Chocolate Flavored French Macaron Recipe

Chocolate Flavored French Macaron Recipe

Chocolate Flavored French Macaron with Cocoa Swiss Buttercream Recipe

To make chocolate flavored French macarons, simply add a small amount of brown food coloring and chocolate extract (and/or cocoa powder) to the macaron mix, add water, whip as instructed, pipe and bake per instruction on the box.

Ingredients:
Directions:
  • Watch related video here
  • Prepare three baking trays lined with Silicon Mat (we don’t recommend parchment paper).
  • Set oven to 280 ºF for convection bake settings or to 300 ºF for conventional bake.
  • Add cocoa powder and 2 oz warm water (122 ºF) to Macaron mix.  Mix at low speed for 1 minute, then medium speed for 3 minutes.  If using electric hand mixer, whip the mixture in a deep bowl for 3.5 minutes using the slowest settings.
  • Place a round pastry tip in a disposable pastry bag, cut the tip. Place it in a tall plastic jar or a glass, and fold over the edge. Pour batter into the pastry bag.
  • Using guides on your silicon mat, pipe the batter in 1 – 1.25 inch circles. Tap each tray on a hard surface a few times to remove any air bubbles and flatten cookie surface.  Cookies will expand to 1.75 inches when you tap the tray (they will fill the silicon mat guide when flattened).
  •  If oven is set to “bake”,  let cookies rest for at least 15 minutes or until the surface is dry to touch.  Bake for 15 minutes.
  • If using “convection bake” settings, there is no need to dry the batter as the hot air movement created by the convection fan dries the surface very quickly before batter starts to rise.  Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While shells are baking,  whip up the buttercream:
    • Add 2 oz hot water (160 ºF- same temp as when making tea or coffee) to the mix.
    • Whisk at high speed for 3-4 minutes until meringue is stiff.
    • Add brown food coloring, cocoa, and or chocolate flavoring (optional).
    • Gradually whip in 1.25 sticks of soft unsalted butter.  Avoid using cold butter.  Whip until the mixture is silky and smooth.
  • Remove trays from oven.  Let shells cool down completely before removing them from trays.
  • Garnish with buttercream and assemble.  Again, make sure shells are cool.

Flavoring note:  Some bakers prefer coloring the shells and simply flavor the buttercream only.  Feel free to experiment.  Chocolate and lavender or chocolate and mint are great combinations.  For instance chocolate shells with a mint flavored buttercream would make a great combination.

When adding dry content to the macaron mix (such as cocoa in this recipe), it is a good idea to remove the same amount of mix so the to total dry content remains the same.

 

Rose Flavored French Macaron Recipe

Rose Flavored French Macaron Recipe

Rose Flavored French Macaron Recipe:

To make rose flavored French macarons, simply add a small amount of red food coloring and Rose extract to the prepared meringue, fold in the almond flour, pipe and bake as usual.  You can optionally only add food coloring and add Rose extract flavoring to the buttercream.

Watch this video.

Ingredients:
Directions:
  • Watch related video here
  • Prepare three baking trays lined with Silicon Mat (we don’t recommend parchment paper).
  • Set oven to 280 ºF for convection bake settings or to 300 ºF for conventional bake.
  • Add rose extract, pink food coloring and 2 oz warm water (122 ºF) to Macaron mix.  Mix at low speed for 1 minute, then medium speed for 3 minutes.  If using electric hand mixer, whip the mixture in a deep bowl for 3.5 minutes using the slowest settings.
  • Place a round pastry tip in a disposable pastry bag, cut the tip. Place it in a tall plastic jar or a glass, and fold over the edge. Pour batter into the pastry bag.
  • Using guides on your silicon mat, pipe the batter in 1 – 1.25 inch circles. Tap each tray on a hard surface a few times to remove any air bubbles and flatten cookie surface.  Cookies will expand to 1.75 inches when you tap the tray (they will fill the silicon mat guide when flattened).
  •  If oven is set to “bake”,  let cookies rest for at least 15 minutes or until the surface is dry to touch.  Bake for 15 minutes.
  • If using “convection bake” settings, there is no need to dry the batter as the hot air movement created by the convection fan dries the surface very quickly before batter starts to rise.  Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While shells are baking,  whip up the buttercream:
    • Add 2 oz hot water (160 ºF- same temp as when making tea or coffee) to the mix.
    • Whisk at high speed for 3-4 minutes until meringue is stiff.
    • Add brown food coloring, cocoa, and or chocolate flavoring (optional).
    • Gradually whip in 1.25 sticks of soft unsalted butter.  Avoid using cold butter.  Whip until the mixture is silky and smooth.
  • Remove trays from oven.  Let shells cool down completely before removing them from trays.
  • Garnish with buttercream and assemble.  Again, make sure shells are cool.

