Chocolate macarons with homemade blackberry jam recipe
For anyone who has ever dreamed of whipping up a batch of the delicate French confections known as macarons, this recipe is for you.
While the macaron-making process does require a certain amount of precision and attention to detail, there’s no need to feel intimidated; the steps in this recipe are easy to follow and the results are utterly sensational.
With their crisp, glossy brown shell and soft, chewy, faintly nutty interior, the macaron shells are special enough on their own, but when sandwiched together with a sticky-sweet, slightly sharp blackberry buttercream, they become something truly memorable. The jam is just the thing for making use of a glut of blackberries – whether you’ve plucked them from the hedgerows yourself or picked up a punnet or three from the shops or farmers' market.
This recipe, which comes courtesy of baker and author Alix Carey, does make more jam than you’re likely to need to fill the macarons, which is certainly no bad thing. As Alix says: “You could use it to make blackberry jam tarts, as a filling for a layer cake, as a topping for pancakes, swirled into yogurt or use it to make a blackberry ice cream. You can even stir it into soda and lime for a refreshing drink.”
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 70 g ground almonds
- 140 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2.5 oz ground almonds
- 4.9 oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1.8 oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2.5 oz ground almonds
- 4.9 oz powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1.8 oz superfine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 500 g blackberries, washed and dried
- 375 g jam sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 17.6 oz blackberries, washed and dried
- 13.2 oz jam sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 17.6 oz blackberries, washed and dried
- 13.2 oz gelling sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened
- 250 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp blackberry jam
- 5.3 oz unsalted butter, softened
- 8.8 oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp blackberry jam
- 5.3 oz unsalted butter, softened
- 8.8 oz powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp blackberry jelly
Details
- Cuisine: French
- Recipe Type: Sweet
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 60 mins
- Cooking Time: 40 mins
- Serves: 12
Step-by-step
- To make the chocolate macaron shells, preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/275°F/gas mark 1 and line 2 baking trays with baking paper (parchment).
- If you like, you can now draw 24 small, round macaron shapes onto the paper to help you during piping.
- Put the ground almonds and icing sugar (powdered sugar) in a stand mixer (or use a handheld electric whisk) and blitz for about a minute, then transfer to a mixing bowl with the cocoa powder.
- Beat one of the egg whites into the almond and icing sugar (powdered sugar) mixture to make a smooth paste, then cover the bowl with a tea towel.
- Pour the second egg white into a super-clean bowl and begin to whisk on a high speed to form peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar (superfine sugar), 1 tbsp at a time, until it starts to stiffen. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating on a high setting for 2 minutes, until the mixture resembles stiff, glossy peaks.
- Add the egg-white mixture to the almond paste and, using a spatula, fold the two together from the bottom up. Repeat this motion around 15-20 times, until the mixture is fully incorporated.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round-tip nozzle and pipe 24 rounds onto the 2 lined baking trays.
- Tap the trays on a work surface a few times to release any air bubbles, then leave the macarons to dry for 30-45 minutes. They will be ready to bake when they no longer feel sticky or wet when touched.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven for 8 minutes. Open the oven to let out any steam and turn the trays around, then bake for a further 8 minutes, until the tops are crisp.
- Remove from the oven and leave the macaron shells to cool completely before removing from the baking trays.
- To make the jam, put the blackberries and lime juice in a large pan set over a medium heat. Mix well until the blackberries start to release their juices.
- Add the jam sugar (gelling sugar), reduce the heat to low and continue to stir for 5-8 minutes, until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Use a sugar thermometer (such as the Thermapen ONE) to determine when the jam reaches setting point (104-105°C). Once it does reach setting point, remove the pan from the heat and put aside for 5 minutes to allow the fruit to disperse evenly.
- Skim any scum off the top of the jam with a spoon, then carefully ladle into sterilised jars, putting the lids on immediately.
- Leave to cool completely. Wipe the jars to remove any spills and store in a cool, dark place.
- For the buttercream, beat the softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand-held electric whisk for a few minutes, then gradually add the icing sugar (powdered sugar), until you have a smooth buttercream.
- Stir through 2 tbsp of the cooled blackberry jam (jelly), then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.
- To assemble, lay the macarons out in pairs, then pipe a circle of buttercream onto one shell and fill the gap with a dot of blackberry jam (jelly), then sandwich another macaron on top. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
Adapted from a recipe supplied by Alix Carey (@Mykitchendrawer), brand ambassador for Thermapen.
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