S’mores Macarons and New York City

A recipe for S’mores Macarons inspired by our visit to New York City! These graham cracker macarons are filled with a milk chocolate ganache and marshmallow buttercream.

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I originally posted this S’mores Macarons recipe and recap of our trip back in June 2018. Five years later and we recently visited New York City again! So, I am updating (in June 2023) with a few new photos and places.

Along with the recipe, I will be covering our time in the West Village, SoHo, and Chelsea.

Check out the rest of our time in NYC:

• Black and White Cookies and New York City
• New York Style Pizza and New York City
• Matcha Lava Cake and New York City
• Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings) and New York City
• Chocolate Hazelnut Babka and New York City
• Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and New York City
• New York Style Bagels and New York City
• Korean Corn Dog and New York City

Choco-Story New York (now closed)

On our first day, we spent the afternoon in Choco-Story New York: The Chocolate Museum and Experience with Jacques Torres (closed as of March 1st, 2019, but you can still visit retail locations in Dumbo and Grand Central Terminal) located at 350 Hudson Street.

It was a great way to perk the kids up after a 3 am wake-up that morning.

A self-guided tour through this 5,000 sq. foot museum will teach you all about chocolate from tree to bar with original artifacts, tasting stations, a bon-bon making demonstration, Mayan hot chocolate freshly ground by hand, and a kid’s corner. We even got to meet Jacques Torres!

Choco-Story opened in New York City on March 7, 2017 in the area that once housed Jacques Torres’ manufacturing facility before it was moved to the new Brooklyn location.

Other Choco-Story museums can be found in Belgium, Mexico, and France.

Evan was given a Choclala scavenger hunt with a sheet of paper and stickers to complete at the entrance. When finished, he turned the page in for a chocolate treat (a chocolate boat lollipop from the “treasure box”).

It was a fun way to keep him engaged. He also loved the tasting stations set up around the museum.

The Kid’s Corner was another huge hit. Located in the middle of the museum, Evan and Claire were able to unwind with a with a sand pit and pretend chocolate shop best for children 7 and under.

Claire actually fell asleep in the stroller during the walk over, but woke up in the middle of the bon-bon demonstration with a full view of the chocolate fountain.

Not a bad way to wake up at all and just in time to taste test a bon-bon.

We ended our experience with a Mayan hot chocolate demonstration. The cacao was freshly ground and made into hot chocolate.

We were then able to individually season the drinks to taste with cinnamon, chili pepper, Mexican pepper, anise powder, and sugar.

West Village

Flip Sigi

Flip Sigi was just a short walk north of Choco-Story.

Located at 525 Hudson Street (with another restaurant on the Upper East Side), Flip Sigi features a modern take on Filipino cuisine with unique offerings such as Sinigang Flip Bowl, Longanisa Poutine, Toss My Salad with a Calamansi Vinaigrette, and Cali Burrito (menu items often change).

The Doughnut Project

The Doughnut Project was Evan’s dream come true. Two of his favorite things were both under one roof- Doughnuts and Star Wars.

During our trip, we enjoyed the Prosecco; Bacon Maple Bar; Black Gold, Texas Tea (Evan’s pick: dark chocolate with dark chocolate cookie crumble and sea salt); and a Birthday Cake for Claire.

Murray’s Cheese

Around the corner from The Doughnut Project is Murray’s Cheese. Oh how I wish that I lived near this shop.

There is such an incredible assortment of (obviously) cheese, cured meats, pasta, accompaniments, and pantry items. They also feature classes and other events.

The Meadow

The Meadow is another small shop (it has now been relocated to Nolita at 240 Mulberry Street). They offer a large variety of specialty chocolate bars, salt and salt blocks, bitters, and more.

I particularly enjoyed the Compartes Chocolatier Cake & Sprinkles Bar with white chocolate, vanilla cake batter, and sprinkles along with a few international offerings.

SoHo

Dominique Ansel Bakery

I first visited Dominique Ansel Bakery last year during our trip to New York City, but stopped by again to pick up these adorable Peep-a-Boos (it was a couple of days before Easter).

The inside of real egg shells are coated in a layer of chocolate, filled with fluffy marshmallow, and have a salted caramel center.

The recipe to make these little guys at home is also in Dominque Ansel: The Secret Recipes, but I have yet to try it myself.

Jack’s Wife Freda

We went to Jack’s Wife Freda for breakfast on a Monday morning. We got lucky with the last available table and didn’t have to wait at all. The space is quite cramped with tables close together, but efficient.

