Strawberry French Macarons Recipe & Two Fillings

An approachable, scrumptious strawberry French macarons recipe. Fill the macaron shells with a fresh strawberry filling. Or whip up a strawberry-infused, silky French buttercream. Or both! The method includes professional tips for success. And how to infuse as much strawberry flavor as possible into your macarons.

If this is your first attempt at baking French macarons at home, you may find it helpful to start with How to Make Macarons, Seriously, or Why Every Macaron Recipe is Really the Same. Then click back this way for how to add loads of enticing strawberry flavor to your batch.

The Story

Brimming with fresh-picked flavor, strawberry French macarons are lightly fruity, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. But baking any flavor of the popular almond pastries can end in chaos without proper instruction (have no fear, I've baked thousands of macarons for clients). So this recipe includes professional tips for baking macarons at home.

Traditionally, the essence of a macaron is in the filling and the shells are tinted with food coloring. But if you'd like to infuse the shells with a hint of strawberry, you can sift a small amount of strawberry powder with the dry ingredients. Fair warning, macaron shells can be fickle friends. And I only recommend experimenting with fruit powder in the shells once you've mastered the basics.

Fill your perfectly pink shells with an easy, fresh, scratch-made strawberry jam. Or pull out all the stops and whip up a silky, rich, strawberry French buttercream.

The Ingredients

• Confectioner's (powdered) sugar. Avoid cheaper brands. Many generic label powdered sugar contains a higher ratio of cornstarch to sugar. And this can cause the batter to become too thick.
• Finely-ground almond flour. Look for a very fine grind on the almond flour you choose. And that any whole almonds you use are blanched (skins removed). If using whole almonds, grind the same weight listed in the recipe with the measured powdered sugar in a food processor. Aim for a smooth, sandy texture.
• Fresh egg whites. The pasteurized egg whites in a box don't whip up as well (or at all) because the proteins have been denatured during processing.
• Granulated sugar. For an even smoother meringue, caster sugar is perfect if you can find it.
• Red or pink food coloring. For pretty-in-pink shells use a small amount of gel red or pink food coloring. I often bake macarons with only a little or none at all to avoid the chemicals in synthetic food dyes. Different brands and how much you add will determine how bright or deep the pink color achieved.
• Ground freeze-dried strawberries (optional). If you don't want to order the powder online, you can grind up freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or spice or coffee grinder.

Strawberry Fillings

Any strawberry jelly or jam will work as a filling, of course. But I love a scratch-made strawberry filling set with gelatin. You can't beat the intense flavor of fresh, in-season fruit. Or the speed at which the jam comes together.

• Fresh strawberry purée. Simply slice the stems off fresh strawberries and blend or purée them in a food processor.
• Granulated sugar. Since the filling is set with gelatin, you can scale back the sugar or replace it with honey.
• Lemon juice. Fresh or bottled is fine.
• Powdered gelatin. Or one gelatin sheet.

Strawberry French Buttercream

You can certainly stop at the fresh strawberry filling. But with a bit of extra effort, you can tuck a surprise dollop of jam inside a ring of silky French buttercream. Or opt for a strawberry-infused buttercream. Any variation makes for a sweet, tart, perfectly-strawberry macaron.

• Eggs
• Granulated sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Strawberry powder or homemade or prepared strawberry jam. To make homemade strawberry powder, grind freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or spice grinder.

The Techniques

The two (not-so) elusive techniques for beautiful French macarons are meringue, and macaronage. The best meringue method for beginners is called French, or common meringue. And it makes for lightly crisp, melt-in-your-mouth macarons. French meringue is much simpler than its Swiss or Italian sisters because heat isn't involved.

To make meringue with the French method, simply beat granulated sugar into fresh egg whites to firm peaks. It's simple and quick. And the macarons are just as delicious as ones made with cooked meringue. Macaronage is simply how French chefs make the act of mixing batter sound glamorous.

The Steps

With time-sensitive batter such as meringue, it's best to line up your ducks before you begin. So gather your tools and measure out all the ingredients. Bring your egg whites to room temperature before whipping (an hour on the counter is plenty of time).

1. Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Line a couple of baking pans or cookie sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats, if you prefer). If you plan to use a piping template, place one or two underneath the parchment. I secure my parchment paper in place with a heavy cup or small magnets. Snip the corner off your piping bag and insert your round tip. Push part of the bag into the large side of the tip. This will stop the batter from leaking through when you fill it.

2. Sift the dry ingredients. Since I bake macarons on a regular basis for and with clients, I sift the almond flour, powdered sugar, and any ground powder right into the bowl of whipped meringue. But for new macarons mavens, I recommend sifting ahead and setting them nearby.
3. Whip the meringue. Whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly rain in the granulated sugar. Whip on high speed to a firm meringue. The meringue is ready when it's shiny, silky, opaque, and resembles shaving cream. The meringue will make slightly curved peaks when you lift out the beater.
4. Add your color, optional. Add a small amount of red or pink gel food coloring, and whip on high speed for 30 seconds more.

