Choc Mint Macarons

Fresh and sweet, these Choc Mint Macarons are the perfect treat! They’re absolutely delicious and just hit the spot with their sweet green shells and fresh whipped choc mint ganache filling.

Follow the tips below for perfect macarons, especially if this is your first time making macarons. Be sure to try out my other Macaron recipes like Donut Macarons, Biscoff Macarons or Pistachio Macarons.

Why you’ll love these macarons:

• Great little treat for choc mint lovers
• Uses the French method making them super easy
• Uses only a few simple ingredients – a simple ganache means there’s no need for tricky ingredients like peppermint extract
• The choc mint ganache filling is amazingly delicious

Ingredients needed for Chocolate Mint Macarons

• Egg whites – at room temperature – large egg whites are best
• Granulated sugar – also called caster sugar, to get the egg whites to stiff peaks
• Powdered sugar – icing sugar
• Almond flour / Almond meal – it’s best to use almond flour for smooth shells (I used almond meal), if you don’t have access to almond flour you can process the almond meal with the powdered sugar and sift a few times.
• Green gel food coloring – for that mint look, a little bit of teal coloring would work well

Ingredients for Choc Mint Ganache

• Choc mint chocolate – I like Aero Choc Mint, but you can use any choc mint bar you like. A dark chocolate mint bar would be great as well.
• Heavy cream – to turn the chocolate into a delicious ganache

Kitchen Tools Needed

• Large Bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer, glass or metal is ideal)
• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer with whisk attachment
• Sifter or food processor (optional)
• Baking paper or silicon mat / silpat mat – marked with macaron circles or use a macaron template
• Flat baking tray / baking sheet
• Kitchen Scales
• Round piping tip and large piping bag / pastry bag
• Rubber spatula

How to make Choc Mint French Macarons

This recipe uses the French meringue method, full details and ingredient measurements for this Mint Chocolate Macarons recipe are in the recipe card below.

1: MEASURE INGREDIENTS

Measure the egg whites, granulated sugar, almond meal and powdered sugar. Place your silicone mat or parchment paper on a large baking sheet.

2: SIFT WELL OR PROCESS

Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar together. For best results, place the almond meal and powdered sugar into a food processor and process until fine.

3: MAKE A MERINGUE

Whisk the egg whites on a medium speed to start in a large mixing bowl ( or bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment) until it becomes foamy. Change to a high speed and slowly add in the sugar until it is glossy and stiff peaks form. This can take a while of whisking. Once stiff peaks form, add in the green gel coloring and mix until the color has incoporated.

4: MACRONAGE

Macronage is the step if turning the meringue and dry mixture (almond meal and powdered sugar) into the right texture batter that enables it to pipe and bake well. Sift the dry ingredients (almond meal, powdered sugar) into the meringue. Fold gently until the almond flour mixture is fully incorporated into the meringue. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the almond mixture has been incorporated. To check the macronage is at the right consistency, the mixture should flow like thick ribbons forming a figure 8 with the spatula a few times. It should flow off the spoon easily enough to make a figure 8 a few times without breaking.

5: PIPING THE MACARONS

Fill the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (approx. 1cm). If you don’t have a piping tip, cut the edge of the piping bag, however for neat circles it’s best to use a piping tip. Pipe 1 inch rounds (2.5 – 3.5cm) onto parchment (baking) paper or a silicone mat. Pipe a mound in the centre of the circle and pull up as the batter begins to touch the sides of the circle. Once piped, gently tap the tray against the table to remove any air bubbles.

6: REST AND BAKE

Rest the macarons for 30-60 minutes until it skin forms. To test, touch the macaron, if a skin has formed no macaron should come off on your finger. Bake for 20 minutes at 150C/300F. Oven timing and temperature can take a little practise to get right when making macarons. Turn the macaron tray in the oven every 5 minutes if the oven has hot spots to avoid browning. Remove the macarons from the oven after the time has lapsed, or when you push the macaron shells on their feet and they do not move.

How to make Mint Choc Ganache Filling

The Chocolate Mint filling is made with only 2 ingredients, Aero mint chocolate and cream.

Start by chopping the chocolate into small pieces (approx. 1cm). Heat the cream in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds at a time until it’s hot and bubbling. Be careful when handling this as the bowl can get hot.

