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Chocolate Macarons
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This is my first attempt at making french macarons, and to my surprise it was a success. I've been reading about these little French cookies and I kept postponing the moment of making them being afraid of a failure. My conclusion is that they are not that complicated after you get used with the process, just need to follow some exact rules. And it's interesting how they actually makes you want to try more and more, different flavors and different ganache fillings. These chocolate macarons taste absolutely divine, are pretty easy to make and they are perfect for Christmas table or as holiday gifts.
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Recipe adapted from the Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
- Makes about 25 sandwiched macarons
- Macaron Batter
- 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (50g) powdered almonds
- 3 tbsp (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large egg whites (66g), at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp (75g) granulated sugar
- Chocolate Filling
- 1/2 cup (120g) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (120g) bitter sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, optional
- 1 tsp instant coffee, optional
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 1cm) ready.
- Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor. Then sift the mixture into a large bowl and discard the larger lumps.
- Using a mixer beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
- Fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. When the mixture is smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag. (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
- Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (2.5 cm) circles evenly spaced one-inch (2.5cm) apart.
- Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, and remove air bubbles. Allow the macarons to sit for 20 to 30 minutes until a “skin” forms and they are no longer wet when lightly touched.
- Bake them for 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.
- To make the chocolate filling: in a small saucepan heat the cream and instant coffee if used. When the cream just begins to boil at the edges, remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the butter. Let cool completely before using.
- Spread a bit of batter on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
- Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors. Serve macarons at room temperature.
Thank you for your appreciation. Yes, they were divine, So far the chocolate macarons are may favorite.
Yes, I was very surprised too, I thought it is going to be more difficult. I guess that the fact that I used David Lebovitz recipe, and followed the steps made it a success. Also I used aged egg whites kept in the fridge for 4 or 5 days. Maybe this recipe will be a success for you too. Let me know if you try how they turned for you.
I am very glad this recipe turned out for you. I love these chocolate macarons too, they are my favorite. The others I've made, with cappuccino or strawberry are very good too, maybe you will give them a try. Let me know if you do :).Thanks for your comment.
Ohh thank you soo much for this comment. I really appreciate this kind of feedback, really makes me keep on doing more :) Let me know if you have any questions for the other recipes you will be trying and hope you will share my blog with your friends:)
Sorry for this late answer, noticed your message too late. There is no problem to use three egg whites but the quantities of powdered sugar and almond powder must change accordingly. Did it worked for you, anyway?
Hi Wendy, sorry for the late answer. One of the reason might me the temperature in the house. You have to let the macarons rest at room temperature before baking. A skin needs to form, and it can take 30-90 minutes,depending on the weather. If you touch them lightly and the top has dried, and nothing sticks to your finger, they’re ready to bake. If you skip this step they don't make the right bottoms. The chocolate ones don't always need this step, probably because of the cocoa powder, but for any safe measure rest them too until that skin is formed. Let me know if this helped or need any other advice.
I am so glad Tina that this recipe turned good to you too. For vanilla macarons try to add vanilla bean in the almond and sugar mixture instead of vanilla extract as it is liquid and don't want to affect the shells. One vanilla bean is enough. If you don't have vanilla bean I would recommend you to make the shells simple, and add vanilla extract .. about 1 tsp or even 2 in the chocolate ganache. I usually use white chocolate ganache for vanilla macarons, for 100 ml(1/2 cup) of heavy cream use 200 g (7 oz) white chocolate and vanilla extract (1 or even 2 tsp). Don't heat the heavy cream too much, just a little to let the white chocolate melt slowly. You can even make the white chocolate ganache with one day in advance to allow it to get to the right consistency before piping it onto macarons shell.
Another important thing I noticed when using French method of making macarons is that the simple macarons shells need to rest before putting them in the oven for about 30 -60 minutes until they are dry and don't stick to the finger.
Use these steps: http://www.homecookingadventure.com/recipes/coconut-macarons-with-white-chocolate-strawberry-ganache
Hope this helps, if any other questions don't hesitate to ask me :)
You can't believe how glad I am to hear that Connie. I love making macarons and I think they are one of the most difficult desserts ever for many people. There is so much talk around these little treats. You did a really great job.
You can ue about 1 or 2 tbps of tea powder in the shell, but I would rather suggest to use more tea powder into the chocolate filling. The macarons batter can be very tricky sometimes there fore more flavor should be added in the filling rather than into the shell so it won't affect it's shape.
wow.. not sure ..it might turn ok.. usually macarons are sensitive to humidity and warmth... let them sit for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before baking..
Never tried reducing the sugar.. with macarons even a slightly change can get to a failure.. when doing macarons I always use a scale to make sure I get the exact amounts
I am so glad the macarons turned great for you.. they can be quite tricky sometimes... you are a great baker
Hello Helena, i really appreciate your words and i'm more than happy to hear that my recipes works for my fans. I'm completely in love with macaroons and i adore to make it. Please send me more messages if you try my goodies:)) Thank you
Hello Sy.
Not really. That's the recipe.
sure.. you can make any filing you like.. I love them with salted caramel.. raspberry.. strawberry.. vanilla.. lavender.. :)
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