Brownie Batter Macaron
Brownie Batter Macaron have cocoa powder in the shells and brownie batter in the buttercream filling. They’re rich, chocolate, and oh so delicious.
After making this recipe and creating a list of all the macaron recipe I have on my blog, I realized something.
I have 37 – THIRTY-SEVEN macaron recipes on my blog.
Yes, that does include this brownie batter macaron recipe. That’s more than any other type of cookie I have on my blog. That’s a crazy number of macaron recipes. And they’re all different, too. Not to mention there’s a couple of savory ones in there. Those are super fun! I have more ideas for those, too.
I’ve been putting together an incentive with all the recipes in there, but since I keep making them it’s a never-ending project. I sent it to one follower who sent me a message on FB when my site was down a few weeks ago. They claim it was due to a security plug in I had on my blog. If you say so…
She was looking for the peach macaron recipe because she wanted to make them. We had a nice chat. She shared some pictures of her family looking at sheets of the shells drying on the counter. This follower really did brighten my spirits about macaron and blogging. She loves my recipes, says the instructions are perfect and turn out picture perfect every time, and she bakes and takes them to people.
So, it was only fitting that I sent her the first attempt at an inventive cookbook of sorts. Of course, it wasn’t updated with many of the more recent recipes, but she enjoyed getting it. I’m sure when I update it again, I’ll send it to her. And if you’re following my blog, I’m sure you’ll get it, too.
These macaron were sort of inspired by the brownie batter M&Ms. Or maybe it was some brownie batter buttercream that I saw on Pinterest. Either way, I was inspired to make these. I wanted to put the brownie batter mix in the shells but was concerned that they wouldn’t turn out right. Since I didn’t want to mess up the shells, I put the brownie batter mix in the buttercream.
When I took one of the two macaron classes from Sur La Table, they talked about cocoa powder not all being the same. I guess Hershey’s has a little more oil in it than other kinds and they advised against using it. I’m not so sure I’ve experienced this issue with my shells and Hershey powder. But this time I did have a few that were wrinkly on top when they shouldn’t have.
What does wrinkled tops mean?
Wrinkled tops on your macaron means one of a few things:
- Oven temperature is too low
- Over beaten the meringues
- Over-mixed the macaronnage
- Incorrect ingredient ratios
- Oily, old, or wet ingredients
It’s that last one. If the cocoa powder I used has more oil in it than others it would cause the wrinkly tops. I don’t usually over beat the meringues or the macaronnage. If I did, all the tops would be wrinkly. And since I’m using a standard base recipe, I highly doubt it’s a ratio issue. But it could be. Maybe I’ll revisit that. But if that was the case, then the follow, and a few others, would have complained at having inconsistent results.
Either way, some were slightly wrinkly which means I’ll have to find other coca powder. Which sucks because I just bought a whole new package. Or, I’ll just have to deal with some having wrinkly tops. I’m sure the people at work who enjoy eating them won’t care if they’re wrinkled or not. They taste just the same.
Now, I have to warn you. These taste better the second day. Of course, they say that about every macaon recipe known to man. It really does take a full day for all the flavors to really meld together and the shells to get that soft and chewy texture they’re known for.
But for this recipe, it’s a case of the buttercream. The brownie batter flavor really isn’t as apparent if you taste it the first day. At least it wasn’t for me. But after letting the buttercream rest in the fridge overnight, the brownie batter flavor really did come out. And boy do these brownie batter macaron taste just like that: brownie batter!
The shells have a rich chocolatey flavor and the buttercream mimics that and enhances it with the brownie batter flavor. Yes, I’m warning you! These are rich! And oh so decadently delicious. But I will stress the rich part! I couldn’t eat more than a couple. But then again, I’m not a huge super sweet eater anyway.
This is recipe number 37 of who knows how many. I have at least 2 more that I plan on making in the near future. One will be sweet and a play on the butter pecan macaron I made and one will hopefully be savory. I just have to find the right freeze dried ingredients. That one will be rather different and a, “Huh! I never would have thought of that!” type of recipe. At least I hope it will be. Just have to see! SO, stay tuned for 38 and 39 in the near future.
