Description
These Double-Chocolate French Macarons offer a decadent twist on the classic French treat, featuring rich cocoa-infused almond shells paired with a luscious whipped bittersweet chocolate ganache filling. Perfectly crisp on the outside with a chewy interior, these macarons are ideal for special occasions or gourmet snacking.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chocolate Macaron Shells
- 1 1/2 cup (150g) finely ground almond flour
- 1 3/4 cup (198g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (21g) cocoa powder (preferably dark or black cocoa powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) fine sea salt
- 4 large (140g) egg whites
- 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract
Whipped Ganache Filling
- 1 1/3 cup (8 oz / 226g) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 2/3 cup (157g) heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheets and Piping Bag: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and use a 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter to trace evenly spaced circles. Flip the parchment to avoid ink touching the batter. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together into a bowl multiple times to combine and aerate, discarding any clumps that won’t pass through.
- Make Meringue: Whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy, then increase to high while slowly adding granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine Half Dry Ingredients: Fold about half of the dry mixture into the meringue with a spatula, tempering the batter and beginning to deflate it.
- Fold Remaining Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in the rest of the dry mixture using a circular and cutting motion until the batter reaches a ‘lava’ texture that flows slowly but holds shape.
- Pipe Shells: Transfer batter to the piping bag and pipe even rounds onto prepared sheets using the traced guides.
- Smooth Batter: Tap the baking sheets on the countertop to remove air bubbles and smooth the surface. Pop any visible bubbles with a needle if necessary.
- Rest Shells: Let shells rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes until a skin forms on the surface.
- Bake Macarons: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Bake shells for 18-20 minutes until they develop feet and are dry and shiny. Cool on sheets completely.
- Make Whipped Ganache: Heat cream to a simmer and pour over chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir until smooth and shiny, then cool until slightly firm but scoopable.
- Whip Ganache: Whip the cooled ganache with a mixer until lighter in color and texture, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag with desired tip.
- Assemble Macarons: Pair macaron shells by size, pipe ganache onto the flat side of half, then sandwich with matching shells.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate assembled macarons overnight to soften and meld flavors. Store in an airtight container; they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Variations: For vanilla macarons, omit cocoa and increase powdered sugar to 2 cups. Add gel food coloring as desired. For fruity macarons, fill with fruit-flavored buttercream. For spiced macarons, add 2 tsp ground spices to dry ingredients during sifting.
Notes
- Use fresh egg whites at room temperature for best meringue results.
- Ensure all dry ingredients are finely ground and sifted thoroughly to avoid lumpy shells.
- Resting the shells before baking is crucial to develop a smooth skin and feet.
- Baking temperature and time can be adjusted depending on your oven’s performance; a baking stone may help with even heat distribution.
- Do not skip tapping and smoothing batter to eliminate air bubbles that cause cracks.
- Filled macarons improve in texture and flavor after refrigerating overnight.
- You can freeze both unfilled shells and assembled macarons; thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 sandwich cookies (approx. 30g)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
