Growing up I loved going to summer camp, where some of my fondest memories are around the campfire enjoying S’Mores, with the crispy graham cracker, the melted chocolate (need I say more), and then the ooey, gooey marshmallow in the middle. This past summer I had the privilege to be a camp counselor to a group of awesome middle school girls, where we enjoyed making and eating S’Mores together around the campfire. Those delicious treats inspired me to create my recipe for S’Mores Macarons, with a graham shell, filled with a chocolate ganache and marshmallow fluff.
With these yummy S’Mores Macarons, you can enjoy all the wonderful flavors of S’Mores year round.
Let’s BAKE!
INGREDIENTS
MACARON SHELL
150 grams powdered sugar
120 grams almond flour
20 grams graham cracker crumbs, plus 3 Tbsp. to sprinkle on top
100 grams egg whites, room temp (about 3) (if you are short 100 grams you can add up to 1 tsp. room temperature water to make 100 grams)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
66 grams castor sugar (ultra fine sugar)
GANACHE FILLING
4 Ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%) (do not use chips)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, room temp
MARSHMALLOW FILLING
3 ounces marshmallow fluff
DIRECTIONS
MACARON SHELL
In medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, almond flour and graham cracker crumbs. Sift mixture through a sieve into another medium bowl. If there about a pinch remaining of pieces too large to sift, throw them out. Set aside. In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium speed until frothy; add cream of tartar, Whip until eggs start leaving a trail; slowly add castor sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form (when you pull out the whisk the peak should be stiff and not droopy, and you can hold the bowl upside down and nothing comes out.), Pour 1/3 of the graham cracker mixture into the egg whites and gently fold in until incorporated. Continuing to fold in 1/3 of the graham cracker mixture at a time, until it is completely blended (do not over mix, it should be like thick lava, and you can make a figure eight).
Make a template of 1-1/2″ circles about 2-inches apart on printer paper (about 16 to a baking sheet 4 across by 4 down). Place printer paper between baking sheet and parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip and fill the bag with the batter. Using the template as a guide, pipe circles onto the parchment papers. Remove template. The peaks in the center should fall, if they don’t wet your finger and pat the peak down. Tap the bottom of each sheet 4-5 times on work surface to release trapped air bubbles; use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles. Using a small seive, dust shells with 3 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs. Let the shells stand at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until they are dry to the touch (this develops their crust).
While the shells are standing at room temperature, preheat oven to 320 degrees F. Once the shells are dry to the touch, bake, one cookie sheet at a time, at 320 degrees F. for 15-17 minutes, until the top does not wiggly separate from the feet (error on the side of overbaked). Cool 5 minutes, remove from parchment (they should release, if not, use an offset spatula) Let cool completely. Match up same size cookies with one top side up, and the other filling side up.
GANACHE FILLING
While cookies are cooling, break up chocolate bar into small pieces into a small bowl. On the stove, warm up cream until edges simmer; add to chocolate pieces and let sit for 1 minute. Add butter, using a small spatula, blend chocolate until creamy. Set aside to cool and thicken, stirring occasionally. Once thick enough to pipe, spoon into piping bag with a #12 tip (1/4-inch)
ASSEMBLING MACARONS
Pipe the chocolate ganache in a circle on the filling side up cookie. Pipe a dollop of the marshmallow fulff in the middle of the ganache.(**see note) Lightly press top shell on top of bottom shell with filling, until ganache comes to the edge. Place in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for about 24 hours (so the shells absorb the flavor of the filling). Take the cookies out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving, to bring back to room temp. Enjoy!
Here is a link to my YouTube channel: Scone Baking and Beyond where I demonstrate how to make these delicious S’Mores Macarons.
**NOTE: **If you have a kitchen torch, you can torch the marshmallow fluff before you put the top shell on top of the filling of the bottom shell.
