Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons

Calling these macarons chocolate dipped strawberry macarons was culminated from what you could call a failure..but drizzling or dipping macarons in chocolate was an amazing idea waiting to happen!

So. I’ve lost my macaron mojo.  I don’t know if it’s temporary or permanent, but my cocky macaron assurance has left the building.  When I finally mastered these little babies last October, I was jubilant! I bragged all over creation about how every batch turned out perfect; beautiful feet and shells as smooth as a baby’s butt.  I waxed on and on about possibly starting a ‘mac a month’ entry on my blog.  I joined up with Deeba and Jamie’s monthly MacTweets- Attack. and I even bought almond meal in bulk since I was most definitely going to be using it A LOT now that I’d mastered macarons!

Well, I’ve been using it alright, but the bitches turned on me.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons

Every attempt at macarons the past 2 months has been met with complete failure.  The thing is, I already know they’re going to fail before I put them in the oven.  It’s a batter failure..either too thick or too loose; it’s always one or the other . The perfect magma-like consistency has abandoned me.

I’ve changed nothing.  I age my egg whites anywhere from 24-48 hours, sometimes longer, and all the dry ingredients are weighed on my newly calibrated scale which is rarely, if ever, off.  I truly believe the macaron gods are teaching me a little lesson in humility here, as in don’t overstep your boundaries with these chicks.  Make them the center of attention rather than bragging about your sudden amazing ability to turn out pan after pan of  supermodels every.single.time. They need exclusive adoration to thrive.  Oh, and don’t call them bitches.  I think that’s what did me in.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons

These chocolate dipped strawberry macarons are my third, yep count ’em, third attempt this month.  Last month I had to skip it altogether because four tries didn’t turn out.  On the third try this month, only 8 shells turned out ‘passable’ (translation – one good side to photograph).

However, I wasn’t going to miss this month’s Valentine Mac Attack, so I soldiered on and decided to make the most of those eight shells.  Did I mention  that the powdered red food coloring didn’t work either?  No idea why, but I ended up with dull, mauve shells, so I air brushed the bitches (there I go again) red.  Back to gel paste and drying the tant pour tant, if the macarons gods will give me another chance.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons
Since beauty wasn’t going to be an option this month, I decided to load these baby dolls with chocolate. inside-out.  I needed to disguise the imperfections and what better way to do it than with drizzles of chocolate? Chocolate dipped strawberries scream Valentine’s Day to me (well, if I had my way, they’d scream every day to me!).

Okay, so here’s what I did: I air brushed them red (because my red powdered food color was bluffin’), drizzled tons of white and dark chocolate over the cooled shells, then filled them with 1) Strawberry Dark Chocolate Ganache and 2) Strawberry Mascarpone Cream.  Let me tell you, these were super duper tasty, and you know the old adage, beauty is in the eye..well mouth in this case, of the beholder.  They may not be beautiful, but their edibility factor is smokin’ hot.

That said, a friend pointed out the similarities between my macaron shells and Eddie Van Halen’s favorite guitar.  I suppose there is a resemblance.  Now I can say that these chocolate dipped strawberry macarons ‘rock’.  I hate that word, but it fits.

So, for this Valentine’s Day, why not Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons instead of the usual chocolate dipped strawberry bonanza? I’m sure you’ll have better luck than me, as long as you don’t call them bitches.

Now on to the winner of my first giveaway!  I used random.org and subtracted my 3 comments plus one of two posts from someone, leaving me with a lucky number between 1-43.   As you can see above, the number 2 turned up, and that corrresponds with the lovely Diva of Beach Eats!  Congrats, Diva!  Send your address to [email protected], and I’ll get it right in the mail.

Finally, Lauren of Celiac Teen did a wonderful thing (and an amazing job – she worked so hard on this!).  She gathered a bunch of bloggers and asked we donate recipes (87 recipes, by 71 food bloggers, from the comfort of our homes and hearts,) so she could create the below ebook for purchase, all proceeds donated to the victims of the Earthquake in Haiti.  Click on the photo below and grab a copy of your own, knowing all the to.die.for yummies you make from this book will be helping so many people!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons

Macarons
Recipe verbatim from Helene of Tartelette
90 grams egg whites (about 3)
30 grams granulated sugar
200 grams powdered sugar
110 grams almonds

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue. Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry. Place the powdered sugar and almonds in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns.

2. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool. If you have trouble removing the shells, pour a couple of drops of water under the parchment paper while the sheet is still a bit warm and the macarons will lift up more easily do to the moisture. Don’t let them sit there in it too long or they will become soggy. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer. To fill: pipe or spoon about 1 big tablespoon of butterceam in the center of one shell and top with another one.

