Cinnamon Chai Macarons
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Autumn-inspired cinnamon chai macarons featuring a creamy, chai-infused milk chocolate ganache sandwiched between a pair of classic French macaron shells, plus a dusting of cinnamon on top. If you’re like me and enjoy anything chai, you’ll love making (and eating!) these cinnamon chai macarons.
What Inspired These Chai Macarons?
Chai is an Indian beverage comprised of black tea, milk, spices (such as cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper) and sweetener. You’ll find it on the menu at chain coffee shops like Pret and Starbucks, as well as local spots like Gregory’s Coffee in NYC. I’ve also used chai to create recipes like chai pudding, chai banana bread, and chai oatmeal lace cookies, and this vanilla chai simmer pot is one of my favorite ways to fill my home with the familiar scents of fall.
In this recipe, chai and cinnamon combine to create one of my favorite autumn macaron flavors. Each sandwich features a creamy, chai-infused milk chocolate ganache (made by whisking melted chocolate with chai-infused whipping cream—the same technique I use for making chai truffles) a pair of classic French macaron shells, and a spicy cinnamon topping.
Key Ingredients
For the Shells:
- Almond Flour – Opt for finely ground almond flour, not coarse almond meal or ground almonds. And try to choose a brand that isn’t oily. If you haven’t made macaron shells before, it might take some trial and errot to find one that works for you.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Also known as icing sugar, 10x sugar, or powdered sugar. You’ll sift the confectioner’s sugar with the almond flour before folding it into the meringue.
- Egg Whites – Whipped egg whites and sugar create the meringue that serves as the base for the French macaron shells. You won’t need the yolks for this recipe, but save them to make pastry cream or lemon curd.
- Caster Sugar – For the smoothest shells, caster sugar (or superfine sugar) works better than granulated sugar.
- Gel Food Coloring – I added a few drops of gel food coloring to my meringue to tint the shells a soft tan color. Feel free to do the same, or omit for a natural, off-white shell.
- Ground Cinnamon – For dusting. I like to buy ground cinnamon in bulk, because it’s great for making everything from homemade mixed spice to cinnamon Christmas ornaments.
For the Ganache:
- Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US. Look for a cream with a fat percentage around 35-36%.
- Chai Tea Bags – If possible, I recommend purchasing chai tea bags from the international aisle at the supermarket, or from an Indian grocer. Otherwise, Tazo makes my favorite supermarket chai.
- Milk Chocolate – Choose a good-quality milk chocolate, such as Callebaut or Valrhona, rather than chocolate chips.
Macaron Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting
- Use a scale. I do not recommend making macaron shells without a kitchen scale. While I develop all of my recipes by weight, I do usually provide volume as a secondary measurement—for this one, I’ve opted not to do so. “Tante pour tante” (equal weights almond flour and powdered sugar) holds the key to successful macaron shells.
- Don’t grease the trays. You can use silicone mats or baking parchment to line your trays. Do not grease the trays or pipe directly on an unlined tray—it won’t work! And, I suggest using light colored trays for best results. I suggest piping the macaron batter into 1 1/2-inch rounds, and allowing space in between each piped shell, since they’re spread when tapped on the table. (See below!)
- Tap, tap, tap. After piping, tap the tray firmly on the countertop to remove any air bubbles. And if you still spot some bubbles after tapping, use a toothpick/cocktail stick to gently pop each bubble.
- Save the cinnamon for dusting. Do not add the ground cinnamon to the macaron batter. It seems tempting, or even logical, to stir in ground cinnamon to flavor the shells, but it won’t work. I tested these shells multiple times, and each time I tried mixing the cinnamon into the batter, the oily cinnamon caused the shells to collapse.
- Adjust the infusion time. The longer the tea bags steep in the cream, the stronger the chai flavor will be.
- Don’t squeeze the tea bags. After steeping, carefully remove the wet tea bags before re-weighing and “topping up” the cream. Do not squeeze the tea bags. Squeezing can cause the bags to break, filling the ganache with bits of loose tea.
Cinnamon Chai Macarons
- Total Time1 hour (+ resting time)
- Yield10-12 macarons 1x
Autumn-inspired chai macarons featuring a creamy, chai-infused milk chocolate ganache sandwiched between a pair of classic French macaron shells, plus a dusting of cinnamon on top.
