Robin's Egg Macarons

These cute little robin egg macarons with chocolate french buttercream are the perfect Easter treat! They are a bit of a process to make, but I promise you they are SO worth it. They are filled with a rich, swoon worthy chocolate french buttercream that is surprisingly easy to make! One of the things I love most about pairing this macaron recipe with this buttercream recipe is that no egg yolks will go to waste! In total, these recipes use three full eggs, so need to waste or repurpose leftover yolks. If you have never made macarons before, I can assure you that all of my tips below will help you make them with success!

For more macaron recipes, try Lemon Macarons, Apple Butter Macarons, Salted Caramel Macarons, and Chocolate & Vanilla Swirled Macarons.

Ingredient Notes

• White Vinegar: To ensure that your meringue remains stable, clean and wipe down all appliances with white vinegar.
• Powdered Sugar: You’ll need powdered sugar for the macaron shells.
• Almond Flour: Be sure to use extra fine almond flour to get those super smooth shells!
• Egg Whites: You’ll need about 3 egg whites for the shells. Don’t worry about bringing them to room temperature because you’ll just heat them up over a double boiler to make a Swiss meringue! 
• Granulated Sugar: The sugar is going to be added to the egg whites when making the Swiss meringue for the shells. It will only take a couple minutes for the sugar to dissolve into the egg whites, so whisk frequently and watch carefully! You’ll also need ¼ cup of sugar for the frosting. 
• Vanilla Paste: Add a touch of vanilla paste to amplify the flavor!
• Food Gel: Use food gel rather than food coloring to avoid adding to much liquid to the meringue. 
• Egg Yolks: You'll need 3 egg yolks for the french buttercream - the perfect match for my macaron recipe, which calls for 3 egg whites!
• Unsalted Butter: You’ll need 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature for the buttercream.
• Chocolate: Use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate for the french buttercream. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this robin's egg macaron recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Sift dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar and almond flour twice.

STEP 2: Make the meringue. In a small heat-proof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and whisk often until the sugar has dissolved or until the temperature is about 120 degrees F. Transfer the egg white mixture to a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat until the meringue reaches soft peaks. At this point, you can add the food coloring gel. Continue whisking the meringue until stiff peaks form.

STEP 3: Fold dry ingredients into meringue. Start the macaronage by folding in ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Mix carefully with a rubber spatula by scraping around the sides of the bowl, then through the middle of the batter. Do this a few times until it is mostly combined. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients, folding with the same gentle method. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, begin gently spreading the mixture on the sides of the bowl to deflate it slightly. I find that this mixing method ensures that the shells do not bake up hollow. Continue scraping around the sides of the bowl and through the middle. The mixture is ready when you can draw several figure eights without the batter breaking.

STEP 4: Pipe, rest, & bake. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a small round pipping tip (I used Ateco 802). With the macaron template placed under the parchment paper on the baking sheet, pipe at a perpendicular angle to fill in the circles. Carefully remove the template and tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times in order to release any air bubbles. It also helps to bang on the bottom of the baking sheet with your hand.

Let the macarons rest for about 30-40 minutes, or until they are dry and no batter comes away when you touch them. Dip a pastry brush in black or brown food gel and splatter the shells to create a speckled look. Bake the macarons for about 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool completely before peeling them off the parchment paper.

STEP 5: Make the buttercream. Place the egg yolks and 12g of sugar in a medium bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until thick and foamy (about 3 minutes). In a small saucepan, place the remaining 50g of granulated sugar and water over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Increase the stove to medium heat and bring to a boil, or until it reaches 240 degrees F.

While the egg yolks are still whisking on medium speed, slowly drizzle the sugar syrup into the bowl. Continue mixing until the mixture has cooled down to room temperature. Add the butter to the mixture a few cubes at a time, allowing them to fully incorporate before adding more. Lastly, add the melted chocolate. Continue mixing on low speed until the buttercream is completely smooth.

STEP 6: Assemble. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip. Pair the macaron shells up and pipe the filling onto the bottom shell, then place the paired shell on top, pressing down slightly to ensure they stick together.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x