Strawberry-Dark Chocolate Ganache
6 ounces dark chocolate (about 1 cup chopped)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup strawberry preserves or jam, OR *reduced strawberry puree
2 tablespoons (1 oz) butter, cubed and softened

DIRECTIONS:
1. Chop the chocolate into small, even pieces and place it in a medium heat-safe bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, but do not allow it to boil.

2. Once the cream is simmering, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Gently whisk it together until the chocolate melts and you have a smooth, shiny chocolate liquid–this is your ganache. Add the softened butter and the strawberry preserves, jam or puree and whisk until they are incorporated. Press a layer of clingwrap on top of the ganache and chill until it is firm enough to pipe.

Strawberry-Mascarpone Filling
1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup strawberry preserves or jam, or *reduced strawberry puree

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl with an electric beater combine the mascarpone cheese, strawberry preserves, jam or puree until uniform in color.  Pipe onto macaron shells and sandwich with another.

*For both fillings, if using the reduced strawberry puree in lieu of the preserves or jam, add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, depending on how sweet you like it.

Drizzle sandwiched macarons with melted white and dark chocolate.

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35 Responses to Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Macarons

  1. Valerie says:

    Great flavour idea, Lisa! I love how the strawberry filling is simple, and yet exactly suited to the macaron (in other words: I am making this really soon). And honestly, I really like the funky paint job you did on the shells!

    I know exactly what you mean about losing macaron mojo. I had a perfect streak for a while, and thought I had mastered the art of the mac. And then, I had one failure after another, and couldn’t figure out why. Like you said: I can tell immediately when a batch is going to be a disaster – I just never know what to do about it.

    But do keep on piping and showing us your lovely creations!

  2. Rosa says:

    Mmmhhh, what gorgeous treats!

    Congrats to the winner!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  3. Jenni says:

    Holy crap girl, these look amazing!!! I’m still cowering in the corner from the Daring Baker’s mac challenge to attempt these again, but I have some almond meal left over that needs to be used….

  4. No way! Thank you so much, LisaMichelle! I’m delighted!!! 🙂 Sending you my info now. What a happy surprise on this snowy day. 🙂

    The macaroons are absolutely gorgeous by the way. Stunning!

  5. Rose says:

    Er, um, lady you are NUTS! Those look BEAUTIFUL! I suck completely in the land of macarons but yours are PERFECT! WOW!

  6. Oh wow they look so good! I am tempted to go and make some of these. 🙂

  7. junglefrog says:

    Well, there might only be 8 perfect shells but I think they look totally gorgeous! I love your sprayed on color (which by the way; how do you color macarons after baking..??) and that drizzled chocolate looks lovely… And that filling… hmmm, now I wonder why I have not made time to make any valentine macs myself…

    • lisamichele says:

      Simone – After they were fully cooled, they took the sprayed on food color really well. You can even paint these babies with a brush. Turns out they’re not as delicate as I initially thought.. once they’ve hardened, that is 🙂

  8. edwardkimuk says:

    Lol cockiness is definitely not good with macarons. I had the same brash confidence thinking “I can make these with my eyes closed” so decided to try french meringue rather than Italian and I ended up with a sheet pan covered in one giant macaron so at least you salvaged some and they look delicious especially the mascarpone ones

  9. jazziefizzle says:

    Thank you for your comment! I too used red powdered food colouring – which is what got the amazing pink colour (not quite what I was aiming for but it works!). Love your flavours, will definitely give them a try for next time (now I am worried that I may have had beginners luck haha).

  10. Pingback: The Growth Of Chocolate – Bitter To Sweet History | EZ Southern Cooking - Blog

  11. deeba says:

    Oh Lisa…what you got here, airbrushed and all are still darned pretty creatures. With feet screaming Valentine from every angle, those macarons are gorgrous.
    Sorry they’ve brought you down to your knees. I got a handful of shells with feet (about 8 again) after my 6th attempt over a couple of days. Seems to be nothing predicatable about them, and yes, before I put them in most of the time, I too just know that it’s gonna be a FAIL!
    L♥v your choice of fillings… and the deep red. Bee-yoo-ti-ful!!
    Thanks for joining us at MacTweets!

  12. Sue says:

    These look GORGEOUS, and the flavors sound perfect, especially for Valentine’s day! I think you are too hard on yourself! LOOOOOVE the set-up and the photography!!!

  13. Clara says:

    aahhaaha i love how they turned out in the end though. a certain abstract artistic touch to them. very funkyyy =) and yes. no messing with macarons man…you gotta give them RESPECT. hhaahaha.

