Yield: 20 robin’s egg macarons // Total Time: 2 hr. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.
This post is sponsored by Scharffen Berger. All opinions are my own.
Hello and a very happy Friday! With Easter coming up I wanted to make a lot of new recipes, and when I first saw robin’s egg macarons I just knew I had to make them. I mean, they are adorable! Light blue dyed macarons with imperfectly perfect black speckles, filled with a dreamy chocolate ganache. Truly, what is not to love about that?!
Scharffen Berger Chocolate
When making something with chocolate, especially a ganache which only has two ingredients, you really want to make sure that you have the best quality chocolate. I love using Scharffen Berger chocolate because I know that I am using a high quality chocolate when I use their bars. Their bars have rich and delicious chocolate flavor that really lets the cacao shine through. Plus, their bars are handcrafted from bean to bar here in the US! For the delicious ganache filling in these macarons, I used their 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate Bar. You can purchase their chocolate bars and baking chocolate on their website!
Notes on macarons
Measuring the ingredients
My recipes are all written in grams because it is a more accurate way to bake. When it comes to something like macarons, it is especially important that you use a scale because they can be quite finicky! When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!
Separating the eggs
Be careful when separating the eggs to ensure that none of the yolk has broken into the white. To be safe, crack the egg white into a separate bowl one at at time and then transfer, to avoid having to start over!
Egg whites and fat
On the note of avoiding broken egg yolks, it is super important that the bowls you are using are completely clean of any fat residue that may be on them. If there is any then the egg whites will not properly whip up. If you want to be extra safe, you can cut open a lemon and rub it in the bowls you will use. The acidic lemon juice will help to dissolve any fat that may be in the bowl!
How to make robin’s egg macarons
Swiss Meringue Macarons
For these macarons, I used the swiss method which I love because it seems to be more stable of a batter. Plus, the recipe is super easy to remember because you will need 100g of each macaron ingredient! You will start by whisking together the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is about 120°F / 49°C.
Whipping the egg whites
Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on medium speed just until stiff peaks form.
Sifting
Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together over the meringue.
Folding
Next comes the most important part of macarons: folding. You will want to be gentle with your folding while also lightly knocking some air out of the meringue. As you fold, the mixture will begin to loosen up. The batter is ready to be used once you are able to draw an eight. Use the rubber spatula to pick up some batter, then draw an eight in the batter. If you can draw the eight without it breaking, you are ready to start piping the macarons.
Piping and drying
Pipe the macarons into 1.5″-2″ circles, evenly spaced apart. At this point I would recommend preheating your oven to avoid temperature fluctuations once they are ready to be baked. Let the macarons dry out for 20 minutes or until they are only slightly tacky when touched. When they are only slightly tacky, you can speckle them. Dip a paint brush into some black food dye and flick it to create speckles on the macarons. Then, let the macarons dry for another 20 minutes, or until they are no longer tacky when touched.
Baking
Bake the macarons for 15 minutes and let them cool completely on the baking sheet before frosting!
Whipped chocolate ganache
Heat the heavy cream and pour it over your chopped chocolate. Cover and let sit for 1 minute, then whisk together until smooth. Place the ganache in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes, or until it is no longer warm to the touch. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mixture until it is lighter and fluffier, ~2 minutes. Pipe onto the macarons with your favorite piping tip, sandwich them together, and enjoy!
Ingredients for robin’s egg macarons
Egg white: the base and most important part of macarons. You will need 100g or 3 egg whites. If the weight is +/- 5g on the egg whites that is perfectly fine to move forward with!
Granulated sugar: gets whisked and heated with the egg white to create the stable swiss meringue base.
Almond flour: the ultimate defining characteristic of macarons. You will need to use almond flour and not almond meal, because almond flour has the finer texture that we are looking for.
Powdered sugar: sweetens up the macarons and helps soak up moisture in the batter.
Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate: for creating a rich and oh-so-chocolatey ganache filling.
Heavy whipping cream: lightens up the chocolate to form a perfect ganache.
Robin’s Egg Macarons Q&A
Can I double this recipe?
Yes of course! Simply double all of the ingredients to get approximately 40 sandwiched macaron cookies.
How do I store these robin’s egg macarons?
Unfrosted, these macarons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one week. Once frosted with the ganache they do have to be stored in the fridge since the ganache has heavy cream in it. I highly recommend waiting to frost these macarons until you are serving them, to avoid having to store them in the fridge!
Tools and ingredients
The most helpful tool for making macarons is a macaron baking mat. You can draw out circles on parchment paper, but a silicone macaron mat will save you so much time and effort!
For a full list of tools, equipment and ingredients that I use and love, you can check out this page here.
Did you make these robin’s egg macarons?
If you made these robin’s egg macarons I would love to see them and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Robin’s Egg Macarons
Ingredients
Macarons
- 100 g egg whites (~3 eggs)
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g almond flour
- 100 g powdered sugar
- blue food coloring
- black food coloring
Whipped Ganache Filling
- 180 g Scharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Dark Chocolate
- 180 g heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Macarons
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper that has been stenciled with 1.5"-2" circles for the macarons, or with a silicone macaron mat. Set aside.
- Make a double boiler. To the top, add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk the mixture together until the sugar has fully dissolved and it is slightly foamy. The mixture should be ~120°F / 49°C.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue. Add a little bit of blue food coloring to the mixture. Start lightly folding the mixture together. Fold together until you can lift up the batter and draw an eight with it without the batter breaking.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe out 40 macarons.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F / 150°C. Let the shells dry out for 20 minutes, or until they are only slightly tacky to the touch.
- Put a small amount of black food dye in a small bowl. If using a gel, you will want to add a couple drops of water to thin out the food coloring. Dip a small paint brush in the food dye, then flick the brush at the macarons to create the black speckles. Let the macarons dry for an additional 20 minutes, or until the macarons are dry to the touch.
- Bake the macarons for 15 minutes, then let them cool to room temperature on the baking sheet.
Whipped Ganache Filling
- Chop up the chocolate into small pieces and place it into a heat safe bowl.
- In the microwave or on the stovetop, heat up the heavy cream until it is simmering and hot to the touch.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and place a lid or plate over the bowl for 2 minutes.
- Whisk together the ganache until the mixture is cohesive and smooth. Set the mixture to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken up. You don't want the ganache to get too cold or you won't be able to pipe it!
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ganache until it is light and fluffy, ~2 minutes.
- Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip. Pipe the ganache over half of the bottoms of the macarons, then sandwich them.
- Serve and enjoy!
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