Makes 16-20 assembled 1.5-inch macarons
These chocolate macarons are made with the french meringue method. I started making macarons in 2018 with the french method and then switched to the Swiss method for a year. After I moved to California, for some reason, (new oven? humidity change?) the french method became more reliable for me so that is what I use now.
I use dutch cocoa for potency. Macaron bakers know that the less volume of additives in your shells, the more stable the meringue. The dutch cocoa works well in small amounts. The ganache filling is literally the easiest recipe on the internet. No fancy skills or ban-Marie needed. All you need is a bowl, a spoon, and a microwave.
Ingredients:
For shells:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup almond flour
3 large egg whites, at room temperature, aged*
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 tsp of dutch cocoa powder
For Ganache Filling:
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cups of chocolate chips
1/8 tsp salt
*To age the egg whites, put them in a clean bowl and on the countertop for 24 hours. Do not put the lid on tightly. Just place the lid on but still allow some air to get to the eggs. A cheat (to save time) is to microwave the room temperature eggs on medium for 10 seconds.
Method:
1. Make the ganache: Combine ganache ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir to dissolve. Heat for 15 more seconds if not completely dissolved. Stir until smooth. Place in refrigerator to set for about 30 mins while you make the shells. It should be pipeable consistency when ready to use.
2. Lay parchment paper on baking sheets. You will need 2 baking sheets. Have a macaroon template under the parchment paper (You can slide it around as needed when you start piping later).
3. In a food processor, grind confectioners’ sugar, dutch cocoa, and almond flour to mix it up to a finer texture. Next pass through a sieve. You may have 2-3 tablespoons of coarse almond flour that doesn’t pass through the sieve. It is okay to toss this.
4. Have the granulated sugar close to your working area. Put the egg whites in a stainless steel bowl. Whisk at low/medium speed with your hand mixer or stand mixer. Once it gets a bit frothy, add the cream of tartar then start whisking on high. Once it starts to get bubbly add the granulated sugar slowly. Continue to whisk till you have a meringue with stiff peaks.
5. Next fold in the almond flour, dutch cocoa, and confectioners sugar mixture. Be careful not to overhandle this mixture. Carefully continue combining by folding, always sliding the spatula to the bottom of the bowl and back up to make sure no pockets of dry ingredients remain.
6. Prepare the pastry bag with the 1/2 inch round ( or larger tip like a Wilton 2A) piping tip. Carefully transfer the mixture to the pastry bag.
7. Pipe the macaroon mixture on the baking sheets. Hit the tray on the counter a few times to let out bubbles. Then let them rest for at least 20-40 mins, could be longer if the humidity is high.
8. Test if the macarons are ready to bake – lightly touch them. A light coating should have developed and it should not stick to your finger.
9. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Bake for about 14 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake only one tray of macarons at a time. The macarons are ready when they lift off the parchment paper easily.
11. Let them cool on the sheet for 5-10 minutes then transfer the parchment paper and the macarons to a cooling rack.
12. Transfer the filling from step 1 to a bag fitted with a medium or large round tip.
13. Add your filling and assemble it after they have cooled to room temperature.