5. Fold in the dry ingredients. Sift or add the dry ingredients to the whipped meringue. You can do this in a few additions if it's easier for you. Stir a bit vigorously a first to create a somewhat homogenous mixture. Then fold gently by scraping in a circular motion around the inside of the bowl and then up over the top of the batter. Cut your spatula through the center of the batter with every other stroke. Be mindful to scrape against the bottom of the bowl to bring in all of the dry ingredients.
6. Aim for a thick, ribbony batter. Macaron batter is ready when it ribbons off the spatula, and settles back into itself in 10 to 20 seconds. You can also try the "figure 8 test" by gathering batter on the spatula and making a figure 8 with it over the bowl. Look for a thick batter that doesn't stop flowing until you finish the motion.

7. Transfer, pipe, and tap. Place your prepared piping bag inside a drinking glass and pull the opening of the bag down and around the rim. Then scrape in the batter, press any air out, and twist it tightly at the top to lock in the batter (you can also secure it with a rubber band). Hold the piping bag vertically and a quarter-inch off the baking pan. Then squeeze until you reach the inner edges of the template circles. Immediately stop squeezing and flick the tip away in a circular motion. If your batter doesn't settle flat after a few moments, tap underneath the pans with your hand to settle the batter (I don't recommend toothpicks, and have never met another chef who employs them routinely in macaron baking).

8. Rest the piped batter. Let the piped macarons rest on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes. The shell will turn from shiny and sticky, to smooth and dull.
9. Bake until set. Bake the macarons for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once the signature pied, or “feet” form. This happens after about eight minutes of baking. Begin checking for doneness after 12 to 13 minutes. Gently nudge the tops of a couple of macaron shells with your finger. If the tops don't wiggle, the macarons are done. Try to avoid browning the bottoms of the shells. Remove the pan and cool the shells for a couple of minutes. Remove the shells by gently pushing up from underneath the parchment with one hand and peeling them away carefully with the other.
10. Match and fill. Make pairs of macarons and pipe strawberry jam, strawberry buttercream, or both onto half of the shells. Then top with their partners. Avoid excessive filling or it will leak out when you bite into the macarons. To fill with both jam and buttercream, pipe a ring of buttercream around the outside of half your shells. Be sure to leave a little space between the edge of the shells and the buttercream. Then squeeze a tiny dollop of jam in the middle and top with another shell.
11. Age the filled macarons. Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This allows the shells to soften and fill in (become less hollow) as they absorb moisture and flavor from the fillings. Macarons keep for about a week when stored chilled. Always serve macarons at room temperature.

Making Strawberry Jam

If you prefer to substitute powdered pectin in place of the gelatin for a vegan filling, use a bit less than called for in the recipe. Or refer to the brand's recommendations.

1. Bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water in a small bowl. The mixture will gelatinize, becoming thick and opaque after about five minutes. Remove the stems from your strawberries and blend until smooth.
2. Simmer the jam ingredients. Bring puréed strawberries, lemon juice, a small pinch of salt, and sugar to a simmer in a small pot. Cook gently for about five minutes.
3. Whisk in the gelatin and cool. Remove the pot from the heat, and whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it dissolves. Pour the filling into a small heat-safe bowl, and press plastic wrap against the top. Cool the filling in the refrigerator. Stir to loosen it up before piping on the macaron shells.

How to Make French Buttercream

Silky, scrumptious, and not too sweet. My favorite French buttercream recipe is based on one by Chef Thomas Keller (I worked at one of his restaurants). To add color and more flavor, you can mix in a couple of spoonfuls of freeze-dried strawberry powder at the end. Or whip in a little strawberry jam.

1. Boil the syrup. Boil the sugar and water in a saucepan to the firm ball stage (248° F) measured on a probe or candy thermometer. At the same time, beat the eggs in a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer (whisk attachment) until foamy. Keep the mixer running at a low speed until the syrup is ready.
2. Temper in the hot syrup. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle the hot syrup slowly into the foamy eggs. Do your best to avoid hitting the beater. I find this method is easiest when using a hand mixer.
3. Whip until cool. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture cools to room temperature.
4. Beat in the butter. Add the butter a tablespoon at a time. It may appear broken and lumpy at times, but if you keep beating it will smooth out.
5. Add flavorings. Beat in any extracts, strawberry filling and/or freeze-dried strawberry powder. Store French buttercream chilled. Beat briefly with a hand or with a stand mixer to revive it after chilling. Serve it at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Edible Epilogue

When filling any macarons, the filling should not reach the edge of the shells. Less is more. Or when you proudly serve your macaron masterpieces, the filling will dribble out in every which direction when your guests take a bite. Best avoided. Because if I want strawberry jam anywhere, it's in my mouth. Not on my shoes.

P.S. Don't forget to rate and comment with your questions, ideas, and musings. Feedback is greatly appreciated and incredibly valuable to your fellow bakers.