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Cute little heart shaped macarons filled with homemade chocolate ganache and strawberry caramel. Strawberry caramel you say? Why yes and it’s delicious! Celebrate your Valentine by giving them these homemade treats.
Making the heart shapes turned out way easier than I thought it would be. I made a printable guide to help keep the shapes uniform. Download the free heart template and place it under the parchment paper. You will need 2 on each cookie sheet. Remember to remove by sliding out before cooking.
To make sure the caramel had enough strawberry flavor—I added strawberry powder and strawberry syrup. The powder is freeze dried strawberries crushed and sifted. To make the syrup you need fresh or frozen strawberries, cook them with water, lemon and sugar. Strain to get a syrup. Mix the powder and syrup into the caramel.
You can make a semi sweet or milk chocolate ganache. Of course you don’t have to only use ganache here. A chocolate buttercream would also be a good choice.
These macarons make an awesome gift for Valentine’s Day OR Galentine’s Day!
Strawberry Caramel & Chocolate Ganache Heart Macarons
Ingredients
MACARON
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ⅔ cup confectioners sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Red Food coloring
STRAWBERRY POWDER
- ¼ freeze dried strawberries
STRAWBERRY SYRUP
- ⅓ cup fresh or frozen strawberries cut up
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
STRAWBERRY CARAMEL
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp corn syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp strawberry powder
- 2 tbsp strawberry syrup
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ tbsp corn syrup
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
MACARON
- Grind up almond flour in a dry food processor and sift through a sieve. Do not force it through the sieve.
- Sift confectioners sugar into almond flour with a sieve and a whisk.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium / high. Slowly add in granulated sugar.
- When the soft peak stage is reached add food coloring and vanilla. Mix till stiff peak stage.
- Add about ¼ the dry ingredients to the egg whites. Fold with spatula till combined.
- Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and gently macaronage (fold) till “lava” texture is reached. The batter should make ribbons that don’t break when you lift the spatula. Try making a figure 8.
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment, using a tiny dab of batter on each corner as glue.
- Add batter to a piping bag using a plain round tip.
- Pipe about 1 ½” circles, holding the bag perpendicular to the cookie sheet. To break off batter, make a little swirl motion on top.
- Bang sheet on counter to get rid of bubbles and to help tops get smooth.
- Let sit 45 – 60 minutes on the counter uncovered. You should be able to touch the macarons, there will be a skin formed on top.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake for 10 – 15 minutes. You should be able to see the “feet”.
- Let dry completely before piping in filling. Make little macarons sandwiches by matching up with same sized tops and bottoms.
STRAWBERRY POWDER
- Put freeze dried strawberries in a baggie. Crush strawberries into powder with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
STRAWBERRY SYRUP
- Add everything into a saucepan and cook until strawberries are soft.
- Smash strawberries and cook till bubbling for 2 minutes.
- Strain and set liquid aside or store in the fridge.
STRAWBERRY CARAMEL
- In a small saucepan—add sugar, corn syrup, and water.
- Heat on medium high heat until sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbling.
- Turn down heat to medium. Cook until liquid starts to turn amber. Swirl sugar and remove from heat before burning. Should be amber color throughout.
- Add butter and let it melt before adding cream. Stir together and add back to heat. If syrup starts to clump together, heat should help it separate again.
- Let come to a low bubble again and cook on medium low for a minute or 2 more. Remove from heat.
- Mix strawberry powder and syrup together.
- Add vanilla and strawberry syrup mixture, whisk until combined fully.
- Pour into heat safe storage. Let come to room temp before using or storing in the refrigerator.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- In a saucepan heat up corn syrup and cream. Bring to simmer and take off heat.
- Add chocolate and let it sit for a minute before stirring.
- Stir till smooth and shiny.
- Pipe ganache in a circle to form a dam and pipe caramel in the middle.
- Let macarons mature in the refrigerator overnight.