The kids loved having crayons and a little pop-out robot to play with. We all enjoyed the Rosewater Waffle, Green Shakshuka (so good!), and Madame Freda (pressed sandwich with duck prosciutto, cheddar béchamel, gruyere & a sunny side up egg).

Despaña

Despaña is another shop that I so wish I lived near. We went to the SoHo location on 408 Broome Street.

This gourmet shop features a variety of Spanish olive oils, vinegars, vegetables, fruit preserves, cheese, cured meats, and more.

We also tried a few different dishes in the café. The Croqueta Serrano was a particular favorite.

Harney and Sons

Our very last stop before going back to Penn Station was the Harney & Sons shop in SoHo.

We enjoyed afternoon tea with a Green Tea Flight and assortment of sweet and savory items such as scones, little cakes, and macarons.

I took home a canister of their Tiramisu tea and quickly bought another two cases after returning home (free shipping on domestic orders!). It is one of my new favorites.

Sant Ambroeus Gelateria

I reviewed the Sant Ambroeus Cookbook a few years ago and was excited to stop by their Gelateria location to try some of the food in person.

They feature an assortment of gelato and sorbetto along with cocktails, coffee, pastries, cake, sandwiches, and salad. There are additional restaurants in NYC, FL, and Italy. 

We enjoyed the Espresso Martini (vodka, coffee cordial, espresso), Ham & Swiss (prosciutto cotto, Swiss cheese), Caprese Sandwich. (tomato, basil, buffalo mozzarella), and Lemon, Pistachio, and Vanilla Gelato.

Chelsea

Chelsea Market

We visited Chelsea Market during our very first visit to NYC.

This massive indoor food hall at 75 9th Avenue is housed in the old Nabisco factory. It is open seven days a week and has over 35 vendors. We went on a rainy Saturday around noon and it was packed.

I could have easily spent hours here exploring. I appreciated the signs posted to help point you in the right direction amongst the sea of people.

Berlin Currywurst

We picked Berlin Currywurst for lunch. Other than making it at home, I hadn’t come across currywurst since Germany so I was quite excited.

I had the bratwurst in the original mild sauce. It was just like I remembered. You have your choice of sausage, sauce (other options are orange-ginger and garlic), and heat level. Chad had the Breakfast Sandwich (sausage in a bun with sunny side egg, onions, and sauerkraut).  He had a spice level of 2 and it definitely had a kick.

They have a disclaimer that you must be over the age of 16 to get a level 3 or 4.

The High Line

The High Line, a 1.45 mile long public park built on an abandoned elevated freight rail line 30 feet above ground, runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street and next to the Chelsea Market.

We went at the end of March when it was still cold outside so there wasn’t much in the way of greenery in the section we visited. It was still beautiful with views of the Hudson River and surrounding areas.

I also liked the benches and lounging chairs set up along the path.

Market 57

During our latest 2023 visit to NYC, we got to visit Market 57 at Pier 57!

This newly opened food hall in Chelsea on the Hudson River is open daily 11-8 with 15 vendors and a focus on New York City’s local, independent food culture. 

Mijo- Mexican Kitchen

Mijo- Mexican Kitchen by Fany Gerson (I reviewed her book, Mexican Ice Cream, in 2018!) and Daniel Ortiz de Montellano focuses on quick serve Mexican street food.

We tried the Quelites (collard greens tomatillo) taco and Strawberry & Galletas Marías Paleta.

Bessou

Bessou features reimagined Japanese American home cooking with natural, locally sourced ingredients.

We ordered Salmon Sashimi Crispy Rice, Hot Honey Nanban, and Original Fried Chicken Karaage with Scallion Mayo (so good!).

The Good Batch

Evan picked out a chocolate chip cookie from The Good Batch. They also have a variety of other cookies, baked goods, and ice cream sandwiches.

Nom Wah

Nom Wah’s newest location has dim sum set options, noodles, buns, and desserts.

We ordered the pork and chicken soup dumplings and pan-fried noodles with crispy chicken (another favorite). 

Harlem Hops

Chad picked up a refreshing beer from Harlem Hops. They are a craft beer bar with a collection of innovative small-batch beers and bites.

Bird and Branch

Bird & Branch is a specialty coffee shop with a goal to “give back to the communities they serve and provide job training for those facing barriers to employment.”

I enjoyed The Nightingale Signature Latte- espresso, earl grey, and turbinado sugar. 

