Strawberry Macarons with Strawberry Jam and White Chocolate Ganache

The recipe makes about 35 macarons.

You can color the cookies to your desired pink or red color with food color or leave them natural.

Ingredients for macarons:

• 7 ounces of confectioner’s sugar
• 4 ounces of almond flour
• 4 egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 ½ ounces of granulated sugar
• Wilton food coloring if needed

Ingredients for white chocolate ganache:

• ½ cup of heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces of chopped white chocolate
• 2 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup of strawberry jam

Before starting on the recipe, preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and place the rack on low position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. It is important to check if baking sheets are even.

Before you begin making the meringue, combine confectioner’s sugar and almond flour for about 30 seconds in stand mixer bowl and then sift the mixture 3 times through a drum sleeve onto a sheet of parchment paper. Leave the combined flour mixture aside for now.

Making the meringue:

1. In a stand mixer’s bowl combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Whip it until smooth and foamy. Start adding sugar slowly and scrape the sides of the bowl. After all sugar is added, continue whipping until the surface of the mixture forms glossy peaks. The consistency should look like shaving cream. Add food coloring drops if desired.

2. Next add 1/3 of the sifted flour mixture and fold it gently with spatula. Once it all gets nicely mixed in, add the remaining sugar and continue folding from the sides towards the center. Keep doing that until the mass becomes shiny and looks like slow lava. It should flow from your spatula when lifted and form a ribbon for a few second before falling back to the rest of the mixture. If it forms clumps and doesn’t flow smoothly, continue folding for a bit longer.

3. Put the batter into a pastry pouch with ½ plain round tip. Pipe small dollops of batter all over the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Then lay parchment paper over the batter dollops ink side down and gently press to form a cookie. Continue to do the same motion directly over the center of the cookies to make a second layer. The batter should settle into smooth glossy circles.

4. Let the macarons stand for 30-45 minutes at room temperature until the skin forms on them. To check if they are ready, touch the side of one gently to make sure you don’t leave a dent. If your finger doesn’t leave a dent, they are ready for the oven.

5. Bake cookies one sheet at a time and rotate halfway through for 14-16 minutes or until the macarons are crisp and firm. Once cooked, slide the macaron parchment paper and let them cool on a wire rack before removing from the paper.

White chocolate ganache:

1. Take a small pot and bring whipping cream to boiling. Turn it off and add chocolate pieces. Let sit for 5 minutes. Slowly stir the mixture to combine. Add butter and let it cool. Keep stirring every 10 minutes until room temperature is reached. It should thicken to frosting like consistency and only then transfer it to a piping bag with round pastry tip.

Finish the macarons:

1. Put about 1/2 of teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center of the flat side of macaron. Then pipe a circle of ganache around the jam circle. Place another cookie, flat side to flat side and gently press them together to make a sandwich and to spread the ganache to the edges.

2. Macarons can be enjoyed right away or refrigerated in the air-tight container for 3 days.