Strawberry Macarons (new & improved recipe) (2024)

By Shinee

Prep: 1 hour hr

Cook: 18 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 25 filled macarons

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For macaron shells:

• ▢ 10 g freeze-dried strawberries Note 1
• ▢ 90 g super-fine almond flour Note 2
• ▢ 65 g powdered sugar Note 3
• ▢ 70 g egg whites Note 4
• ▢ 75 g fine granulated sugar Note 5
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Note 6
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ▢ Red gel food coloring

For filling:

• ▢ 3 tablespoons (40 g) unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 3/4 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 4 tablespoons strawberry jam divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

To make macaron shells:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or teflon sheet, or silicone mat.

• To prepare the dry ingredients. Place the freeze-dried strawberries between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, crush the strawberries into a fine powder. (TIP: Do this step right before you begin making macarons because the strawberry powder draws in moisture and affects the texture of the batter.)

• Sift together, prepared strawberry powder, almond flour and powdered sugar twice. (Note:If you have up to 2 tablespoons of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don't have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.)

• To make meringue,in a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt and beat the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. (I set it to speed 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. It takes 30-40 minutes to whip the meringue, but it's well worth it for nice and full shells.)

• When the meringue reaches soft peaks, add pink gel food coloring.

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• Continue beating the meringue at the same medium speed until hard peaks form.Visual cues:Meringue should ball up inside the whisk, and when you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy end and have sharp ribs.

• To make batter, sift almond flour mixture into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight.To test,take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on its own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold couple more times and test again.Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP:Making french macarons isall about the technique. This is one of the most crucial step. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. If you’re beginner macaron-baker, I suggest to count every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple folds.)

• To pipe macaron shells,transfer the batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. (I usethis Wilton 2A tip.)

• To pipe heart-shaped macarons: Place the template with hearts under the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe the batter as if you’re drawing two hooks facing each other, tracing the template. Download my free macaron template.

• Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter(or slap the bottom of the baking sheet with one of your hands)a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops.

• Let the macarons rest on the counter for 15 minutes before baking.

• To bake,bake the macarons for 15-18 minutes, one baking sheet at a time, on the middle rack. It’ll take longer for larger macarons.To test for doneness, touch a macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move.

• Cool the macarons complete and then remove the shells from the baking surface. (TIP:Don't remove the shells while warm, you may risk breaking the shells, or the bottom might get stuck to the baking surface.)

To make strawberry buttercream filling:

• While the macarons are drying, prepare the strawberry buttercream. In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat the butter until fluffy.

• Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat until well combined. Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag.

To assemble the macarons:

• Pair the shells by size and arrange them on a wire rack, or a baking sheet. Turn half of the shells upside and pipe the buttercream filling around the edges, leaving a small hole in the middle.

• Using a small spoon, drop a small amount of strawberry jam in the middle, or place strawberry jam in a piping bag and pipe the jam in the center of the buttercream border.

• Place the other shells on top.

To mature the macarons:

• Place the filled macarons in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving. It's ok to indulge right away if you're impatient like me, but if you let the macarons mature, the moisture and flavor of the filling will infuse the shells even more for even better texture.

• Store thefilled macarons in an airtight containerin thefridgefor up to 5 days. You can also freeze the filled macarons in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Yield: This recipe yields about 25 filled macarons, about 1.5 inches in diameter.

Note 1: Use high-quality freeze-dried strawberries and open a new package when you’re ready to make macarons because freeze-dried fruits absorb humidity from the air and lose their crispness quickly. I don’t recommend already crushed strawberry powder. 10g of freeze-dried strawberries yield about 3 tablespoons of strawberry powder.

Note 2: It’s best to use super fine almond flour to ensure smooth tops. Weigh the ingredients before sifting.

Note 3: I don’t recommend making your own powdered sugar, because commercial powdered sugar has cornstarch in it. And it helps with the texture of the cookies.

Note 4: I’ve had success with carton egg whites (Bob Evans brand, #notsponsored). You’ll need 1/3 cup of egg whites.

Note 5:Cream of tartar is optional and can be omitted. However, it helps to stabilize egg whites and create a sturdier meringue. It’s just extra insurance!

Note 6:It’s important to use fine granulated sugar for meringue, as it dissolves quicker. You can also use caster sugar, aka baker’s sugar.

Note 7: You can easily double this macaron recipe.

Note 8: Read this post for must-have macaron tools.

GOT MACARON TROUBLE? Check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.

Nutrition

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French