S’mores Macarons

It has been way too long since I have attempted macarons (the last time was almost three years ago with my Green Tea Macarons), but trying a few at Harney & Sons was all the push I needed.

I wanted to do something with chocolate, especially after my experience at Choco-Story NY and found myself with a ton of leftover Marshmallow Whip from a recent cookbook review.

My mind immediately went to S’mores (as it often does). I incorporated finely crushed graham crackers right into the batter and filled the baked macaron shells with milk chocolate ganache and homemade marshmallow buttercream to help bring everything together and create S’mores Macarons!

If you want to make sure every macaron shell is the exact same size, use a circular cookie cutter to draw circles on the parchment paper, then flip it over so the drawn part is on the bottom (use the white translucent parchment paper so the circles can be seen through the top).

When piping, hold the pastry bag and tip completely vertical. For this most recent batch, I used these Silicone Macaron Baking Mats.

Bear S’mores Macarons

The latest time we made this recipe, Claire requested to form the S’mores Macarons into bears! She even drew faces on a few with a black food coloring marker pen.

When piping the circles on the mat, pipe a dot on the upper left and upper right part of the circles to form ears.

A Few Macaron Tips

I recommend using the metric measurements for the macaron shells for best results, but have also included the US Customary conversions.

Save these S’mores Macarons for a day with lower humidity. Rain is not your friend here.

For the ground almonds, I generally use almond meal/flour. You can also process whole almonds in the food processor. Just make sure the almonds, powdered sugar, and graham crackers are very fine to create smooth macaron shells.

My previous failures have generally been attributed to overmixing. You want to gently fold in the beaten egg whites until they are completely combined, but not to the point of being runny. I have seen the resulting texture described as “molten lava” and others have listed an average of 40-65 folds.

If your oven bakes unevenly, it helps to rotate the sheets halfway through baking.

Since these macarons have two fillings, be careful to not overfill. My first couple S’mores Macarons overflowed a bit since I didn’t account for both the ganache and buttercream. Just a small dollop of each will do.

Store the S’mores Macarons in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving for the best texture.

S’mores Macarons Recipe

Adapted from Liv for Cake. Marshmallow Buttercream from Cookies and Cups.

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5 from 5 votes

S’mores Macarons

A recipe for S'mores Macarons inspired by our visit to New York City! These graham cracker macarons are filled with a milk chocolate ganache and marshmallow buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine N/A

Keyword chocolate, cookie, dessert, graham cracker, macaron, marshmallow, s’mores

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20 Macarons

Ingredients

Macaron:

• 200 grams (2 cups) powdered sugar
• 65 grams (3/4 cup) almond flour
• 45 grams (~3) graham crackers
• 90 grams (3 smaller large) egg whites
• 30 grams (2 1/2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

Marshmallow Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• 1 cup (85 grams) marshmallow fluff homemade or store-bought
• 2 cups (200 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) milk

Milk Chocolate Ganache:

• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
• 6 ounces (170 grams) milk chocolate chips

Instructions

To make the Macarons:

• In a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and graham crackers. Process until completely fine.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until thickened. Add the granulated sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the ground almond and graham cracker mixture until combined, but be careful not to overmix. It should be the consistency of “molten lava” but not runny, about 40-65 folds.
• Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 0.4 inch (10 millimeter) circular tip.
• On a parchment lined baking sheet, pipe 1 1/2 inch (4 centimeter) circles at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart. Repeat with remaining baking sheets.
• Firmly tap the baking sheets against the counter to remove excess bubbles. Allow to rest uncovered 30-40 minutes to form a shell.
• Preheat oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
• Bake the macarons in preheated oven until the tops become firm, 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from baking sheet.

To make the Milk Chocolate Ganache:

• Pour cream into small saucepan over medium heat. Right before coming to a boil, remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow to rest for 30 seconds before mixing until smooth.
• Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate, whisking occasionally, until firm enough to pipe.

To make the Marshmallow Buttercream:

• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and marshmallow fluff until smooth. 
• Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in just enough milk to make a smooth and light marshmallow buttercream. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble:

• Pair the cooled macaron shells based on the closest matched shapes.
• On the bottom of one of the shells, pipe a small dollop of chocolate ganache, then another dollop of the marshmallow buttercream.
• Gently cover with with bottom of the other macaron shell. Lightly press together until the chocolate reaches the edges. Repeat with remaining pairs.
• Refrigerate in single layers for 24 hours and up to a week. Bring to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.