The perfect combination of Coffee & Baileys in macaron form. Light-as-air cookies with a Baileys chocolate ganache.
Once I felt pretty comfortable with the chocolate macarons it was time to start trying different combinations. In my opinion one of the best flavor combos out there is coffee & Baileys. SO delicious. Especially in the winter time when it’s cold outside. Yum.
I wanted to start experimenting with different flavors of shells. I had a recipe for chocolate macarons, but had to adapt it to a coffee flavor… if I take out the cocoa powder, do I add more almond powder or icing sugar? Do I add the same amount of espresso powder as cocoa? That would be way too intense…hmmm.
I actually ended up leaving all of the ingredient amounts the same except I took out the cocoa powder and added espresso powder…not 1 for 1 though! I also doubled the recipe entirely as the original recipe only makes 10-12 cookies. Ten cookies will last about a day around here.
The coffee cookies turned out delicious and the milk chocolate Baileys ganache was a perfect pairing. You can make these with dark chocolate instead, but I like the sweetness of the milk with the Baileys.
You definitely can’t have just one. At least I can’t!
Notes & tips for these Coffee & Baileys Macarons:
- The measurements listed are by weight. I strongly recommend using a scale for macarons. They are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise.
- You will need to do a LOT of folds to get them to the proper consistency.
- Do not skip on the drying time. This is a MUST DO. They must be completely dry to the touch before you bake them or they will crack.
- If they don’t come out perfect the first time (they rarely do), know that they will still taste delicious! Looks aren’t everything! 🙂
Coffee & Baileys Macarons
Ingredients
Coffee Macarons:
- 120 g egg whites room temperature
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 140 g almond flour
- 110 g powdered sugar
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder (not granules)
Baileys Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- 200 g milk chocolate
- 100 g heavy
- 20 g Baileys
Instructions
Coffee Macarons:
- Line baking sheets with a silpat mat or parchment.*
- Place the almond powder, icing sugar, and espresso powder in a food processor. Process until just beginning to clump.
- Sift and discard any bits that won’t pass through the sifter. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites until they’re the consistency of a loose foam. Continue whipping while slowly adding sugar. Whip to a stiff meringue.
- Fold the dry mixture into the meringue.**
- Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with the 1A tip.
- Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet.
- When all your macarons are piped, whack the baking sheet on the counter at least 3 times to get rid of any air bubbles.***
- Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. Approx 1 hour. DO NOT skip this step.
- While macarons are drying, make the ganache.
Baileys Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- Chop the chocolate finely and place in a bowl. Heat the cream until boiling and pour over chopped chocolate. Do not stir! Cover bowl with plastic wrap for 2 mins. Stir to combine and add Baileys. Place in fridge to set.****
- Once dry, bake macarons in a 300°F oven until they stick a little bit to the pans. This can be anywhere from 10-20mins depending on your oven and how crowded the macarons are on the pan.
- Let cookies cool completely before removing from pans.
- Pipe ganache into the center, sandwich the cookies and twist together.
Notes
**You will need to do a LOT of folds to get the batter to the proper consistency. You’re looking for it to be smooth and shiny and have some movement. If you lift some up with a spatula, it should pour in a steady stream and settle into the remaining batter. DO NOT overmix.
*** Do not be shy with the whacking!
****If the ganache has some unmelted bits after stirring, heat over a simmering bain marie.
Mayra says
hello! will chcolate chips work in the receipe for the ganache? silly question but just wanted to know. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Mayra! They should work but I don’t usually recommend them as chocolate chips tend to be lower quality chocolate and might not make as silky or shiny a ganache. Otherwise they’ll be fine though 🙂
Lisa says
I used chocolate chips but splurged on Ghirardelli. I chopped them fine per the recipe. Worked great!!
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! Thanks for your tips 🙂
Lee says
My first attempt and they were perfect! Thank you for the recipe. Was wondering if I could substitute coconut cream for heavy cream in the ganache. Would it still firm up?
Olivia says
Hi Lee! So happy these worked out for you on your first try! Awesome. Coconut cream should work. I haven’t tried it myself but I know people have had success with it. As long as it’s a similar consistency to heavy cream it should be fine 🙂
Debora Fontes says
Delicious!
Olivia says
Hi Debora! So happy you loved these 🙂
Dawn says
I am new to making Macarons and this is like my 9th batch. This is the first time I have ever had cracked shells, and sadly, it wasn’t just a few. I am not in any way blaming the recipe. I am sure it was my technique. will keep trying! They do smell good, though 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Dawn! Cracked shells are so frustrating 🙁 I find that happens to mine if I try to make macarons on a humid day (either due to rain or heat).
jetlaggedandhungry says
New to baking macarons and used these shells to make a tiramisu macaron (only because I had mascarpone but didn’t have Bailey’s or milk chocolate to make your ganache). The shells didn’t turn out for me (about 1/5 of them cracked) and had very small feet; however, I am still very new to making macarons (and I’ve been super successful the 2 times I’ve made your Oreo macarons) so I’m sure it’s my technique. I shared the tiramisu macarons and everyone loved them despite my faults with technique. Can’t wait to make this again (and this time with your Bailey’s ganache). Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Olivia says
Hi jetlaggedandhungry! Macarons are so finicky! It takes time to master the technique. Most important is that they still tasted delicious 🙂
Macy says
I accidentally combined the almond flour, icing sugar, and granulated sugar. What do you recommend I do? Should I just scrap the entire thing?
Olivia says
Hi Macy! Unfortunately, yes 🙁 The granulated sugar is needed for the meringue portion.
