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With a velvety cherry buttercream sandwiched between a chocolate shell, these chocolate cherry macarons will bring you right to France.
Lately I've been tackling desserts that I've always wanted to make, but just haven't gotten around to it - from a s'mores crème brûlée to homemade cream puffs.
But I'll admit, these homemade macarons are something that has been on my to-do list for quite some time. So why have I waited so long to share a recipe? Well I was a little scared to make it.
So I watched countless videos and read quite a few different recipes before deciding to give it a try. I wanted to make something fairly simple to start which is why I chose a chocolate shell and simple jam buttercream. No dye or fancy filling here.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm not downplaying how great these cherry macarons taste. But if you were like me and wanting to tackle some macarons at home, this recipe might be a good first try for you! If the pictures don't paint a good picture, these were quite a success!
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Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour - the key is to get super fine flour or process in food processor if you can't find it. I actually process even the fine flour as there still is some small pieces of almonds. It helps create yummy cherry macarons.
- Powdered sugar - you need this superfine sugar as it easily incorporates with the flour and egg whites.
- Eggs - macarons are basically meringue cookies so the egg whites being whipped to stiff peaks is super important to a stable macaron.
- Cream of tartar - I like to cheat or help potentially avoid some mistakes by adding a little cream of tartar which adds structure to the meringue.
- Cherries - makes the cherry jam which is key to the cherry buttercream.
Step-by-Step Photos
First make the cherry jam so it can cool down. Then sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Start beating the egg whites on medium speed before slowly adding the sugar in thirds. And the cream of tartar and whip until soft peaks.
Add the vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form. Then stir in the sifted flour and start folding gently, forming a letter J with the spatula. You want to stop folding when the batter is glossy and flows like lava. If you lift the spatula with some batter, you should be able to make a figure eight pattern without the batter breaking up.
Transfer to a pastry bag and pipe 1 ½" circles on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Tap the sheet a few times to release bubbles.
Let the shells sit at room temperature until they are dry, about 30-60 minutes. Bake at 325ºF for 12-14 minutes, rotating halfway through. The tops should be crisp and the macarons should have formed feet. Make sure they cool completely on the sheet before filling.
Make the buttercream by mixing the butter and sugar until light and fluffy before add extract and jam. Take one shell and fill with buttercream and place another shell on top to make the cherry macarons. Repeat until done.
FAQs
Macarons are meringue-based cookie sandwiches made from almond flour, egg whites and sugar. The outside is crisp but the inside is moist and slightly chewy. The filling can be buttercream, ganache or something else.
I'll be honest, for quite some time I thought they were one in the same and had to always look it up. As mentioned above, a macaron is a meringue-based cookie with a filling.
A macaroon, while spelled almost the same, is a mounded cookie made with shredded coconut, egg and sugar and often dipped in chocolate.
Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg when you are whipping them to make the meringue, especially when it is humid out. That said, you don't have to add it.
No. Parchment paper works just fine for these cherry macarons. I would just print out a piping template so you can have evenly sized macarons. If you want a silicone mat with the template already on it. I recommend this one.
These cherry macarons should be crisp and airy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. If you are having trouble removing them from the baking sheet, they probably need to cook longer.
How to Store Macarons
Unfilled macarons:
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before adding filling.
Filled macarons:
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze they cherry macarons in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before adding filling.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Age your egg whites. You want to leave the egg whites out at room temperature for a couple hours or in the fridge overnight, which helps dehydrate them.
- Use a scale. If there was ever a recipe where a kitchen scale is need, this one is it. You need precise measurements.
- DO NOT skip sifting the ingredients. If your almond flour is leaving big chunks after sifting, throw in the food processor and sift again.
- DO NOT under whip the meringue. It should have stiff peaks and start to fill the whisk when ready.
- Be gentle when folding the dry ingredients in with the meringue. You want to slowly remove some of the air. The consistency is right when it is flowing like lava and you can form a figure eight.
- There will be bubbles under the surface once done piping. Use a toothpick to find and deflate them.
- If the shells are over baked, just brush a little milk on the bottom before assembling the cherry macarons.
Other Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried these chocolate cherry macarons or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Cherry Macarons
Ingredients
Chocolate Macarons
- 1 cup almond flour (100 grams)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (10 grams)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 3 large egg whites (100 grams) at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cherry Jam
- 1 cup cherries, pitted
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Cherry Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cherry jam
Instructions
Chocolate Macarons
- Sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar in thirds, waiting about 30 seconds between each addition.
- Once the egg whites start turning white, add the cream of tartar and whip on medium until soft peaks fork. Add the vanilla and whip on medium-high until you get stiff peaks.
- Add the sifted flour mixture to the egg whites and start folding gently, forming a letter J with the spatula. You want to stop folding when the batter is glossy and flows like lava. If you lift the spatula with some batter, you should be able to make a figure eight pattern without the batter breaking up.
- Transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a large round piping tip. Pipe 1 ½" circles on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet against the counter a few times to release the bubbles. Use a toothpick to remove any remaining pockets of air.
- Let the shells sit out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes or until the tops are dry and don't stick to your finger when you touch it.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating halfway through. The tops should be crisp and the macarons should have formed feet. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before filling.
Cherry Jam
- Place pitted cherries in a food processor and puree. Add to a small saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes at medium heat, or until thicken. Set aside to cool.
Cherry Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add butter and sugar. Mix on low speed until blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and cherry jam and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 more minute, adding some more powdered sugar if too thin to spread.
To Assemble
- Pipe a small amount of buttercream on a bottom shell. Top with another shell.
Notes
- Age your egg whites. You want to leave the egg whites out at room temperature for a couple hours or in the fridge overnight, which helps dehydrate them.
- Use a scale. If there was ever a recipe where a kitchen scale is need, this one is it. You need precise measurements.
- DO NOT skip sifting the ingredients. If your almond flour is leaving big chunks after sifting, throw in the food processor and sift again.
- DO NOT under whip the meringue. It should have stiff peaks and start to fill the whisk when ready.
- Be gentle when folding the dry ingredients in with the meringue. You want to slowly remove some of the air. The consistency is right when it is flowing like lava and you can form a figure eight.
- There will be bubbles under the surface once done piping. Use a toothpick to find and deflate them.
- If the shells are over baked, just brush a little milk on the bottom before assembling the macarons.
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