Flavoring note:  Some bakers prefer coloring the shells and simply flavor the buttercream only.  Feel free to experiment.  Chocolate and lavender or chocolate and mint are great combinations.  For instance chocolate shells with a mint flavored buttercream would make a great combination.

Rose flavored buttercream:

Make the buttercream mix following this recipe.  You may add red food coloring and rose extract to the buttercream for more intense flavor.

Raspberry Flavored French Macaron Recipe

Raspberry Flavored French Macaron Recipe

Raspberry Flavored French Macaron Recipe:

Our Raspberry flavored French Macaron Recipe has by far been the most popular flavor amongst our costumers.  To make it, simply mix red food coloring with a dash of black food coloring and add it the macaron mix.  Add raspberry extract, mix pipe and bake.

Ingredients:
Directions:
  • Watch related video here
  • Prepare three baking trays lined with Silicon Mat (we don’t recommend parchment paper).
  • Set oven to 280 ºF for convection bake settings or to 300 ºF for conventional bake.
  • Add coloring powder and 1/4 cup (2 oz) warm water (122 ºF) to macaron mix.  Mix at low speed for 1 minute, then medium speed for 3 minutes.  If using electric hand mixer, whip the mixture in a deep bowl for 3.5 minutes using the slowest settings.
  • Place a round pastry tip in a disposable pastry bag, cut the tip. Place it in a tall plastic jar or a glass, and fold over the edge. Pour batter into the pastry bag.
  • Using guides on your silicon mat, pipe the batter in 1 – 1.25 inch circles. Tap each tray on a hard surface a few times to remove any air bubbles and flatten cookie surface.  Cookies will expand to 1.75 inches when you tap the tray (they will fill the silicon mat guide when flattened).
  •  If oven is set to “bake”,  let cookies rest for at least 15 minutes or until the surface is dry to touch.  Bake for 15 minutes.
  • If using “convection bake” settings, there is no need to dry the batter as the hot air movement created by the convection fan dries the surface very quickly before batter starts to rise.  Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While shells are baking,  whip up the buttercream:
    • Add 2 oz hot water (160 ºF- same temp as when making tea or coffee) to the mix.
    • Whisk at high speed for 3-4 minutes until meringue is stiff.
    • Add brown food coloring, cocoa, and or chocolate flavoring (optional).
    • Gradually whip in 1.25 sticks of soft unsalted butter.  Avoid using cold butter.  Whip until the mixture is silky and smooth.
  • Remove trays from oven.  Let shells cool down completely before removing them from trays.
  • Garnish with buttercream and assemble.  Again, make sure shells are cool.

Flavoring note:  Some bakers prefer coloring the shells and simply flavor the buttercream only.  

Raspberry flavored buttercream:

Make the buttercream mix following this recipe.  Add red food coloring and raspberry extract to the buttercream.

 

 

Peppermint French Macaron and Chocolate Genache Filling Recipe

Peppermint French Macaron and Chocolate Genache Filling Recipe

Peppermint French Macaron and Chocolate Ganache filling Recipe

To make this delightful and refreshing peppermint macarons add Peppermint extract along with a dash of green food coloring to the macaron mix, add water, mix, pipe and bake as instructed.

