These Mint Chocolate Chip Macarons are comprised of two crisp, sweet and chewy cocoa and almond meringue shells and filled with a simple and rich mint chocolate ganache. Neither expensive nor time-consuming, these minty and chocolate French cookies delight one and all

These patisserie beauties are gorgeous, delicious and gluten-free. With this foolproof classic recipe, we’ve taken the guesswork out of macarons to easily yield tasty and professional-looking macarons every time!

Tips and tricks:

• Precision is key to perfect macarons. Be sure to weigh the ingredients precisely and accommodate extraneous factors, like humidity and oven temp.

• Follow the step-by-step directions to make meringue. You want to fold in the almond mixture until you can lift the spatula and ribbon a figure 8 with the batter.

• After piping into rounds, let the shells dry until a film forms on top. You should be able to brush the shells without them being tacky - this can take 20 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the humidity of your kitchen. Be patient, and don’t cheat! If your macarons won’t form a skin, then try placing them under the hood fan (on low speed) until fully dry.

For the macaron shells:

• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar

• 1 cup almond flour, finely ground

• 1 teaspoon salt, divided

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp. cocoa nibs

• 2 drops blue gel food coloring

For the mint chocolate ganache:

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tsp. milk

• ½ tsp. peppermint extract

• Pinch of salt

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.

In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form, then, add the vanilla and beat until just combined. Lastly, add food coloring and beat until just combined.

Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up. At this point, do not over mix - transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. You will be working your batter slightly more as you transfer it to the piping bag.

The fun part: pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch circles, spacing at least 1-inch apart. Then, tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5-10 times to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle cocoa nibs in the center of each shell.

Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to 1-1.5 hour, until dry to the touch. As the macarons form a skin, preheat the oven to 285˚F.

Bake the macarons for 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait until they’re completely cool before attempting to lift the shells off.

As the macarons cool, make the mint chocolate ganache: Cream the butter in a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, peppermint extract, and salt. Beat for 60 seconds, until the frosting is nicely whipped. If the frosting is too dry, add in another teaspoon of milk.

Add a dollop of ganache to one macaron shell and then, top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and ganache until all the macarons are assembled.