Chocolate Strawberry Macarons – Classic macaron shells filled with a chocolate buttercream frosting and strawberry jam. This is a classic French dessert that tastes incredible!
Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
Macarons are the best! Whether they are my ever super popular tiramisu macarons or new favorites like blood orange macarons, they are always such a wonderful treat. I hadn’t made a batch in a while so when I was craving a batch the other day, I decided to combine two favorite flavors into my macarons – chocolate and strawberry.
I chose to combine strawberry and chocolate for this recipe because they are fantastic together! The macaron shells are made exactly how they usually are but with just a bit of pink food coloring to make them pop. You don’t add flavor to the shells because they are so incredibly temperamental that you just don’t want to mess with them. Instead, you add melted chocolate to the buttercream frosting that you fill the macarons with and a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle.
Common Questions About Making Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
What is a strawberry lemon macaron?
Strawberry lemon macarons are classic french macarons that are filled with a lemon buttercream frosting and a dollop of strawberry jam.
Why did my macaron shells crack?
Don’t forget to let the shells dry out for 20-30 minutes before baking them! This step is necessary to help prevent cracking.
What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron?
Macaroons are a coconut based cookie while macarons are an almond flour and meringue based dessert that typically has a frosting filling in the middle of two macarons, like a cookie sandwich.
How many times do I have to fold my macronage?
Generally, you have to fold it between 40-60 times. I suggest counting as you fold but it might end less or even more folds than that range.
Are macarons hard to make?
Macarons are a difficult dessert to master but if you closely follow the instructions and are careful, they can be wonderfully rewarding to make!
What other types of macarons can I make?
Some of my personal favorite macarons include –
- Lavender Lemon Macarons
- Chai Macarons
- Earl Grey Macarons
- Blood Orange Macarons
- Lemon Macarons
- Tiramisu Macarons
- Strawberry Macarons
- Raspberry Macarons
- Strawberry Lemon Macarons
Tips for the Perfect Macarons –
- Your oven must be at 325F– use an oven thermometer! My oven tends to run hotter than it says so I preheat it to 315F and it rises to 325F.
- To get evenly round macarons, hold the piping bag perpendicular to the tray while you pipe the shells. Don’t try to draw a circle!
- Macaronage (the process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue) is one of the most important steps when making macarons. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking. There are lots of great videos online if you aren’t 100% sure what the meringue should look like.
- You must use gel food coloring in macarons, not liquid! Both Wilton and Americolor are great.
Ingredient Notes –
- Egg whites are the base of our meringue. They do not have to be at room temperature but they shouldn’t have any egg yolks in them!
- Granulated sugar sweetens the macarons and helps form the meringue in the macaron shells.
- Powdered sugar is used as a main dry component in both the shell and buttercream. It also adds additional sweetness to the macaron.
- Almond flour is the key to classic macaron shells. My preferred brand is Bob’s Red Mill.
- Butter is the base of our buttercream. Make sure it’s fully softened so you don’t end up with lumps in your filling.
- I’m using semi-sweet chocolate to flavor the buttercream but milk or dark chocolate would work too. Just make sure you’re using a good quality brand!
- I like seedless strawberry jam but feel free to use what you have on hand.
Looking for more elegant dessert recipes? Check these out!
Chocolate Strawberry Macarons
Chocolate Strawberry Macarons – Classic macaron shells filled with a chocolate buttercream frosting and strawberry jam. This is a classic French dessert that tastes incredible!
Ingredients
For the Shell
- 90 grams egg whites
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 95 grams powdered sugar
- 95 grams almond flour
- Pink gel food coloring, optional
For the Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam
Instructions
For the Shell
- Heat a small saucepan of water over medium heat. Once the water is simmering, add the egg whites and granulated sugar to a heatproof bowl and set it over the water.
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has fully dissolved - about 3 minutes.
- Once the sugar has dissolves, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Make sure to not get any water into the egg white mixture when you transfer it from one bowl to another.
- Beat the egg white mixture on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the meringue holds a soft peak.
- Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to the meringue and continue mixing on medium speed until stiff peaks form (1-2 minutes). I like to start with 3-4 drops and slowly add more if needed.
- Once stiff peaks form, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into the bowl and fold them gently into the meringue. Make sure to fold gently because you don't want to deflate the egg whites.
- Fold just until the meringue reaches the "lava stage". When the meringue flows smoothly off the spatula without breaking, it's ready. *(see notes)
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I used a Wilton #10). Pipe 1" macarons onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
- Once you've finished piping the first tray, hold it a few inches off the counter and drop it straight down to release any air bubbles. Repeat 4-5 times or until any large bubbles have popped.
- Repeat steps 7-8 with the second tray of macarons.
- Set the macarons aside to rest for 20-30 minutes or until a skin has formed. You should be able to tap them gently without the meringue sticking to your finger. While the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, on the middle rack. Bake for 14 minutes, turning the tray halfway through baking.
- Allow the macarons to cool completely on the pan before assembling.
For the Filling
- Add the softened butter and melted chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is light and fluffy - about 30 seconds.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the powdered sugar.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer to medium high speed. Beat until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy - about 1 minute.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
Assembly
- Place the macaron shells in similar sized pairs. Pipe a small ring of buttercream onto the flat side of one macaron and fill the center with strawberry jam (about 1/2 teaspoon).
- Place another macaron shell on top and press down gently, just until the chocolate buttercream reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- Place the filled macarons in an airtight container and rest them in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature and enjoy.
- Store any leftover macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Notes
* Macaronage (the process of folding the dry ingredients into the meringue) is one of the most important steps when making macarons. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the meringue without the stream breaking. There are lots of great videos online (like THIS one from Shinee) if you aren’t 100% sure what the meringue should look like.
* Don't have a kitchen scale? Don't worry, I translated the metric measurements to the imperial system (i.e. cups, tablespoons, etc).
- Egg whites - Just a touch over 1/3 cup (fluid measurement)
- Granulated sugar - Just under 1/2 cup (dry)
- Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup (dry)
- Almond flour - 1 cup
I've tested the recipe using these exact measurements and found that it worked perfectly. Obviously, it's ideal if you have a kitchen scale but this will work.
* Aging the macarons overnight is not necessary but it does help bring out the flavors.
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