White Mocha Buttercream French Macarons
A delicate shell sandwiched with the most delicious white mocha buttercream, drizzled with icing, and topped with a dollop of frosting and a coffee bean. Have a few of these with your morning coffee.
If you’re a white mocha fanatic like me, then you’ll love these tasty treats. The sweet white chocolate and deep, rich coffee flavor blend perfectly together in the buttercream filling.
What are the three types of macarons?
The three types of macarons are: Italian, Swiss, and French. Italian macarons require you to whisk hot sugar syrup into a soft meringue and beat to stiff peaks. The Swiss method requires you to heat up egg whites with sugar, then beat it into a stiff meringue. The French method does not involve using hot sugar syrup, and they are by far the easiest method to make macarons.
Whatever method you use, there’s no doubt you will enjoy the end result. Macarons are one of my favorite things to make. You can get as creative as you want with flavors and decorations, think Peppermint White Chocolate Macarons, or you can keep it plain like these Vanilla Rose Macarons. Whatever your heart’s desire.
Ingredients: An Overview
The ingredient list for macarons is quite short, so they must be quality.
- Egg Whites I like to separate the egg whites at least the morning of when I am making the macarons. If you can do it 24 hours ahead of time, perfect. I haven’t noticed a difference between aging the egg whites or not aging the egg whites. I do like to get this one step out of the way though by doing it earlier.
- Almond flour Be sure to use blanched, fine-ground almond flour. This will help ensure the tops of the macaron shells are as smooth as can be.
- Ground coffee Use fresh, plain, ground coffee. You don’t want any other flavor taking over the white mocha flavor.
- White chocolate You can use either a white chocolate baking bar or white chocolate chips.
For the full list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe card down below.
Making White Mocha Macarons: An Overview
Making macarons is actually a simple process, it’s knowing when the macaronage is at the right stage to pipe that’s tricky. Properly whipping the egg whites can be tricky as well. And, since macarons can be so finicky, we want to weigh our ingredients rather than measure. Please visit my French Macaron Beginner’s Guide for more tips and tricks to make amazing macarons.
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. You can buy a fancy egg white separator, or just do it yourself. I crack the egg over a separate bowl, then pass the egg yolk carefully between each half of the egg shell as the whites fall out into a bowl I have placed on a kitchen scale.
Weigh the almond flour, powdered sugar, and granulated/castor sugar.
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into a separate bowl and set aside. Be sure to use a mesh sieve rather than a strainer. We want the holes to be small but not too small. Sifting these two ingredients helps ensure we will get smooth tops on our macarons.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. You’ll know you have stiff peaks when you lift the whisk out of the meringue and it comes to a ‘peak’ with possibly a slight curve. You will also be able to turn the bowl of meringue upside down and it will not move.
Fold the meringue into the flour/sugar mixture in three separate batches. Don’t worry about fully mixing in between each addition. Once all the meringue has been added, we’ll fold everything together to get our macaronage. When properly mixed together, it should flow off your spatula like honey. You will also be able to draw a figure eight with the flowing batter, and it will sink back into itself in 10 seconds.
Pipe the batter onto two baking sheets line with silicone mats or parchment paper. I prefer silicone mats. Bang the trays firmly on the counter top, or other hard, non-breakable surface, to help remove air bubbles. Air bubbles can cause cracks in our shells, so we want to remove them.
Rest the macarons for 30 minutes so the macarons can form their skin. If you live in a drier climate, it may take less time. If you live in a more humid climate, it will take longer for them to form their skin.
Bake the macarons in an oven preheated to 310F for 15 minutes. I’ve also started putting a tray on the top rack above the macarons to help prevent browning on the shells.
Making the White Chocolate Buttercream Filling
The filling for the macarons is a simple buttercream frosting. It is slightly softer than a buttercream you would use to frost a cake. First, we’ll whip our softened butter until it’s smooth, whip in the melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, milk, and coffee until smooth.
Filling the Macarons
Pair the shells up with each other by size. Flip one over of each pair. Using a pastry bag fitted with a tip, squeeze out about a nickel-sized amount of filling onto the shell. Sandwich the shells together gently, being careful not to crack the tops.
To decorate the tops, drizzle with a simple icing. Squeeze a bit of frosting on top and pop a coffee bean on it. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Now you’ve got your cute and delicious white mocha macarons!
More macarons to try
Frequently Asked Questions
For maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container on the counter for up to 24 hours. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie. Store them the same way in the fridge for up to one week.
To freeze the shells, first lay them in a single layer on a large baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Line the container with parchment paper, and put parchment paper on each layer of macarons. Freeze them for up to one month. Thaw the macarons in the fridge overnight and decorate as normal.
To freeze-filled macarons, follow the same instructions. Not all filled macarons freeze well due to the type of filling they have. Buttercream and ganache would freeze well. Fillings like jams or curds would not hold up well after being thawed out, so it is recommended not to freeze those types.
Macarons are a sweet, meringue-based sandwich cookie made with almond flour, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and egg whites, and are often made with food coloring. Popular fillings are ganache, buttercream, and jam.
A macaroon is a drop cookie also made with meringue, ground almonds, and sugar originally. They often include coconut and may also include jam, chocolate or other flavorings. A popular version is made with coconut and dipped in chocolate.
