7 Tips for How to Make Peppermint Cocoa Macarons
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Macarons are possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever learned how to make. Most recipes I can test a handful of times and get it right. Macarons have taken me dozens of attempts. So, it is with timid optimism, I present to you Peppermint Cocoa Macarons. Just in time for the holidays!
Santa Needs Peppermint Cocoa Macarons
It’s Christmastime again, and I’m returning to my favorite flavor combo for these little French pastries, peppermint cocoa macarons.
Before we even bother with talk of flavor, though, we desperately need to discuss the finicky rules of macaron making. I do truly mean “finicky.” This recipe is the pretty-but-picky cat of recipes. And it’s me, so of course we have to lay down some ground rules.
Rule #1: Use Old, Room-Temperature Eggs
Thanks to Entertaining with Beth, I found out that room temperature eggs are the best way to get a meringue to behave. Cold eggs just don’t whip us as well. It’s something about the proteins needing to be relaxed to accept air.
But the other trick is using “aged” eggs. Fresh from the grocery store, they don’t want to whip at all. So, eggs you bought between 3 days ago and a week ago work best. And, actually, this is a good thing to keep in mind for hard boiled eggs that peel easily, as well.
For the best results, you’ll want to separate out your egg whites, cover them, and let them sit on your counter for at least 3 hours. Some people even recommend leaving them for 24 hours. Personally, I set them out until they were room temperature and then set a timer for 3 hours.
Rule #2: Sift the Dry Ingredients Thrice
This one sounds nutty. Shouldn’t one pass be enough? Seriously, no. I sifted my almond flour, and then I sifted my powdered sugar. And then, I whisked them together to fluff them up. When I incorporated the dry into the meringue, I sifted into the bowl, and still came out with large bits.
So, measure your almond flour and powdered sugar separately, and sift them to fluff and get big clumps out. Measure them both again separately, and sift again. Mix them together, and sift yet again.
You need to measure the second time because your powders are now aerated, and you’ll get more accurate cup measurements. We’ll talk more about this later. The first time you measured, you likely packed it too tight. Since this recipe doesn’t deal with weights, you have to be super nit-picky.
Why does it even need to be sifted? Well, frankly, this is a texture thing. The finer your dry ingredients are, the smoother the surface of your shell will be in the end.
You can also run your almond flour and powdered sugar through a food processor to try for an even finer crumb, but I haven’t found that it makes much difference. In fact, by the time I thought it was looking any finer, it was oily from the almond meal heating up. That’s not good.
Rule #3: Gel Food Coloring is Better
I actually bought vegetable-based food coloring in an attempt to be healthier and earth-conscious, but it took SO much coloring to even get a hint of hue to show up. Plus, it added just enough excess moisture that it threw off the balance of the batter. Not only did they come out weirdly sticky and chewy, but they also tasted awful.
Here’s the deal. Gel coloring is more concentrated so it takes less to get a better color. This is ideal for reducing the amount of moisture added since you already need to flavor with a bit of extract.
And you’ll want to mix it in with the meringue to make sure the color comes out smooth. If you add while adding your dry ingredients, you may get a streaky result.
Rule #4: Have a Timer Nearby as a Precaution
The one and only French meringue recipe I have found that works requires adding the sugar into the egg whites after 2 minutes of beating, followed by an additional 3 minutes of beating to achieve stiff peaks. This is usually spot on.
On occasion, the second round of beating may take up to 5 minutes, but since I live in fear of over-whipped egg whites, the timer helps me remember to turn off the mixer to check my peak status.
Rule #5: Fold Gently for Long Enough
In a laborious task with the signature name of “macaronage,” your macaron batter needs to be folded correctly. This entails adding the dry ingredients one third at a time until incorporated fully. Then, you’ll continue folding gently until the batter flows off your spatula in an unbroken stream.
Many compare this to lava or wet sand. I prefer to reference molasses or honey because those are things you’re more likely to see flowing off a spoon in an unbroken line.
And often you’ll read about the “figure 8” test. This means that your batter should be able to trail an 8 because it’s flowing so neatly from your spatula.
I would also mention, though, that you want to be able to do 2 or 3 figure 8’s in your test. Doing one of them is nice, but it’s likely your batter is still undermixed, and your shells will come out hollow.
You’ll also want to watch how quickly that figure 8 smooths back out. If it takes longer than 10 seconds, it needs more mixing. If it smooths out in 10 seconds, stop mixing.
Rule #6: Don’t Make Macarons at Nap Time
Once you’ve piped out your batter, you will be required to “firmly tap” your sheet pan against the counter repeatedly until the air bubbles pop. What this means is that all your pent up rage from people not wearing masks will emerge as you smack the tar out of your counter with a sheet pan.