  14. Juliana says:

    You are very brave…I haven’t had the courage to try to make macarons…your macs are so cute at least the eight of them…and love the idea of using strawberry jam with chocolate…great combination.

  15. Natasha says:

    I’m sorry the macaroons didn’t turn out quite as you expected them to but it’s a great idea: the flavor combination of chocolate dipped strawberry macaroons sounds excellent!

  16. faithy says:

    Wow! Your macs are amazing! I love how you drizzle the chocolate over the macarons making the macarons looking so unique and soo pretty delicious too! 🙂 Airbrushing macarons is the first time i heard but you made it possible and they look fantastic! 🙂

  17. oooo La la Lisa…u top as always dont u…..Love love love these…and ur fillings too…

    Congrats to diva…she sure going to have some fantastic panko moments ,thanx to u!!!

  18. shaz says:

    Mm, mm, mmmmmmm…I love the sound of the filling! And the red, white and brown streaked shells are so dramatic. They look great! Hope your mojo comes back soon, and well done on your first blog giveaway 🙂

  19. Jamie says:

    They are so beautiful and how perfect that you tucked these beauties into a heart-shaped chocolate box because they really are delectible little Valentine’s Day treats. And perfect macs! Wow! Love the color and the drizzle and love the choco+strawberry combo! Fantastic job and glad you soldiered on to get these done for Mactweets! Onward, Mac Soldiers!

  20. Sophie says:

    Those macarons look incredibly tasty, dear friend! What georgous pictures too!

    MMMMMMMM,…congrtas to the winner!!!

  21. Arlette says:

    Hello my friend..
    your macaroons looks and taste gorgeous…
    its not you or the batter, the weather plays a big deal in these creature… I’ve noticed that during the winter, they don’t come as good, its the house temp and the humidity and the heat, and and and..they play against our hard work…
    In North Bay the best time to do these are in the Spring, no heat in the house, and the windows are slightly open.

    they look gorgeous . Congratulation to the winner…
    take care.

  22. Arlette says:

    OOPPSSS

    Happy Valentine Lisa!!!

  23. Laura says:

    It was worth all the grief–these macs look great and sound heavenly. mmm. . . strawberry mascarpone and chocolate . . .
    I just can’t get decent looking macaroons at all.

  24. Your 8 definitely look elegantly dressed up and delicious! Perfect Valentine Macs!

  25. Happy Valentine’s Day, Lisa!

    Yes I experienced the macaron catastrophy before, it is one of the recurring thing :-< Anyway with a little touch your macarons turn out wonderful and taste great. Well, that shows well in these beautiful photos.

    Btw, what kind of airbrush are you using, is it available online?

    Sawadee from Bangkok,
    Kris

  26. Dan says:

    As you know I love the beautiful looks of the macarons but not the taste – they are usually too sweet. However, based on your description these would be yummy. The red certainly has that blood striking eye catching color for Valentines Day.

  27. fimère says:

    c’est parfait et idéal pour une magnifique st valent, je t’en félicite
    à bientôt

  28. trissalicious says:

    Hey – 8 perfect macs is not bad considering it took me more than 2 years to finally make something passable! 🙂 But wait, is that 8 shells and 4 macs or 8 macs and 16 shells?! 🙂

  29. MandyM says:

    Lisa, I don’t care how airbrushed your macs are, I think they look really good! I absolutely love the drizzled chocolate 😀 The fillings sound incredible too. Just give me a bowl of each and a spoon please.
    Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you have a great weekend 🙂

  30. Eric says:

    YUMMY! I can almost taste a chocolate dipped strawberry just by looking at them. They look great too, despite the troubles.

  31. Kena says:

    I just found your blog and i have to say, wow, you have alot of great food and pictures. those cookies look so colorful and delicious.

  32. Lisa, I feel your pain. Just when you think you have something down pat, the rug is ripped out from underneath you. I think a little reminder that these little fiddly cookies have the upper hand. I’m glad you managed a few to work. I love what you have done here for Valentine’s Day. Which is today! 🙂

  33. Cristie says:

    Your macs look great in the Valentine box with those beautiful strawberries! I’ve had only one successful batch to date and it is only because I was baking with friends. It will all come back to you like riding a bike . . . right?

  34. I love the idea of strawberry chocolate ganache, sounds amazing – and very much in the V Day spirit!

    I have had loads of problems with colouring my macarons (and cakes actually) too. I never put enough in, so they always turn out pale pastel imitations of the eye-popping colour I actually wanted.

    Hope you get your macaron mojo back!

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