Boston Creme Pie Macarons

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5 from 3 votes

A vanilla macaron cookie sandwiched with vanilla pastry cream and dipped in rich dark chocolate ganache!

Prep Time2

Cook Time10

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: macarons

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Macarons

200 g confectioners' sugar close to 2 cups
100 g almond flour close to 1 cup
120 g room temperature egg whites around 3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon teaspoon salt
40 g sifted granulated sugar or caster sugar (3 Tablespoons)

For the Pastry Cream

2 cups (480 mL) whole milk
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (28 g) cornstarch
2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter cut into pieces

For the ganache

1 1/3 cups (8 ounces, 226 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup (8 ounces, 227 g) heavy cream

Instructions

To make the macarons

Place the confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor or blender and pulse or blend for 30 seconds until thoroughly combined and fine in texture. Set aside.
In a completely dry and grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites and salt together on medium speed for 1 minute. Switch to high speed and beat *just* until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Do NOT overbeat. Using a metal spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold in the sifted granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
On low speed add in your vanilla extract. Do not over mix.
Using a metal spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the confectioners' sugar/almond flour mixture until combined. Be very gentle and light-handed while doing so. Once completely combined, the mixture will be smooth, sticky, and glossy.
Let the batter sit uncovered at room temperature for 10-30 minutes. Meanwhile, fit your piping bag with the piping tip. Line 2-3 baking sheets with silicone baking mats (read explanation in this post about why these mats are preferred).
Fill the piping bag with the batter and pipe evenly sized rounds onto the baking sheets-- make sure you are holding the bag vertically and close to the baking sheet. While piping, the batter will slightly spread out, so keep that in mind. You want around 2-inch circles. Gently tap the bottom of the baking sheets on your counter to rid any large air bubbles.
Let the piped rounds sit for at least 45 minutes and up to 1 hour. This is crucial to making macarons! The air will will help the rounds set and form a dry shell. They should not be sticky going into the oven.
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Bake the macarons for 10 minutes, one baking sheet at a time. Rotate the pan at the 5 minute mark. The tops should be crisp and the macarons should have formed their signature crinkly "feet." Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before filling.
Fill and sandwich two shells together to form an iconic French macaron cookie! Leftover macarons keep well covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To make the pastry cream

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot-milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until it has been incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, and beat on medium speed until the butter melts and the mixture cools, about 5 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed until smooth (you can also whisk by hand).

To make the ganache

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a sauce pan until simmering. Pour over the chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until the chocolate and cream are combined, and the ganache is smooth.

To assemble the cookies

Using a piping bag, pipe a dime sized amount on one macaron cookie. Top with a second cookie. Dip the top of the cookie into the ganache. Allow to sit. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
Store any unused pastry cream and ganache, covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Notes

Use A Kitchen Scale: Measure your ingredients with a scale. I can't stress that enough! Macarons are tricky, but take some of the guesswork out of it- and use a kitchen scale. I love my kitchen scale and use it all the time. And definitely for this recipe.
Making the macaronage. When you add your the almond mixture to your egg whites, you want to mix so that it is thick, smooth and flowing like lava from your spatula. This is a super important step called the macaronage. You actually want to get the air OUT of the batter at this point, which might be different than any egg white mixture you've made before. Let the batter ribbon on itself and it should hold it's shape for about 8 to 10 seconds. Now you're ready to go...
Use a silicone baking mat. The silicone surface will ensure your macarons come off the mat easily as opposed to scraping those expensive little almond shells off a non stick surface and cursing up a storm as you watch all that effort go to waste.
Use a piping bag with round pastry tip. I used this one. This will ensure that you will make even sized macaron circles.
Gently tap your cookie sheet. By tapping your cookie sheet after piping your macarons to get any excess air out. Just pick your cookie sheet a few inches off the counter and let it drop. If you see any air bubbles float to the surface, just use a toothpick to pop them.
Let your macarons dry before baking. By letting them dry out by letting them sit on your counter after piping before baking. Allow them to sit for about 45 minutes before baking. They should be dry to the touch.
Make ahead: the pastry cream and chocolate ganache can be made ahead of time. This can be a labor intensive recipe but if you break up the recipe over a few days,even two you will thank yourself.

Adapted from macaron recipe: Sally's Baking Addiction

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