Baileys Irish Cream Macarons with Gingerbread Man Template

Boozy Baileys Irish Cream macaron with a smooth and creamy filling. The macaron shells are infused with gingerbread spices - a great choice for holiday gift giving. Pipe the macarons into gingerbread man shape with the free template provided.

Smooth and Creamy Filling

After working on the recipe development for the boozy Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Macaron Recipe, I still had a decent amount of the delicious liqueur leftover so I decided to create another version of Baileys Irish Cream Macarons filling with it. It's such a wonderful flavor to work with and I knew that it would make a delicious filling either as a chocolate or cream filling. The Baileys chocolate filling from my last post is great for the chocolate lover and has that certain boozy kick reminiscent of those cute miniature liqueur filled chocolate bottles. This recipe is a lot creamier with a more subtle nuance of liqueur. The cream is quite delicate both in flavour and texture, and c'mon with the name Baileys Irish Cream, it just seems wrong not to make a creamy filling with it.

Abstract Silver and Gold Gingerbread Men

As for the decorative design on these little gingerbread men, I added an abstract motif with a royal icing made from, you guessed it - Baileys Irish Cream. After piping the motif, wait until it dries completely before adding the edible gold paint on top. Waiting until it dries completely will help prevent the icing from wrinkling once the paint is added. I also applied edible gold and silver flakes on top to give it a chicer look.

An Army vs. a Small Clique

I've provided a recipe for the macaron shells and filling, both yielding different quantities. The gingerbread macaron shell recipe yields 12 macarons while the filling yields enough to fill 36 macarons. This is deliberate as I like to provide the smallest recipe possible so you can test out the recipe before committing to a large batch. This is especially useful for making macarons since as we all know, they don't always turn out the way we want the very first time. Just keep in mind that my Best Macaron Recipe for the shells can be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled to match the amount of filling in this recipe. The recipe for the filling could not be reduced any further since it was the smallest amount that could be made while containing one whole egg.

How to Pipe Gingerbread Men Macarons

After preparing the gingerbread macaron batter according to instructions in the recipe card, transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a round no. 5 tip. Pipe the gingerbread man's head. Do this for each of the gingerbread man before moving onto the next step, this will allow a light skin to form and prevent the batter from forming into one big blob. (For demo purposes, I am piping the entire character at once.)

Pipe the gingerbread man's arms, do this for each ginger bread man before moving onto the next body part.

Pipe the gingerbread man's legs, do this for each ginger bread man before moving onto the next body part.

Pipe the gingerbread man's body, do this for each ginger bread man before moving onto the next body part. Bake according to instructions in post. Let cool completely and assemble with filling before adding the decorations.

Prepare Baileys royal icing according to instructions in recipe card. Pipe desired design onto gingerbread man. Let dry completely, this might take over several hours. Store in fridge in an air tight container until dried.

Add edible gold foil as desired. It's best to apply them with tweezers or wooden chopsticks as the foil will stick to your fingers and disintegrate.

Check that the Baileys Irish Cream royal icing is completely dry to a point that it does not indent from gentle pressure. Paint a light coat of the edible gold paint on top. Let dry completely in the fridge.

Which One is the Winner? Baileys Chocolate, Baileys Cream or the Hybrid?

I made several batches of both Baileys chocolate macarons and these Baileys Irish Cream macarons, and each time, it was hard to decide between the two. When I devoured the chocolate one, I wanted the cream one next and vice versa. So in the end I also tried piping a ring of the chocolate version on the outside while filling in the center with this creamier one. I really loved that version as well. Give all three versions a try and let me know what are your thoughts.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and templates I've provided below. Happy winter bakes to you!

XOXO, Mimi

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Recipe

Yield: 12 macarons

Baileys Irish Cream Gingerbread Man Macarons

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Boozy Baileys Irish Cream macaron with a smooth and creamy filling. The macaron shells are infused with gingerbread spices making it perfect for the holidays.

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Bake Time 1 minute

Total Time 2 hours 31 minutes

Ingredients

Gingerbread Macaron Shells

• 65 grams almond flour
• 65 grams icing sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 50 grams egg whites
• 45 grams castor sugar or granulated sugar
• A few drops of GEL colour of your choice (Warm Brown by Americolor was used here)

Baileys Irish Cream Filling

• 70 grams granulated sugar
• 40 grams Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 155 grams room temperature butter

Small Batch Bailey’s Irish Cream Royal Icing

• 40 grams icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon meringue powder
• Small spray bottle
• 4 teaspoon Baileys Irish Cream