Ingredients:
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
  • Dark chocolate  – 5 oz. (150g)
  • Heavy cream    – 1/2 cup (110ml)
  • Light corn syrup or honey  – 2 Tablespoon (30ml)
  • Unsalted butter, cubed and at room temp – 2 Tablespoon (30g)
Directions:
  • Watch related video here
  • Prepare three baking trays lined with Silicon Mat (we don’t recommend parchment paper).
  • Set oven to 280 ºF for convection bake settings or to 300 ºF for conventional bake.
  • Add green food coloring and 1/4 cup (2 oz) warm water (122 ºF) to macaron mix.  Mix at low speed for 1 minute, then medium speed for 3 minutes.  If using electric hand mixer, whip the mixture in a deep bowl for 3.5 minutes using the slowest settings.
  • Place a round pastry tip in a disposable pastry bag, cut the tip. Place it in a tall plastic jar or a glass, and fold over the edge. Pour batter into the pastry bag.
  • Using guides on your silicon mat, pipe the batter in 1 – 1.25 inch circles. Tap each tray on a hard surface a few times to remove any air bubbles and flatten cookie surface.  Cookies will expand to 1.75 inches when you tap the tray (they will fill the silicon mat guide when flattened).
  •  If oven is set to “bake”,  let cookies rest for at least 15 minutes or until the surface is dry to touch.  Bake for 15 minutes.
  • If using “convection bake” settings, there is no need to dry the batter as the hot air movement created by the convection fan dries the surface very quickly before batter starts to rise.  Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While shells are baking,  whip up the buttercream:
    • Add 1/4 cup (2 oz) hot water (160 ºF- same temp as when making tea or coffee) to the mix.
    • Whisk at high speed for 3-4 minutes until meringue is stiff.
    • Add brown food coloring, cocoa, and or chocolate flavoring (optional).
    • Gradually whip in 1.25 sticks of soft unsalted butter.  Avoid using cold butter.  Whip until the mixture is silky and smooth.
  • Remove trays from oven.  Let shells cool down completely before removing them from trays.
  • Garnish with buttercream and assemble.  Again, make sure shells are cool.

Flavoring note:  Some bakers prefer coloring the shells and simply flavor the buttercream only.  Feel free to experiment.  Chocolate and lavender or chocolate and mint are great combinations.  

Ganache preparation:
  • Melt chocolate over a water-bath and warm up heavy cream with corn syrup.
  • Combine both mixtures and stir until completely smooth.
  • Add the cubed butter and continue stirring until smooth.
  • Chill ganache for 15-20 minutes in a refrigerator until ganache texture is similar to buttercream.
  • Fill the macarons with ganache.  Refrigerate for a day before serving.

Ganache can also be mixed with buttercream (2 parts buttercream to 1 part ganache).

 

 

 

Traditional Swiss Buttercream Macaron Filling Recipe

Traditional Swiss Buttercream Macaron Filling Recipe

 

This traditional Swiss buttercream filling recipe is vanilla flavored and cream in color.  It goes great with our French Macaron shells.  You can make half as much by dividing ingredients in half.  Buttercream can be refrigerated for several weeks or kept frozen for months.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Egg white (from 6 eggs), 180 grams
1 lb Room temperature butter
½ cup Granulated Sugar
1 TSP Vanilla extract or paste

Directions:

Whisk egg whites and sugar over simmering water bath until the mixture reaches 110 F or is hot to touch. To avoid cooking the egg whites, keep stove temperature on medium and whisk briskly until batter is fluffy and reaches 110 degrees.

Using a stand mixer, whisk the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes until the egg white batter is fluffy and has cooled down.

Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla and ½ stick of butter at a time until all of the butter has been incorporated.

Change whisk to paddle and beat on high speed until cream is smooth and silky.

Once the buttercream is prepared, you can vary the color flavor profile by adding food coloring & food flavor of your choice.  Some combinations to experiment with include: Rose extract & Red food coloring; Lavender extract and purple food coloring; Lemon extract and yellow food coloring; Pumpkin spice and orange food coloring; coco powder and chocolate extract.  You can also mix in jams, curds, ganache, pistachio or hazelnut flour.

 

As you can see the traditional approach is complex, messy and tiresome.  Alternatively, you can just use our Swill Buttercream mix and focus on your preparation.  Please review this post to lean more.