Add the chocolate straight into the bowl and cover with a lid or plate. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Once the 10 minutes has lapsed, mix the ganache until smooth and place in the fridge covered for 2 hours.

Remove the ganache and place into a bowl, beat on a medium to high speed until the ganache is thick and creamy like a buttercream frosting. Fill into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe a little mound into the bottom shell. Place the second shell on top.

Decoration Ideas

• Drizzle with dark chocolate
• Dip in chocolate
• Dip in white chocolate and sprinkle with chocolate chips

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESSFUL MACARONS

MACARON EGG WHITES

When making macarons, it is best to use room temperature egg whites. This ensures the egg white will whip well when turning it into meringue. If the eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 10-15 minutes to allow them to come up to room temperature quickly. If time permits age egg whites for best results. Break egg whites into a bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap, place in the fridge for 1-2 days before using.

MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS FOR MACARONS FIRST

Since macarons can be temperamental it’s important that the ingredients used are measured correctly. Using a digital scale is the best way to achieve accurate measurements for the ingredients used in macarons. Measure the ingredients before you start as the macaron making process if fairly quick and having everything ready to go makes it a lot easier.

BEST BOWL TO USE FOR MACARONS

Macarons are reliant on the whipping of the meringue, a meringue cannot form if there is any fat present. Make sure you don’t get any egg yolks in your whites. It’s also important that the bowl you use is clean and free from any fat, the best way to prepare the bowl is to give it a wipe down with some vinegar. Use a glass or metal bowl as fat is cleaned off the surface more easily. Plastic bowls can hold onto fat and are not as easily cleaned.

MATS FOR MACARONS

I like to use silicone baking mats for Macarons. I do find them easy to use and macarons are lifted off easily, however before I had purchased these I used parchment/baking paper with no issues.

FOLDING MACARONS / MACARONAGE

The art of folding macarons is referred to as macaronage. This is where a lot can go wrong, it is best to mix your almond meal and confectioners/icing sugar in a gentle folding motion, until the batter flows like lava off the spoon and can form a figure 8 a few times before breaking.

RESTING MACARONS

Rest the macarons after piping. This is an important step in the macaron making process. The resting helps form a skin which then allows the macarons to rise, form feet and have a crisp shell. Depending on the temperature and weather where you are, the macarons may require different lengths of time to rest. Between 15-45 minutes. You can test if the macarons have rested by touching a macaron with the tip of your finger, if some of the macaron mixture sticks, they’ll require a longer time, if nothing sticks then they are well rested.

TEST THE OVEN FOR MACARONS

Macarons can be finicky about temperatures, yes, it’s almost like they have a mind of their own. You may have to test a few times to see what works best with your oven. I’ve found macarons can be baked between 120c – 150c with great results, you just have to extend the cooking time when baking at lower temperatures. For my oven I bake my macarons at 150c/300F for 20 minutes. It’s also a good idea to flip your tray at 5-10 minute intervals if your oven has hot spots.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How to store macarons?

Macarons can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a week or in the freezer for 3 months. In fact it is best to store filled macarons the next day. Storing them in the fridge for 1-2 days before eating matures the macarons, allowing the filling and shells to meld together to create a deliciously perfect morsel.

Why are my macarons hollow?

There can be many reasons for this, it’s hard to say. Macarons can be over/under beaten in the macaronage stage. They can be baked too high or too low. It can be a tricky thing to fix, and requires further testing.

Why are my macarons cracked?

This commonly happens if the macarons have not had enough time to rest or the oven temperature is too high. The best way to tell if the macarons have rested enough is to touch it with your finger, if nothing comes off onto your finger, they are rested.

Why are my macarons hard or crunchy?

It’s quite normal for macarons to be hard or crunchy, this sometimes happens if the macarons have been over-baked. There is an easy fix for this one, fill your macarons and let them mature in the fridge for 24 or more hours. This process allows the filling to soften the macaron creating the perfect crumbly melt in your mouth texture.

More Macaron Flavors to try

• Donut Macarons
• Peanut Butter Macarons
• Passionfruit Macarons
• Pistachio Macarons

If you prefer cupcakes you could try these Mint Chocolate Cupcakes.