S’mores French Macarons
These smores French macarons taste just like the smores you make over a campfire. Seriously! They are that good. The chocolate, the marshmallow, the graham cracker- all the nostalgic flavors are here wrapped in a less sticky version of the classic.
I don’t know if you can beat the pure joy of sitting around a campfire, making a regular smores, but these macarons are a very close second. They are less sticky and a bit more portable. Plus, they are just fun to make. I’ve covered the bottom of one of the shells in chocolate to mimic the piece of melted chocolate inside smores. This is what I believe takes these smores macarons from good to great.
While this post thoroughly goes over the process of making macarons, for all my tips and tricks, head on over to my Beginner’s Guide to French Macarons post. Making macarons can definitely be tricky, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to make them all the time.
Ingredients
The ingredients used to make macarons is very minimal. You probably have most everything you need, save for the almond flour. Almond flour is easy to find in major grocery stores and on Amazon.
- Almond flour You’ll want to use fine-ground flour that does not have the skins
- Eggs Use the freshest eggs you can get. I personally love farm fresh eggs we get from our friend, but a nice brand from the store will work, too.
- Powdered sugar I use generic powdered sugar.
- Granulated or fine sugar Fine sugar incorporates into the meringue easier, but I use granulated sugar all the time and have excellent meringue.
- Cream of tartar This helps ensure our meringue whips up beautifully, and who doesn’t want a bit of help every now and again?
Making Smores Macarons
Step 1- Make the macaron shells
Macarons are intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of them, they become easier and easier to make. At the core, you’re just whipping egg whites into stiff peaks (the meringue), then mixing the meringue with sifted almond flour and powdered sugar to form the macaron batter, known as macaronage.
- The batter should be the consistency of honey
- Use the ‘figure eight’ test to check readiness before piping
- Be sure to only use glass or metal bowls to whip egg whites, plastic harbors fat residue which will prevent your egg whites from whipping into stiff peaks.
Pro Tip: Do not use liquid egg whites or meringue powder. Liquid egg whites are pasteurized, which is not ideal for making meringue. Meringue powder is not strong enough to form and hold stiff peaks.
Step 2- Pipe and dry the shells
Once it’s ready, pipe the batter onto two baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- I love silicone mats with printed circles- they’re reusable and help ensure even sizing and spacing.
- Let the macarons rest until a skin forms before baking.
Pro Tip: Macarons struggle to dry properly in humid weather. Use a fan or dehumidifier to speed up the process if needed, just don’t have the fan blowing directly onto the shells.
Step 3- Bake the macarons
Bake at 300°F for 14 minutes (adjust as needed for your oven). The shells should feel dry to the touch and not be wiggly. Let them cool for 10 minutes at least before attempting to remove them from the pans or the tops may separate.
Step 4- Fill the macarons
Once the shells are fully cooled, fill them with the delicious marshmallow buttercream.
Filling and decorating the macarons
These s’mores macarons are filled with a delicious marshmallow buttercream. I use store-bought marshmallow fluff to make it. It’s so delicious and super simple to make. I dipped some of the macaron shells in chocolate to give these s’mores macarons a chocolate layer inside the cookie. A drizzle of chocolate on top, a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers, and a few marshmallow bits and these little guys are ready to eat.
Other recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
For maximum flavor and freshness, store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Layer them with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as it will stick to the macarons. You don’t want to stack them too high as they are a delicate cookie.
To freeze the shells, first lay them in a single layer on a large baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Line the container with parchment paper, and put parchment paper on each layer of macarons. When you’re ready to use them, thaw the macarons in the fridge overnight and decorate them as normal. Freeze for up to one month.
You can also freeze filled macarons, but it depends on what they are filled with. Buttercream frosting would freeze well. Fillings such as jams or fruit curds would probably freeze ok, but they would not thaw out as well as buttercream.
Start with making sure the meringue has stiff peaks. This helps make a strong shell that’s less prone to cracks. Be sure not to overmix or undermix the batter. This takes practice. Remember the figure eight test, and that the batter should flow like honey off the spatula. Bang the trays of filled shells on the counter to remove air bubbles. Most importantly, practice makes perfect.
French macarons are a delicate, chewy sandwich cookie with a sweet, creamy filling. A macaroon is a dense, drop cookie made with almond flour and coconut. Macarons have so many different flavors and colors, smooth shells, and their characteristic, ruffly feet.
Smores French Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
- 105 grams egg whites
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 120 grams almond flour, fine ground
- 2 tablespoons natural cocoa
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cups marshmallow fluff
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- pinch of salt
Chocolate Filling and Drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- 1 tablespoon chocolate powder (natural or Dutch)
Decorations
- 2 sheets graham crackers
- 1 tablespoon tiny dehydrated marshmallow bits
Instructions
Pre-Work
- Separate the egg whites (105 grams) into a small glass or metal container. Cover with plastic and poke a few holes in the top. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Be sure to remove the egg whites from the fridge about an hour before you make the shells.
- Wipe down, with vinegar or lemon juice, all of the bowls/containers that will be used to make the meringue. This includes the whisk and the container into which the granulated sugar is measured.
Macaron Shells
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- Weigh out the almond flour (120 grams) and the powdered sugar (130 grams). Using a fine mesh sieve, sift them together in a large glass or metal bowl along with the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Add the egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a hand mixer, but it can be tough on your hands and arms. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy and no longer liquid. The whisk should leave track marks in the foam. Turn the speed down and add in the granulated sugar in three batches, waiting about 30 seconds in between each addition.