Brownie Batter Macaron
Brownie Batter Macaron have cocoa powder in the shells and brownie batter in the buttercream filling. They're rich, chocolate, and oh so delicious.
Ingredients
For the shells
- 4 ounces almond meal
- 7 ounces powdered sugar
- 1 ounce cocoa powder (do not use Hershey as it will affect the result of the macaron)
- 4 ounces egg white, room temperature
- Pinch cream of tartar
- 40 grams sugar
For the buttercream
- 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
- 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon meringue powder
- 3 tablespoons brownie batter mix
- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
For the macaron:
- Pulse the 7 ounces powdered sugar, 4 ounces almond flour, and cocoa powder together in a food processor to form a fine powder. Sift three times into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large, metal mixing bowl). Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the eggs and hand mix the two together with the whisk attachment for the stand mixer (or hand mixer). Fasten the whisk attachment and beat the mixture on medium speed until foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add 1/3 of the almond mixture into the meringue. Continue folding and adding the almond mixture until all of it is incorporated into the meringue and the mixture should drip slowly off the spatula; like lava flowing. (Think conditioner dripping out of a bottle. That works for me.) The mixture will have a sheen to it when it’s ready to pipe.
- Transfer the batter to large piping bags fitted with a 1/2 inch tip and pipe 1 1/3 inch rounds onto a silpat covered baking sheet. There are several different templates out there. Two that I like are here and here.
- Preheat oven to 325.
- You’re going to LOVE this next part! Once all the batter has been piped or your sheets are full, grab the edges of the pan, secure the silpat with your thumbs (or any extra batter) and rap the pans on the counter. That’s right! You heard me! Bang them on the counter!! This releases any remaining air bubbles in the meringue.
- Continue rapping the sheets, turning occasionally, until no more air bubbles surface. Allow the macaron to rest on the counter at least 30 minutes or more depending on the humidity level of your kitchen.
- Once they’ve rested and the tops are no longer sticky to the touch (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes depending on humidity in the air), bake at 325 for 7 to 9 minutes.
- Rotate the pans front to back and top to bottom and bake an additional 7 to 9 minutes. Do the wiggle test to see if the meringue is cooked; carefully grab the top of the shell and see if it moves easily from side to side when wiggled. This indicates that the meringue isn’t completely cooked. Continue to cook in 2 to 3 minutes intervals until they wiggle just slightly. They will continue to cook as they cool.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before filling.
For the buttercream:
- Place the butter shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) along with the brownie batter and meringue powder.
- Beat until creamed together. Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until thicker than desired. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the heavy whipping cream until the desired consistency is reached.
- Pipe buttercream on one shell and top with a shell of matching size.
Nutrition Information
Yield
18Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 458Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 19mgSodium 62mgCarbohydrates 90gFiber 1gSugar 85gProtein 3g
Welcome to the 4th Annual #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We’re celebrating all things summer with a week-long event that is absolutely filled with some of the best summer dessert recipes! Follow the hashtag #SummerDessertWeek on social media to find recipes and make sure to check out the bottom of this post for even more summer desserts!
Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
Ice Cream & Chilled Desserts:
- Southern Ambrosia Salad from Big Bear’s Wife
- No Churn Triple Berry Ice Cream from Nik Snacks
- Key Lime Pie Jell-O Shots from Sweet ReciPEAs
Sweet Summertime Cakes and Cupcakes:
- Chocolate Pound Cake from Savory Experiments
Baked Desserts:
- Brownie Batter Macarons from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Must Make Macaron
I have more macaron recipes than any other cookie on my blog. They're fun to make and not that difficult! Just follow the instructions and if they don't turn out, let me know! I can help trouble shoot problems.
You had me sold at brownie batter! These macarons are perfection, and I can’t wait to try them!
Thank you! They are so good.