A perfect macaron will have a smooth top due to the fine-ground almond flour used in the recipe. It’s also due to creating the perfect macaronage. The filling should be smooth and reach all the way to the edges without spilling out. The crust of the cookie should be thin and break easily when biting into the macaron. It should not be thick, nor should it be too hard and shatter. The interior of the cookie should be soft and chewy, not mushy. The feet should not be too tall, nor should they be tiny. They should extend upward just enough, and they should not extend out over the sides. The macaron should be sweet enough, but you should be able to taste the flavor of the cookie without the sweetness overpowering it.
White Mocha Buttercream French Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 105 grams egg whites
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 130 grams almond flour
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
White Mocha Buttercream
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon white chocolate, melted (2 squares)
Decorating Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Macarons Shells
- Separate the egg whites (105 grams) from the yolks about 24 hours ahead of when you will be making the macarons. Don't worry if it's not quite 24 hours. To separate the eggs, crack the shell as close to the middle as you can get. Pass the yolk back and forth between the half shells until all of the whites have separated out into your bowl. You may want to do this over a small bowl first in case some of the yolk gets into the whites.
- Line two large baking sheets with either silicone mats or parchment paper. Set them on a flat surface.
- Weigh out the almond flour (130 grams), powdered sugar (130 grams), and granulated or caster sugar (75 grams) into separate, small bowls. Use superfine flour so you get smooth tops. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites to a clean metal bowl. Add the cream of tartar (1/4 teaspoon). Whip the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy and the whisk leaves track marks in them. Now it's time to add the granulated sugar. Add the sugar in 3 separate batches with the beater running on low speed. Once you've added all of the sugar, turn the beater on high.
- You will see the egg whites begin to build volume and start to look a little more solid. They will also turn a bright white color. After about 5 minutes, stop and check for doneness. They will most likely not be done and will still be runny. Continue whisking. The egg whites will start to look thick and the whisk will leave deep track marks. You are looking for the egg whites to form stiff peaks. This is when you remove the whisk from the egg whites and they come to a point without melting away. They will form a 'peak' with possibly just a slight curve. You will also be able to turn the bowl upside down and they will not move. This is the meringue.
- Add the meringue to the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture in 3 batches. You won't be able to mix it all together until you've got all the meringue in there, but it's easier to do it this way. It will look very dry at first. As you continue mixing, it will come together. I like to use a spatula with a rounded side. It seems to move along the bowl easier, allowing me to scrape the sides and fold everything inward. The mixing is what takes the air out of the batter, allowing it to form the honey-like consistency we are looking for. The batter should flow off your spatula like honey without breaking, and you should be able to form a figure 8 with the batter that's flowing off the spatula. It should sink back into itself in 10 seconds. Then it's ready.
- Using a large pastry bag and a small, round tip (I like the Wilton 12 tip), fill the pastry bag with the batter. I like to use a large cup to set the bag into. Twist the bottom just above the tip and fold it over before putting it in the cup. This will prevent the batter from pouring out the bottom into the cup. Fold the sides over the cup and spoon the batter into the bag.
- Take the cup over to where your prepared pans are. Lift the bag out of the cup, hold the top closed, and gently squeeze the bag to push the batter down towards the tip. Work quickly as the batter will keep flowing out of the tip once it starts. If you have the mats with the macarons stenciled on them, then aim for the middle of each stencil. There should be a dot in the middle. Holding the bag upright, count to four and gently squeeze the batter onto the mat. Repeat this process until you have filled all of the circles or run out of batter.
- Bang the trays firmly on your countertop to remove any air bubbles. I also go through with a toothpick and lightly pop any air bubbles I see. Let the macarons rest for 30-40 minutes (longer if it's humid out) so they can form their 'skin'. You should be able to lightly touch the tops of the macarons without getting any batter on your finger, and they will feel smooth.
- Now it's time to bake them. Bake each tray one at a time on the middle rack for 13 minutes in a 315 F oven. The macarons will look matte on top, and they will not jiggle when you move the pan. I like to preheat my oven about halfway through the macarons resting.
- Once the macarons are done baking, let them rest for 10 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to continue cooling down. Once they're cooled down, they can be filled.
White Mocha Frosting
- The filling is a simple buttercream frosting. Beat the softened butter (1/4 cup) until it's smooth, about 60 seconds. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in a glass container in 10 second bursts until melted. Be careful, the container the melted chocolate is in can get very hot. Use a towel or oven mitt to handle the hot container.
- Add the powdered sugar (1 cup) and melted white chocolate. Beat on low until it starts to incorporate with the butter, then turn it up to medium until it's fully mixed together. It will clump up. Turn the mixer off. Add the milk (2 teaspoons) and 1 teaspoon ground coffee. Beat on high until everything is mixed well and the frosting is smooth.
- Add the filling to a pastry bag fitted with your choice of tip. I like the Wilton 4B or 2A tips. Pair the macarons up by size and flip one over. Pipe about a nickel-sized amount of filling onto the flipped over shell. Gently sandwich the shells together being careful not to crush them.
Decorating Icing
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 5 teaspoons of milk until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the macarons. Pipe a small dollop of the white mocha filling onto the macarons and stick a coffee bean on top. It's great if you're able to chill the macarons for 24 hours before serving, but it's not necessary. They're still delicious!
Notes
- For maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie.
- For best results, follow the recipe as written.
- Be sure to only use gel or powdered food coloring. Liquid food coloring can make the macaron batter too wet.
Nutrition
About Author