The good news is that you are not allowed to skip this step. The goal, though, is to remove air pockets, not to splatter batter on your ceiling. You know, just saying…
You’ll also want to follow this up by taking a toothpick and poking any bubbles you see and dabbing them a bit to fill the hole back in. This part is quieter at least.
Rule #7: They Need a Lot of Beauty Rest
They need a 20 to 40 minutes nap before they can go in the oven. When I’m running the heat, it only takes about 20 minutes, but if it’s a humid day, it might take 40 minutes or longer.
The idea is that you want a good firm skin to form on top of your macarons. As they rise in the oven, this will help it grow feet as the batter rises into that firm shell.
As if these little pastries weren’t verging on “diva” status already, they do need to rest, yet again, after you fill them. Set them in the fridge overnight for that perfect texture. I don’t know why, but trust me.
You’ll eat one of your peppermint cocoa macarons right after the buttercream is sandwiched in and think, “This isn’t right.” But, tomorrow they’ll be ready for their close-up with Mr. DeMille.
Additional Resources for Macarons
Since I’m obviously not an everyday macaron baker, I’d like to introduce you to the one and only French macaron shell recipe I’ll ever use from Ahead of Thyme. As well as the one and only Swiss macaron shell recipe I’ll ever use from Pies and Tacos.
Additionally, if you find you’re struggling to get feet or your shells keep exploding, here’s my favorite blog on troubleshooting macarons. There were some tips in here that didn’t work for me, but every experience is different.
Finally, It’s Time for
Peppermint Cocoa Macarons!
If you have gotten this far, let me assure you that the end result is truly worth in. These stupid little beauties are so frustrating when they fail, but incredibly satisfying when you get it right.
So, for this write up, I’ve done peppermint cocoa macarons. I started with a green minty shell and used a simple cocoa powder buttercream with another kiss of peppermint. You’re not locked in to those flavors.
The easiest way to customize this recipe to your own flavor choice is to switch the mint in the shell for vanilla. Use whatever color gel you want, by the way.
Then, use your favorite frosting, curd, or jam for the filling. Cream cheese frosting? Yes please. Lemon curd? Gorgeous? Have fun with it! The filling is literally the least fussy part of this whole recipe.
If you want to try my Vanilla Bean Macaron recipe which uses a different method, so click over to give it a shot!
Tools You’ll Need for Peppermint Cocoa Macarons
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Medium mixing bowl
- Fine mesh sieve
- Hand mixer
- Timer
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bags
- Piping tips
- Baking sheets
- Macaron silicone mats
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Peppermint Cocoa Macarons
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Pastry bag
- ½ in piping tip
Ingredients
Macaron Shell
- 2 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup finely ground almond flour sifted
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ inch dab of green gel food coloring
Peppermint Cocoa Buttercream
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites for 2 minutes until opaque and foamy (soft peaks). Slowly mix in granulated sugar a little at a time. Then beat on high for 2 to 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
- Add in peppermint extract and green food color gel. Beat for an additional 30 seconds.
- Sift ⅓ of dry ingredients into egg whites, and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in until almost incorporated. Repeat with another ⅓ of dry mix and then the remaining ⅓.
- Once there is no remaining dry mix, continue to gently fold batter together until it becomes slightly runny, the texture of lava. Check consistency by trailing a ribbon of batter from the spatula over the surface of the rest of the batter. You should be able to complete a figure-8 if it is thinned enough.
- Fit your pastry bag with a ½ inch round tip. Place bag inside a glass for stability, and fold top of the bag down over glass. This will help cleanly fill your pastry bag with batter.
- Line 2 baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Pipe ¾ inch rounds with at least 1 inch of space between.
- Firmly tap the baking sheet against the counter to bring air bubbles to the surface. Follow with a toothpick to pop additional subsurface bubbles and fill in holes.
- Allow to dry at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes until you can touch the top without batter adhering to your finger.
- Preheat the oven to 315°F.
- Bake both sheet pans for 6 minutes and then rotate the pans and bake an additional 6 minutes.
- Allow the shells to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Peppermint Cocoa Buttercream
- Whip softened butter until fluffy.
- Add in powdered sugar and whip until incorporated. Then add in cocoa powder.
- Thin with milk and whip until color lightens and mixture is airy.
- Flavor with peppermint extract.
- Fit a piping bag with a decorative tip or the same (clean) ½ inch round tip.
Final Construction
- Turn half of the shells over so the feet face up. Pipe buttercream onto these shells.
- Gently press the remaining shells feet side down onto the frosted shells to form little sandwiches.
- Refrigerate overnight before serving.
