Crisp and slightly chewy French macaron shell filled with a smooth, sweet and bitter matcha white chocolate ganache. The perfect combination of bitter-sweet.
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I'm back again with another macaron recipe! This time I'm sharing my favourite flavour, matcha macarons! I'm sure most of you know by now my undying love for matcha and this recipe is a combination of my matcha and macaron love.
These matcha macarons are filled with a green tea white chocolate ganache that is slightly bitter- matching the sweetness of the shells perfectly. I know you are going to love this recipe as much as I do!
What is Matcha?
If you are confused as to what matcha is, and which ones you should be using for your baking adventures my three-ingredient matcha truffle post goes into depth about the different grades of matcha powder and the best one for you!
Tips on flavoured macaron shells
Adding flavouring to the macaron shell itself is difficult as it can often mess up the consistency of the batter.
Nailing the batters consistency is one of the most important things when making macarons as it allows you to create perfect macarons with smooth surfaces and feet. Dry powders like cocoa powder or matcha powder tend to absorb moisture, so when added to the macaron batter they will be a little harder to work with.
I find that adding matcha powder in particular to macaron batters can cause the shell to be less smooth than usual. Don't worry if your shells don't turn out super smooth, that's normal!
A couple of tips to keep in mind
- Make sure the powders are thoroughly sifted
- Chunks of the powder can cause lumps on the surface of your macaron shells
- To prevent this I like to use a food processor to blend the icing sugar, almond meal and dry powder (e.g. matcha powder or cocoa powder) together- this ensures that the powder is completely distributed throughout the flours
- Pay close attention to the batter consistency
- As the powders absorb moisture, the batter will be a little thicker than usual
- This means that the batter needs to be folded more to reach the right consistency
- To check the consistency lift up your spatula and watch the batter fall onto the batter below. The lines that form should disappear slowly (within about 20-30 seconds)
Tips on creating a ganache fillings
When creating fillings for macarons the most important thing is the consistency. You want it to be firm enough to stay within the shell, but not too firm that it solidifies.
When creating ganache fillings temperature is key. You need to allow time for the ganache to set up before piping into the shells.
Here are a couple of tips to help you with the ganache creating process:
- Don't overheat the cream
- Overheating the cream can cause it to split when mixing with the chocolate. This will result in an oily mess...
- If this does happen you may be able to save it by letting it cool in the fridge and then gently remelting the mixture
- Add butter to the ganache
- The butter is important in the ganache as it gives it smoothness and flexibility. Without it the ganache would be a lot harder to pipe into the shells so don't skip it!
- Be patient
- The hardest part about making a ganache based macaron filling is the wait time.
- You can't speed up the process, so just be patient and allow the ganache to chill for 2 hours before piping.
Getting the perfect macaron shape
If you want to achieve the perfect macaron shape one of the most important things is to pipe the shells on a flat surface. The batter is fluid so if it is on an angle it will flow that way.
The other tip to creating perfectly even shells is to use a template. This will ensure that all your shells are piped to the same size. All you need to do is place the printed template under your sheet of baking paper and pipe away.
I have a macaron template available on my PERFECT macaron post
The Guide to Perfect Macarons
If you are looking for a definitive guide to help you master your macarons I have an ebook which outlines the steps to make French and Italian macarons in detail. It includes photographic steps as well as a guide to the best ingredients and equipment needed to get that perfect macaron!
It also includes 6 exclusive recipes with detailed instructions to impress 😉
Let's Get Baking!
Now that you are equipped with all the tips needed to create matcha macarons it's time to get baking!
If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went.
Also, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Matcha Macarons
Crisp and slightly chewy French macaron shell filled with a smooth, sweet and bitter matcha white chocolate ganache. The perfect combination of bitter-sweet.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 45 g Almond meal
- 3 g Matcha powder
- 45 g Icing sugar
- 40 g Egg whites
- 40 g White sugar
Matcha Ganache
- 75 g Thickened/heavy cream
- 125 g White chocolate
- 30 g Unsalted butter
- 5 g Matcha powder
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- In a medium sized bowl sieve the almond meal, matcha powder and powdered sugar together
- If there are large chunks of almond meal remaining in the sieve dispose of them
- In a large clean bowl add the egg whites, and using an electric mixer beat until foamy
- Slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks
- Add your food colouring of choice and beat until well distributed
- Fold the sieved almond meal and powdered sugar into the meringue in 2-3 additions, scraping around the bowl and down the centre
- Once all folded in, press the batter around the bowl and then fold it into the centre
- Continue until you notice that the lines that form when the batter falls back into the bowl slowly start to disappear
- Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe out 1.5inch circles
- Allow to dry for 1-2 hours
- Bake in a preheated oven at 140°C for 10-15 minutes (I find that it's usually done at 13, but it depends on your oven so make sure to check! If you give your macarons a wiggle they shouldn't be moving, that's when they're ready)
- Remove from oven and let cool
Matcha Ganache
- Roughly chop white chocolate and place in a large bowl with matcha powder
- Heat the cream on the stove, or in the microwave, until steaming
- Pour hot cream over the white chocolate and cover the bowl with a plate- let sit for 5 minutes
- Remove plate and stir until chocolate has completely melted
- Add the unsalted butter and mix until completely dissolved
- Place in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up
- Remove from fridge and fill a piping bag with the ganache
- Pipe a dollop of ganache into the centre of a macaron shell, top with a matching sized shell
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Julia
Love this! I watched Zumbo's Just Desserts. And you were awesome!! I was really inspired by your baking.
★★★★★
Catherine
Thank you so much!
Haejin
I made these and they came out amazing!!! I've tried several matcha mac recipes out there but this is now my go-to because of the prominent matcha flavor, so good! (I'm obsessed with matcha therefore, subtle just won't do haha!!)
Thank you Catherine!! 😊
★★★★★
Catherine Zhang
Hi Haejin, aww I'm so glad you love the recipe! 🙂
Eileen
I’ve never made macarons before. I was surprised that they actually turned out okay! I couldn’t not tell how soft the inside of the macarons were supposed to be but the outside was very crispy. This recipe was simple and easy to understand for me as a beginner. Thank u!
★★★★★
Catherine Zhang
The inside should be soft and slightly chewy, they soften up more the next day after the filling has had time to soak into the cookies. 🙂