A true classic holiday flavor, now in macaron form! These Gingerbread Macarons have a gingerbread buttercream center that is bursting with warming spice flavors and a hint of molasses to really bring the gingerbread taste to life!
Macaron Making Tips:
The following notes apply anytime you are making macarons, regardless of flavor. This recipe uses the Italian method to make macarons, which involves making a meringue with a hot sugar syrup. Check out my Pumpkin Spice Macarons post for a full list of all the equipment needed.
- Read through the recipe at least twice – do this before starting to fully understand the method and equipment needed.
- Measure out all ingredients – have all ingredients ready to go and allow the egg whites to come to room temperature.
- Consistency of dry ingredients – use a finely ground almond flour and sift together with the confectioners sugar, discarding any large granules. If necessary, use a food processor to grind the two ingredients into a fine powder.
- Sugar Syrup – carefully monitor the temperature of the syrup so as not to overheat it. Heating beyond 244°F will cause the sugar to become too firm. Use a good candy thermometer for an accurate temperature reading (I use a digital candy thermometer, similar to this one).
- Meringue – whip the meringue just until stiff peaks are reached. Meringue should be thick and glossy. If you over mix it will become lumpy and dry, causing hollow shells. Also, be sure the stand mixer bowl is very clean before whipping the egg whites. There should be no liquid or oil residue in the bowl, otherwise it can prevent the eggs whites from whipping up properly.
- Macaronage (mixing) – swipe the spatula around the outside of the bowl and cut through the middle of the batter to combine the meringue with the dry ingredient/paste mixture. The batter should flow smoothly but not become runny. Stop mixing often to check the consistency. Better to under mix than over mix. You should be able to draw a figure “8” with the batter as it falls off the spatula without it breaking.
- Piping – hold the piping bag straight up and down. Apply even pressure while piping each round. Release pressure before flicking away the piping tip.
- Air Bubbles – bang the baking sheets on the counter to release any air bubbles that may be trapped in the piped macarons. If any stubborn air bubbles remain, use a toothpick to pop them. Air bubbles can lead to cracking or bumpy shells, so best to get rid of them.
- Drying – allow the macarons to dry at room temperature until a ‘skin’ forms on the outside of the shell. The shell should not be sticky when lightly touched. The ‘skin’ encourages the macarons to pop up when baking, rather than spread out, creating the little ruffled feet at the bottoms of the shells.
How to Make Gingerbread Macarons
SHELLS:
For these macarons I kept the shells their standard flavor and chose to only add color. I wanted all the gingerbread flavor to come from the filling instead. To color the shells I added in brown gel food coloring when whipping up the meringue. You can also add coloring into the almond-sugar paste mixture but it requires more effort to work it in, in my opinion. Either option works.
I used the color ‘Brown’ from the Wilton Color Right food coloring set. I ended up using between 5-10 drops of the brown to achieve the shell color pictured here. Use as much or as little as you like.
FILLING:
The filling is a simple American style buttercream, which is essentially butter and confectioners sugar. To achieve the classic gingerbread flavor I added in the same spices I use in my soft baked gingerbread cookies, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. But to really turn this into gingerbread vs just a spiced flavor is the addition of molasses! Molasses brings that extra special touch to make your taste buds know exactly what the flavor is suppose to be!
I hope you try these extra special holiday gingerbread macarons at home! And if you do be sure to tag me in a picture on Instagram! Happy Baking!
Even More Holiday Cookies!
- Soft Baked Gingerbread Cookies
- Ginger Molasses Crinkle Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Macarons
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Macarons
- Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Gingerbread Macarons
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 min (includes resting)
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 min (includes resting)
- Yield: ~ 30-35 filled macarons
Description
Classic macaron shells filled with an American style gingerbread buttercream, spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, with a hint of molasses.
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 150 grams almond flour, ground finely
- 150 grams confectioners sugar
- 110 grams egg whites (divided into two 55 gram portions)
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 43 grams water
- 5–10 drops brown gel food coloring (optional)
Gingerbread Buttercream
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp molasses
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 2 tsp whole milk
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If desired, place a template under the parchment paper with 1 1/2 inch diameter circles to use as a piping guide. (I like using these baking mats/template for piping even sized macarons.)
- Sift together the almond flour and confectioners sugar into a large bowl, discarding any large granules remaining in the sieve. Whisk to combine. (If there are a lot of large pieces remaining, place all of the almond flour and sugar into a food processor and grind for about a minute, then sift again. There should be very few large granules left.) Add in the first portion of egg whites (55 grams) to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix the egg whites into the dry ingredients to form a thick paste.
- In a small saucepan, add in the granulated sugar and water. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the mixture closely while cooking. Begin heating on medium-high heat and bring the temperature to 240°F.
- Meanwhile, while the sugar is cooking, begin whisking the second portion of egg whites (55 grams) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until the egg whites are frothy and form tight small white bubbles. Once the sugar syrup reaches 244°F reduce the mixer to low speed and very carefully add the hot syrup into the egg whites in a slow stream along the side of the mixing bowl. Avoid hitting the whisk when adding the syrup to prevent it from splattering around the sides of the bowl.
- Once all of the syrup is added increase the speed to high and whisk for 3-4 minutes, until soft peaks form. At this point, stop the mixer and add in your gel food coloring (if using). Continue whipping the egg whites for a few more minutes until they are thick, glossy and form stiff peaks. The meringue should have cooled down to room temperature.
- Take a large spatula full of the meringue and add it into the almond-sugar paste. Fold the meringue into the paste to begin loosening the consistency. Add in the remaining meringue and continue folding into the batter, sweeping the spatula around the outside of the bowl and then cutting through the middle to combine. Keep mixing until the batter falls off the spatula in a “ribbon” and moves like slow lava. You should be able to draw a figure “8” with the batter as it falls off the spatula. The “ribbon” should smooth itself back into the bowl of batter after about 10 seconds. This is when the batter is ready to pipe.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium sized round tip. Secure the end of the piping bag with a bag clip or a rubber band to prevent the batter from spilling out of the top. Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheet in even circles, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Gently but firmly tap the baking sheet on your work surface a few times to release any air bubbles from the piped macarons. Use a toothpick to pop any stubborn air bubbles.
- Let the piped macarons sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes to dry out and form a skin. They should no longer feel sticky when lightly touched.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake one sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes. Macarons are done when the tops are set and there is little to no jiggle from the “feet” when lightly tapped. Let the macarons cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.
Gingerbread Buttercream
- Use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter and confectioners sugar until well combined. Add in the molasses, all of the spices, and milk. Continue mixing together until the buttercream is light and fluffy. (If the buttercream is too stiff, add in a little more milk. If it is too loose, add a bit more confectioners sugar.)
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe the buttercream onto the flat side of one macaron. Place another macaron, flat side down, on top of the buttercream and push gently to adhere.
- Store filled macarons in the fridge. Macarons are best when left to rest in the fridge for 1 day, then let sit at room temp for a few minutes before eating.
Keywords: macarons, french macarons, gingerbread, gingerbread macarons
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