Smores French Macarons -

Smores French Macarons

Chewy chocolate macarons filled with marshmallow buttercream and chocolate, drizzled with chocolate and graham cracker crumbs for the ultimate smores delight.

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Course: brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chewy, chocolate, French macarons, smores

Prep Time: 50

Cook Time: 26

Resting Time: 30

Servings: people

Calories: 111kcal

Author: Candace Bourzac

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.

The nutrition information listed is for comparison purposes only and may vary based on individual cooking styles and measurements. The nutritional information calculated uses a third-party algorithm. Please consult a health professional for any nutrition guidance.

Nutrition