
Yes, you can freeze these macarons. Keep in the freezer in an air-tight container for up to 6 months.
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Recipe
Peppermint Mocha Macarons
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 immersion blender
- 1 spatula
- 1 sieve
- 2 baking sheet pan
- 2 baking mat
Ingredients
French Macarons
- 140 g almond flour
- 125 g powdered sugar
- 5 g cocoa powder
- 100 g egg whites room temperature
- 105 g white granulated sugar
- 1 g red food coloring
Peppermint Mocha Ganache
- 200 g milk chocolate
- 100 g heavy cream
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 20 g glucose syrup
- 1 g peppermint extract
- 28 g butter
Instructions
How to Make French Macarons
- Measure all ingredients correctly using a digital kitchen scale. Line two baking sheet pans with a baking mat.
- Add egg whites and powdered food coloring to the mixing bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk on low speed.
- Start adding sugar in a few parts. After that, change the speed in the mixer to medium and set up the timer for 15 minutes.
- In the other mixing bowl, sift together almond flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.
- Add sifted dry ingredients to the French meringue and fold the batter using a spatula. Do not overfold! Check the batter every 5 folds. The batter is ready when it flows fast from the spatula.
- Transfer the batter to the piping bag with a round tip.
- Pipe macaron shells on the prepared baking mats. Hold the piping bag straight and apply pressure when you start piping, then stop when you reach the desired size of the macaron shell.
- Lightly tap the baking tray to remove air bubbles. Use a toothpick or a baking needle to remove the bubbles from the piped macaron shells.
- Let macaron shells rest (dry) on the countertop for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150 °C).
- Bake macaron shells in a preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Baking time and temperature may be different, depending on your oven.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the macaron shells cool to room temperature before removing them from the mat.
- Pair macaron shells of similar sizes before filling them.
How to Make Peppermint Mocha Ganache
- In the saucepan, mix heavy cream, cocoa powder, glucose syrup, and peppermint extract. Bring the mixture to a boil, but do not boil.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or using the double-boiler method.
- Pour the hot mixture over the milk chocolate.
- Emulsify with an immersion blender.
- Add butter and emulsify again.
- Transfer ganache into a flat container and cover with the plastic wrap "to contact".
- Refrigerate ganache for a few hours. Ganache stabilizes fast.
How to Assemble Peppermint Mocha Macarons
- When ready to assemble the macarons, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a round piping tip.
- Pipe ganache on the flat side of one macaron shell.
- Sandwich a macaron with another macaron shell and press lightly. Make sure there is no ganache coming out from the sides of the macaron.
- Repeat with the rest of the macarons.
- Place assembled macarons in the flat container with a cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