Instructions

Gingerbread Macaron Shells

1. This set of instructions is for an experienced macaron baker, if you're new to macaron baking, make sure to go over my original Best Macaron Recipe before starting.
2. Set aged egg whites out on counter until it reaches room temperature.
3. Sift the spices along with the almond flour and icing sugar.
4. Whip egg whites with a handheld mixer until foamy, add cream of tartar.
5. Once the beater starts leaving tracks in the egg whites and the bubbles have tightened up in size, add granulated sugar ⅓ at a time.
6. Once all the sugar has been fully incorporated and before reaching stiffpeaks, add 1-3 drops of gel colour to your liking. Whip until Stiff Peaks.
7. Test meringue stiffness. It should have pointed peaks when the whisk is pulled out.
8. Pour a third of the spice/almond/powdered sugar mixture into the egg whites. Gently fold it into the egg whites. Then add the rest of the mixture and fold.
9. Stop folding once the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated and the batter has reached a “lava” like or honey consistency. The batter should pass the figure-8 test.
10. On parchment paper or silicone mats, pipe the batter to the size of the circle on the template. If making the gingerbread man, refer to post on how to pipe dachshund puppy macarons.
11. Remove the paper template from underneath the parchment paper or mat.
12. Rap the tray several times on the counter to rid of excess bubbles.
13. Before the batter dries, pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick.
14. Let it rest on the counter for 30 min. AND until a “skin” has developed. This will prevent the shells from cracking during baking.
15. Preheat oven to 320 F.
16. Place the tray on the middle shelf and bake for 12-14 minutes. Bake only one tray at a time.
17. Take them out and test doneness. The feet should not push back and the shell should not be wobbly.
18. Let them cool off on the pan (or off if they are overdone) while making Baileys Irish Cream filling.

Baileys Irish Cream Macaron Filling

1. Set butter out at room temperature.
2. Whisk egg and egg yolks together until incorporated.
3. In a small pot, heat up the Baileys liqueur and sugar on medium heat until the mixture starts to steam and you can see a few bubbles rise up from the sides of the pot. DO NOT allow the mixture to come to a full boil.
4. SLOWLY pour ⅓ of the liquid mixture into the egg yolks and egg mixture while whisking vigorously to prevent cooking the eggs.
5. Then take this egg mixture and pour it back into the pot with the liquid mixture. do it SLOWLY while whisking vigorously.
6. Put it back onto the stove on medium heat. Stir to prevent eggs from curdling. Cook the mixture until it reaches 160 degrees. Take off the heat immediately.
7. Pour mixture through a strainer into a mixing bowl. Use a spoon to push it through.
8. In a stand mixer, using a balloon whisk, whisk the mixture on medium speed until it is cool to the touch. It will look lighter in color and the volume will have increased but it will still be runny.
9. Change to the paddle attachment. On slow speed, add butter a little at a time. Once incorporated, beat on medium speed until fluffy.
   

Small Batch Bailey’s Irish Cream Royal Icing

1. Sift icing sugar and meringue powder into a mixing bowl.
2. Add 1-2 teaspoon of Baileys liqueur to the dry mixture and stir with a spatula to get the mixture going. If it’s still lumpy, add another 1 teaspoon of liqueur and stir again.
3. Add the rest of the liqueur with a spray bottle by slowly spritzing it onto the mixture until it reaches the proper consistency of a “15 second” icing. When a knife cuts through the icing, it will take 15 second for the cut to disappear.
4. Place in a piping bag and seal the ends so the icing doesn’t dry out.
5. Pipe desired design onto the gingerbread men and wait at least 12 hours for the icing to dry before adding edible paint on top.

Notes

The macaron shell recipe can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled to accommodate how many macarons you'd like to make. There is enough batter here to make 12 round or 12 gingerbread men with the template provided at the end of this post. 

There is enough Baileys Irish Cream filling to fill approximately 36 macarons. This recipe was scaled to the smallest amount possible while using 2 yolks and 1 whole egg so there will be leftovers if the recipe for the shells is not doubled or tripled.

Alcohol will remain in the filling. Take caution when serving to children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Always remain vigilant when heating up alcohol as it can cause a fire. 

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wilton Decorating Tip, No.5 Round
• 
  Rainbow Dust Metallic Food Paint Metallic Light Gold
• 
  Manetti 23K Edible Gold | Semi-Loose Leaves | 3.4" x 3.4" Inches | 5 Leaves Booklet
• 
  Braun 4-in-1 Immersion Hand Blender, Powerful 350W Stainless Steel Stick Blender, Multi-Speed + 2-Cup Food Processor, Whisk, Beaker, Masher, Easy to Clean, Black, MultiQuick MQ537BK
• 
  Ateco Disposable Piping Bags, 12-Inch, Pack of 100
• 
  Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers
• 
  USA Pan Rimless Baking Sheet for Better Airflow to Macaron Shells
• 
  Regular Sized Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat
• 
  Wilton Meringue Powder Egg White Substitute, 8 oz.
• 
  McCormick Gourmet All Natural Cream Of Tartar, 2.62 oz
• 
  C&h Powdered Sugar 4 Lbs (1)
• 
  India Tree Superfine Caster Baking Sugar, 1 lb. bag
• 
  Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Gluten Free Almond Flour, 3 Pound
• 
  McCormick Gingerbread Spice (Pack of 2)
• 
  McCormick Ground Ginger, 1.5 oz
• 
  Simply Organic Nutmeg Ground CERTIFIED ORGANIC 2.3oz. bottle
• 
  McCormick Ground Cinnamon, 7.12 oz

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 231Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 74mgSodium 98mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 1gSugar 21gProtein 3g

This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although indulgewithmimi.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did you make this recipe? Share your results with me 🙂

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Free Gingerbread Man Macaron Templates for this Project

These are some free gingerbread man macaron templates available for download for my Newsletter Subscribers. Just sign up for the newsletter and wait for the double opt-in confirmation email. Confirm your subscription and you’ll be sent the password to the member’s only area. 

Note: This post was originally published on November 26th, 2017. This is part 2 of 2 of the recipes I shared on AM1470 with Deborah Moore on November 28th, 2017.