- Once you've added in all of the sugar, turn the speed up to medium-high, which is between 4 and 5 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. You'll see the egg whites begin to build in volume and turn a glossy white color. The whisk will also start to leave track marks in the whites. After a few minutes, you can stop the mixer and check for stiff peaks. If the meringue runs off the whisk, it's not ready. Keep going for another few minutes and then check for stiff peaks. If it's almost ready at this point, I'll turn the mixer up a little bit higher and let it run for 30 seconds before checking again. When the meringue is done, it will form a stiff peak when you pull the whisk out. It may have a slight curve to it, but it should not flop over. If it does, continue mixing the meringue in 30-second bursts at the higher speed and checking for stiff peaks.
- Using a rubber spatula, add the meringue to the flour/sugar mixture in three batches. It won't mix together completely until you have added all of the meringue. Continue mixing until there are no dry ingredients. We are essentially deflating the meringue and making a cohesive batter. Once the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, use a circular motion with the spatula against the side of the bowl to continue mixing the batter. Do a few circles around the bowl, then bring the spatula through the batter. Do this process a few times, then check for the 'honey-like' stage. The batter should flow off the spatula like honey without breaking. You should be able to draw a figure eight with the batter that will sink into itself in 10 seconds when done. You don't want to overmix the batter, so check for doneness after every few passes.
- Once the batter is done, it's time to add it to the piping bag. I like to use a Wilton reusable bag and the Wilton 12 tip. This tip is small, allowing for greater control when piping the shells. I also like to put the piping back into a large cup, folding the tip up before adding it in, and fold the top down around the cup. This makes it much easier to add the batter into the bag. Take the cup over to the lined baking sheets. Take the bag out and, holding the top closed just above the batter, squeeze the batter down gently so it just starts coming out. Hold it a bit sideways until you get over the baking sheets. Holding the bag upright, pipe the shells onto the baking sheets. If you are using the silicone mats with the stencils, you can aim for the dot in the middle of the circle. Count to 4 while piping, then move on to the next circle. Continue this process until you have filled the sheet pans or run out of batter. If you don't have the preprinted circles, just start from the top going across before moving down. Leave about 3 inches in between each piped circle to leave room for it to spread out.
- Now that all the shells are piped, it's on to removing the air bubbles. Bang the trays firmly on your countertop a few times. This helps to dislodge the air bubbles in the shells. I also like to go through with a toothpick and pop any remaining air bubbles I find.
- Let the shells rest so they form their skin. This should take from 30-40 minutes. In humid weather, this can take longer. When the skin is formed, you'll be able to touch the tops of the macarons without getting any batter on your finger. Preheat the oven to 300 F about halfway into the shells resting.
- Now that the shells have formed their skin, it's time to bake them. Bake the sheets individually in the oven on the middle rack at 300 F for 14 minutes. The tops will be matte and they will not jiggle on their fee when they are done. Remove them from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to continue cooling down. The shells must be completely cooled down before adding the filling.
- When the shells are cooled, it's time to fill them. Match the shells by size. Flip one over of each pair. Fill a small, shallow bowl with some of the chocolate sauce you made. Very carefully, dip the bottom of one of the macaron pairs into the chocolate. We want to cover the bottom with chocolate for our chocolate filling. Set it down with the chocolate side facing up so it can dry.
- You can use any tip you want to fill the macarons, but my favorite ones are the Wilton 4B (Open Star) and the 2A (Round) tips. Fill a pastry bag fitted with your choice of tip. Squeeze the frosting down until it's almost ready to come out. Hold the pastry bag upright and squeeze the filling out onto the turned-over shell to the count of 2, or about a nickel-sized amount. It doesn't have to be exact, but you don't want to overfill and have the filling coming out the sides.
- Once you've added frosting to each pair of shells, it's time to sandwich them together. The chocolate should be dry enough so it doesn't come out of the shell. It may do so a little bit, but this just adds to the look of the macarons. Sandwich the macarons gently so you don't crack the tops. I use a circular motion with the flat of my hands to gently sandwich the macarons together.
- Using a spoon, or a small squeeze bottle with a tiny tip, drizzle the chocolate sauce over the macs. I prefer the free-form look of using the spoon, but if you want more precision and cleaner lines, use the squeeze bottle. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers over the macarons. Some will soak into the chocolate, which is great. You can add more so you get the visual effect of the graham crackers on top as well as the flavor. Place a few small marshmallows on the chocolate drizzle before it dries to help them stick.
- Yay! You've completed a batch of macarons! Be proud of yourself. Not everyone is willing to try their hand at baking delicate cookies.
Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the 1/2 cup softened butter until it's smooth, about 30 seconds or so.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating together between each addition. Start slow so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere. Beat in the marshmallow fluff, vanilla, and cornstarch. Add in the last cup of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
Chocolate Filling and Drizzle
- Add 1 tablespoon of cream or milk and 1 tablespoon of chocolate powder to 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If you want, you can sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together before adding the cream. This will make the chocolate smoother. I don't always do this, and it turns out fine.
Notes
- Beat egg whites just until stiff peaks form, then stop.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter. Once it flows like honey and passes the figure eight test, stop mixing.
- Store macarons in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week for maximum freshness.
Nutrition
About Author
