Graham Cracker Nutella Macarons

I’m one of those people who has to eat every few hours or else I’ll get hangry. Around the time I usually get home from work, I’m in desperate need of a snack. One of my go to snacks is nutella on graham crackers – it’s easy and delicious. I decided to turn that into macarons by modifying my standard macaron recipe to include graham crackers in the shells. They turned out great and taste just like the real thing, maybe even better!

Just like any macaron recipe, precise ingredient quantities are very important. Invest in a kitchen scale as any recipe that requires precision will use weight instead of volume. It is also important to have your egg whites at room temperature so they whip up properly. If you don’t have the patience to let them come to room temperature sitting on the counter (I don’t, it takes forever) you can put the eggs in a bowl of warm water. They should be at room temperature after about 20 minutes in warm water.

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Graham Cracker Nutella Macarons

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Passive Time

20 minutes

Servings

Macarons

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Macaron Shells

• 150 grams powdered sugar
• 100 grams almond flour
• 60 grams graham crackers I use plain, not honey or cinnamon sugar
• 75 grams granulated sugar
• 107 grams egg whites room temperature
• extra graham cracker crumbs optional

Buttercream Filling

• 1 stick unsalted butter softened
• 113 grams powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbsp Nutella

Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Passive Time 20 minutes Servings Macarons Ingredients Graham Cracker Macaron Shells 150 grams powdered sugar 100 grams almond flour 60 grams graham crackers I use plain, not honey or cinnamon sugar 75 grams granulated sugar 107 grams egg whites room temperature extra graham cracker crumbs optional Buttercream Filling 1 stick unsalted butter softened 113 grams powdered sugar 2 egg yolks 1 1/2 tbsp Nutella

Instructions

Graham Cracker Macaron Shells

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. I preheat my oven far ahead of time so I can adjust to get the right temperature and it can stabilize. I use an in oven thermometer because accurate temperature is very important to the insides and outsides of the shells both cooking properly and my oven has proven to be untrustworthy at regulating temperature.
2. Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until fine. Add the powdered sugar and almond flour to the processor. Process until the mixture is fine and starts to clump together. I remove the top and stir the mixture with a spoon several times so that nothing gets stuck at the bottom and doesn't get processed.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk mixer attachment at medium speed until they are foamy and you can see the whisk forming lines in the whites. With the mixer still at medium speed, slowly add the granulated sugar. Continue to beat the egg whites at medium speed for a couple minutes then high speed until they are almost, but not quite, at stiff peaks.
4. Sift the graham cracker mixture into the meringue. With a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients. While folding press the spatula against the sides of the bowl to work in the dry ingredients. Fold only until the batter will flow off of the spatula when lifted up out of the bowl. The batter should be smooth but not too runny.
5. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter onto a tray lined with parchment paper. Do not move the tip while piping. Leave the tip stationary and let the batter spread out into a circle as you squeeze the bag. Pipe the circles to your desired size, keeping in mind that they will spread slightly after piping. After the tray is filled, pick it up and rap it on the counter several times. You should see some air bubbles come to the surface of the batter. This prevents the bubbles from being released while baking and making a hole in the shell. If desired, sprinkle some extra graham cracker crumbs on top of the shells. Let the batter dry until the surface is dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool completely on the tray.

Nutella Buttercream

1. Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until it is again fluffy. Add the egg yolks and mix well. You can omit the yolks without affecting the flavor, they are mainly for texture and stability. Add the Nutella and mix well. You can add extra to increase the Nutella flavor to your liking. Transfer to a pastry bag with a round tip.

Assembly

1. Once the shells are completely cooled, remove them from the parchment paper. They probably won't all be exactly the same size, so match them up in pairs by size. Pipe the buttercream onto one half of each pair in an even layer. Gently smash the two halves together.