Chocolate Macarons
I love macarons! They are so yummy. I have been to Paris three times and every time I had to visit Laduree. Their macarons are so good. I have tried to make macarons many times by myself. They didn´t always turn out perfectlyXD. But, now I finally have a recipe with I have succeeded every time. These Chocolate Macarons won´t let you down.
I think these macarons taste as good as the ones I have eaten in Paris. The macaron shells are perfectly shaped and filled with silky smooth ganache, which of course is lactose-free.
Macarons have a reputation of being difficult to make, but that isn´t actually the case. There are just a couple things you need to keep in mind when baking them. When making macarons, it is really important to measure everything carefully. Over-mixing or under-mixing the batter can also be a reason why they won´t look perfect. You need to let the macaron shells to sit before baking them to create a thin skin. I have written all my tips to instructions below.
If you love macarons, try this recipe out. These Chocolate Macarons will satisfy any sweet tooth. They are so sweet and tasty!
Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
the macaron shells
- 120 g almond flour 1 1/4 cup
- 210 g confectioner´s sugar 1 1/2 cup
- 15 g cocoa powder 3 tablespoons
- 30 g extra fine sugar 1/5 cup
- 105 g egg whites about three egg whites
the ganache filling
- 60 g dark chocolate chips/chunks (lactose-free) 1/3 cup
- 0,6 dl lactose-free heavy cream 1/4 cup
Instructions
the ganache
- Put the heavy cream into a bowl and heat in the microwave for about one minute.
- Put the chocolate chips/chunks into the hot cream and let it stand for a minute. Then stir until smooth. If the chocolates won´t melt while stirring, you can put the mixture into the microwave for a few seconds and try again.
- Put the ganache into the freezer for about 30 minutes or until it has set. You can also put it in the fridge to set, but that will take longer, about two-three hours.
the macaron shells
- Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix almond flour, confectioner´s sugar and cocoa powder together. Sieve them into another bowl, because you don´t want there to be any lumps.
- Beat the egg whites until peaks form. Add the fine sugar and continue to whisk until the whites are very glossy and thick.
- Gently and in three parts fold in the icing sugar, cocoa and almond flour mixture into the egg whites. Use a spatula to do this. Gently fold the mixture running the spatula from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. At first the batter will look quite thick, but it will get thinner as you keep folding. Be careful not to mix the batter too much. You can test if it has reached the right consistency by dropping a small amount of the batter and counting to thirty. If the drop has almost dissolved (at least edges), then the batter is ready. If it´s not, keep folding NOT mixing the batter the way you did earlier. Fold just a couple of times and then test again. This step is crucial so make sure to test, so you won´t over-mix the batter.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a round tip (about 1/3 inch/ 1 cm).
- Pipe out small blobs onto the parchment paper (1.2 inch/3 cm), about an inch/2,5 cm apart from each other. You should get around 60 shells. Tap the baking pan firmly on the counter for a couple of times that way you´ll get rid of any air bubbles.
- Let the macarons rest and dry for 30 minutes.You can see if they are ready by ligthly touching them. If the batter doesn´t stick to your finger, then they are ready to go into the oven.
- Bake the macarons at 285 degrees (140 in Celsius) for about fifteen minutes. You can check if they are ready by removing one macaron from the oven. If the bottom doesn´t stick, they are ready.
- Let the shells cool down on the baking pan for about ten minutes and then transfer them on a wire rack.
- When the macaron shells have cooled down completely, you can start filling them. Put the ganache into a piping bag and fill the macarons.
- Enjoy!