Jess says
This is such a fantastic recipe, and it was my first time making macarons. The first try I forgot to let the macarons rest and form a skin and also underbaked them, but the ones that turned out okay were delicious (and honestly even the pile of macaron clumps was delicious). My second attempt I had less in the way of distractions and they turned out perfect. My third try (and only 4th attempt at a macaron ever), they came out almost perfect, despite making them in someone else’s kitchen in 80% humidity. I cannot thank you enough for this recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Jess! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback, I’m so happy you love it! And I agree — even the failed ones are SO delicious.
Aubrey says
These tasted amazing! I had a little trouble getting them to properly form a foot and rise but that’s down to needing to work on my technique. This was the first time I have made macarons and I will definitely be doing it again in the future!
Olivia says
Hi Aubrey! So happy you loved them. Macarons are finicky and take a bit of practice, but the good thing is they still taste delicious no matter how they turn out 🙂
Meg says
Under the ingredients for the ganache, it lists “heavy” is this whipping cream or cream? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Meg! What I use here is called whipping cream.
Jen says
I took a macaron class with a friend a few months ago (4 people working together per station), but this was my first attempt at actually making them on my own. All in all, they turned out fantastic! I didn’t have a big enough piping bag, which meant the batter got worked more as I filled additional bags. I was already bordering on overworked, so the ones from the latter bags didn’t rise like they should have. They were still nice and chewy and crisp on the outside, just a little flat. Totally my fault though. The chocolate, coffee, Bailey’s combo was amazing! Will definitely make this one again.
Olivia says
Hi Jen! So glad you love this recipe! It’s one of my fave flavour combos 🙂
Marlene says
Is baileys a creamer or…??
Olivia says
Hi Marlene! It’s a liqueur.
Fran Gill says
Hi I want to make these for traveling to another state a week from now. Can I do it and if so How? Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Fran! Are you transporting them yourself? I don’t recommend shipping them. They will be fine for a week in the fridge or freezer.
Roma says
Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe..it turned out well on first attempt 😀
However, wanted to know if Macrons has to be soft when eating it. As mine turned to be a bit crispy (probably baked a bit more).
Olivia says
Hi Roma! Macarons soften over time. Ideally they should be refrigerate with the filling for 24hours or more before eating.
Jeanne says
Letting the filled macaron set at room temperature 24 hours will soften the meringue.
Dede says
These are amazing! I couldn’t find espresso powder so for my first batch I used a really rich hot chocolate. They were still delicious. But I got some espresso powder from my neighbor and wow what a difference! This recipe is definitely a keeper! I have made a ganache from another macaron recipe before and ratios were all off. This ganache was perfect! As this is literally my 20th attempt at macarons(some successful, some not), what I have learned along the way is you have to deflate the meringue, don’t be too delicate with it. I did this a lot in the beginning and they kept cracking. Also I find the temperature in your house is more important than the humidity percentage. I live in MN so I’m sure 98% humidity here is different than 98% in FL but I have found that if the inside of my house is @78 degrees they dry properly. So even when it’s 98% humidity(according to my phone) they still come out fine. I also started using a hair dryer to dry them. I bang them on the counter and use a toothpick to poke at the air bubbles. I also use eggs whites in a carton from Costco and have found they work just as well as egg whites and I don’t have to separate the eggs and waste all the yokes. I will check out your other recipes Olivia thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Dede! I’m so happy to hear that you liked these, and that the ganache worked well for you :). Interesting about the temperature of your place rather than humidity — I’ll have to keep that in mind next time.
Jeanne says
Drying the macarons on the stove under the vent for 10 – 15 minutes/dry to the touch, works well. Cool baked macarons in the freezer for easy removal from parthment or a silicon mat.
Olivia says
Thanks for the tips Jeanne!
Sarah says
I love the taste of these!! Sadly, even after forming the shell during drying for almost 90 minutes, they nearly all cracked.. Of well! At least they taste delicious! How long should I have left them out?
Olivia says
Ugh, I’m sorry to hear that. Was it a particularly rainy or humid day when you made them? I know I’ve had trouble with cracked macarons due to the weather. I’ve had to leave them out for over 3 hours at times to dry. I’m so glad you liked them, regardless. It’s the taste that matters!!
Nancy says
Hi, I’m unclear on what you mean by “until they stick a bit to the pan” when it comes to how long to bake them. Isn’t it a bad idea to keep opening the oven? Also, aren’t you taking a chance of ruining several of them by poking at them to see if they stick?
I am dying to try these but would love a clearer description of how to tell if they are done.
Olivia says
Hi Nancy! Macarons can be quite finicky and it’s hard to see when they’re completely done. Really it will just come down to practice. If you try to lift them and they are completely stuck still, they need more time. If they pop right off then they are overdone. It’s a fine balance! I hope that helps 🙂
Dana says
Hi, do you age your egg whites?
Olivia says
Hi Donna! I don’t due to laziness, it’s supposed to be good practice though.
dustin says
will i have any issues with the shells sitting out too long if i double or triple this recipe?
Olivia says
Hi Dustin! I’m not totally sure what you mean, but it shouldn’t be a problem to leave the shells sitting out for a while — I often have them sitting out for an hour to dry.
Lindsay says
I don’t have a piping bag or tip. Would this work with just a ziplock with the corner clipped? If so, how big should the hole be?
Olivia says
Hi Lindsay! They wouldn’t pipe into nice, round circles using a ziploc, but you can give it a try. Maybe 1/2″ for the hole.
annsay says
Olivia –
Do you need to “age” the egg whites?
Olivia says
Hi Annsay! I’ve never aged mine (too impatient), but it is supposed to help with your meringue.
Jeanne says
The protein separates out and the meringues are more stable when whisking. Easy to age – weigh out The whites 24 hours before baking; cover with plastic wrap pierces with several holes. Leave out at room temperature and they will be sufficiently aged for use the following day. I’ve also aged the measured whites up to 5 days, in the refirdg.