Blackberry Macarons

5 from 4 ratings

These blackberry macarons are bursting with blackberry flavor! They're filled with buttercream and delicious blackberry jam!!

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Additional Time30

Total Time1 8

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: French

Servings: 20 macarons

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Macarons Shells

110 g aged egg whites - about 4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar - optional
110 g granulated sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tsp
pink and regal purple gel food coloring - optional
140 g superfine almond flour - blanched 1 1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp
125 g powdered sugar 1 cup

Buttercream Frosting

113 g unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup
4 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 1 tsp
2 g fine salt 1/8 tsp
166 g powdered sugar 1 1/3 cups
15 g heavy whipping cream, room temperature 1 Tbsp

Additional Filling

1/2 cup your favorite blackberry jam

Equipment

Instructions

French Macaron Shells

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
Pour 110g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage.
Gradually mix in 110g of granulated sugar into the eggs over a few minutes while mixing on a medium low speed. Increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Sift 140g superfine almond flour and 125g powdered sugar into the meringue. Add in a squirt of pink and purple gel food coloring to give the shells a warm purple color, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pull through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.
Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8's with the batter running off your spatula when it is the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 3/4-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes, or until they develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. While the macarons rest, preheat the oven to 315 F / 157 C.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 17-20 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly.
Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

Buttercream Frosting

Beat 113g room-temperature butter on a medium speed until smooth.
Mix in 4g vanilla extract and 2g salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 166g of powdered sugar and 15g of heavy cream on a low speed. Mix for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
Once the frosting is the right consistency, place in a piping bag fit with a small round tip and set aside.

Assembling These Blackberry Macarons

Pair up the macaron shells, then pipe a ring of buttercream around one macaron shell. Fill the center with blackberry jam and gently press a second shell on top to create a sandwich.
This step is optional, but I like to brush a bit of edible gold paint over the top of the macaron to give it a little extra flair. I used edible art paint, but you can also use a mixture of clear liquor or extract and luster dust.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Yield:

This recipe makes about 40 macaron shells, which can be used to make 20 macarons. You can double or half this recipe if needed.

The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 3/4 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Blackberry Macarons

Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
Firmly bang your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
Rest the macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
Let your filled macarons mature in the fridge overnight! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
If your macarons don't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!
I like to fill these will my homemade blackberry freezer jam, but a good quality store-bought jam would work great too!

Making These Blackberry Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

French macarons need to mature overnight (or ideally 24 hours) in the fridge before being eaten! They taste best 24 hours after being made.
Macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Filled macarons can be frozen for up to a month, but the length can vary based on the filling.
Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
The frosting can be made ahead of time too or save any leftovers! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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