Ingredients
Macaron Shells:
65 grams almond flour
65 grams confectioner’s sugar
50 grams egg whites
45 grams caster sugar
Gel food coloring (optional)
Ground cinnamon, for dusting
Chai Ganache:
120 milliliters whipping cream, plus more for topping up (1/2 cup)
4 chai tea bags
75 grams chopped milk chocolate (1/2 cup)
Instructions
Macaron Shells:
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl, using a bench scraper to help push the sugar through a fine mesh sieve. Sift the almond flour into the same bowl. Discard any clumps, pieces of shell, or hard bits of sugar.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on high speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the caster sugar, continuing to mix on medium-high speed until meringue turns thick and glossy, and stiff peaks form.
Mix in the gel food coloring, if using.
Add the sugar-almond flour mixture to the bowl.
With a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. At first, the batter will feel very thick and dry.
Continue folding, gradually deflating air from the mixture, until the batter flows from the spatula like lava. To test whether the batter is ready to pipe, I like to make a figure ‘8’ shape with the batter—it should take about 8-10 seconds to sink back into the bowl. If it takes longer than this, it’s too thick. Test frequently to avoid overmixing the batter. (If the ‘8’ disappears quickly, you’ve overmixed!)
Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 5/8-inch round piping tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto prepared tray, allowing a few inches of space between the rounds.
Firmly tap the tray on a table or countertop to remove the air bubbles. (If any bubbles remain, gently pop them with a toothpick/cocktail stick.)
Allow the macaron shells to rest, uncovered, at room temperature until dry to the touch. Depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, this can happen in as little as 30 minutes, or it might take a few hours. I allowed this batch to rest for 2 hours.
Once dry, preheat the oven to 285° F (140° C). Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the shells no longer “dance” on their feet (jiggle slightly) when touched.*
Chai Ganache:
Add whipping cream to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the chai tea bags.
Remove from heat and allow tea bags to steep in the cream for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
Pass through a fine mesh strainer to remove the tea bags and any loose bits of tea. (Do not squeeze the tea bags or they will break!)
Reweigh cream. Add additional cream as necessary, “topping up” to 60 milliliters, or 1/4 cup.
Melt chocolate over a double boiler or bain marie.
Meanwhile, add infused whipping cream to a small saucepan and rewarm over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.) Gently whisk the warm cream into melted chocolate.
Set aside until ready to pipe. Whisk briskly unitl smooth and creamy, but still very fluid.
Scoop ganache into a piping mag fitted with round metal tip.
Assembly:
Pair the macaron shells according to size and shape.
Pipe a generous dollop of ganache on the flat side of half of the shells. Top with a second shell.
With a fine mesh sieve, dust the finished macarons with ground cinnamon.
Store leftover chai macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Notes
*These are the temperatures and timings that work best for me, but all ovens are different. If you have a “tried and true” temperature and bake time for making macarons, I recommend using that instead. If not, try mine and adjust as necessary.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: French
Special Tools and Equipment
To make these chai macarons, I recommend the following tools and equipment. (For even more recommendations, check out my list of macaron-making tools I love!)
- Disposable Piping Bags – You’ll need one piping bag for the macaron shells, and a second one to pipe the chai ganache. I prefer disposable piping bags for easy cleanup.
- Piping Tip – I typically select a 5/8-inch round tip for piping French macaron shells; any size works for the ganache.
- Mesh Sieve – Sifting the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour with a fine mesh sieve removes coarse pieces of almond, hard sugar pieces, and bits of shell. You’ll also need it for straining the chai-infused cream and dusting the shells with ground cinnamon.
- Kitchen Scale – Use a kitchen scale to weigh the almond flour and sugars, and to re-weigh the infused cream. I do not recommend making macarons without a scale.
- Parchment or Silicone Mats – For lining your trays. I prefer silicone because it doesn’t slip around like parchment, but it’s up to you. Some bakers also use mats printed with a round template, but I just pipe mine freehand.
- Hand or Stand Mixer – You’ll need an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to prepare the meringue.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can refrigerate the filled and decorated macarons for up to five days, or freeze for up to three months. Resting in the fridge or freezer actually improves the texture of the shells.
To freeze: You can also freeze baked, un-filled macaron shells. I recommend layering the cooled shells between sheets of parchment to prevent them from sticking together. Thaw at room temperature when ready to assemble.
Other Chai Recipes You Might Enjoy
Chai Pudding Recipe
Chocolate Chai Truffles
Ginger Chai Cookies
Chai White Chocolate Banana Bread
Chai Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Vanilla Simmer Pot with Chai
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
