S’mores Macarons
Macarons have been having a moment recently. Currently a trendy treat, these little beauties come in endless flavors and colors and are almost too pretty to eat! Almost! 😉
Don’t be fooled by their cute appearance though because macarons are much harder to make than one would think. Believe me! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve attempted to make them. Sometimes with great success and sometimes not so much. Thankfully all my practicing seems to be paying off. I’m starting to produce more consistent results with each batch.
Now I can go into great detail on what I’ve learned and the techniques I currently use to make macarons but that’ll be done in a separate post in the near future.
Today I wanted to share a different type of macaron that I developed. It’s a cross between the classic American s’more and the French macaron. Typically, macarons are made with almond meal or almond flour but for these I subbed finely ground graham crackers. The filling is half chocolate ganache and half marshmallow buttercream, rounding out the quintessential s’more flavors.
The first time I made these I was so nervous that the shells wouldn’t turn out right. Never having altered the recipe myself I had no idea what to expect. But that’s part of the fun! Experimenting with new ingredients and flavors.
Fail of the Day:
First time I made these I ended up focusing so much on the shells that I completely messed up the filling! I was using a ganache recipe I had made many times before and therefore thought I had it down pat. Clearly I was wrong. Even the buttercream got too soft and runny! I ended up with good looking shells and a sloppy filling. Sigh. Let’s just say they were as messy as real campfire s’mores with marshmallow and chocolate spilling out everywhere. At least the shells came out right!
Needless to say I was more careful the next time.
Let me know in the comments if there are any specific flavors you’d like to see on here! Enjoy!
S’mores Macarons
Description
An American twist on the delightful French cookie. Graham cracker macaron shells with chocolate ganache and marshmallow buttercream.
Yields 20-24 sandwich cookies, depending on size.
Ingredients
Macarons
- 4 oz finely ground graham crackers
- 7 oz powdered sugar
- 3.5 oz granulated sugar
- 4 oz egg whites (room temperature, aged for 1–2 days)
- pinch cream of tartar
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–1/4 cups confectioners sugar
- 7 oz marshmallow creme
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 Tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
For the macarons
- Start by weighing out graham crackers and sugars. Grind graham crackers in a food processor until very fine.
- Sift graham crackers and powdered sugar together, making sure there are no lumps.
- Whip egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar in mixer on medium speed until foamy. Once foamy slowly add granulated sugar in a steady stream while mixer is on.
- Scrap down sides of bowl to ensure all sugar is incorporated.
- Turn mixer on high and whip egg whites until stiff glossy peaks form. Do not overbeat.
- Add 1/3 of dry ingredients at a time to egg whites. Folding the batter gently by hand with a spatula. Continue until just combined, careful not to over mix. The batter should fall from the spatula in thick ribbons and resemble a slow lava like flow.
- Pipe macaron batter into small circles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Carefully slam trays down on the counter to help release any air bubbles.
- Let macarons sit on the counter for 30-45 min until a skin forms and the batter no longer sticks to your finger when touched.
- While macarons are resting heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10-13 minutes. Tops of shells should be firm and the center should barely jiggle from the “feet”. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 2 minutes, then remove parchment paper with cookies off the pan and leave on rack until fully cooled.
Marshmallow Buttercream
- Whip butter until light and fluffy.
- Add in vanilla extract then slowly add in confectioners sugar.
- Add marshmallow creme and whip until fully combined.
Chocolate Ganache
- Chop chocolate into small pieces.
- Heat cream and corn syrup over medium heat until cream is just boiling.
- Remove from heat and add in chocolate, stirring until melted.
- Stir in butter.
- Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until ganache has set and is a solid consistency for piping.
To assemble
- On one half of the shells pipe on marshmallow buttercream.
- Repeat with chocolate ganache on other half of shell.
- Gently press the two sides together.
- Place sandwich cookies in the fridge for the fillings to set.
Notes
- Macarons will store very nicely in the fridge. I find they are best after sitting at room temp for 5-10 minutes after being in the fridge.
Debbi
Courtney, you’re fantastic. Such an amazing post! I’m excited to continue reading about all of your foodie adventures… <3
Your favorite Stewart uncle
I made macaroons once (that’s the English spelling–the French can’t use it because the Macaroon Sisters of Nancy, France are the only ones in France allowed to call them that–per Larouse Gastronomique.) Too much work–when it takes longer to cook than to eat, that’s too much work! These, however, seem like they’d be worth the effort. I know for sure I’m baking a box mix (oh the horror!) of cupcakes today so I can try the marshmallow buttercream frosting on them.
Courtney
There’s nothing wrong with box mixes! They’re great when looking to whip up something quick. The marshmallow buttercream will be a great addition. 🙂
Roseann
Wow those look fantastic! Great job. I might want to make those.