Chocolate Macaron Recipe
How to make crispy, crunchy, chewy chocolate macarons! Delicate little cookies filled with chocolate ganache. Follow this recipe for tips on how to properly fold macaron batter, avoid hollow shells and other problems.
Servings: 18 filled cookies
Calories: 81kcal
Equipment
- Digital food scale
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve
- Macaron template
- Parchment Paper
- Piping Bag
- 802 Round Piping Tip
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 50 grams almond flour
- 114 grams powdered sugar
- 7 grams cocoa powder
- 57 grams egg whites aged overnight in the fridge and brought to room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 28 grams granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 ounces heavy cream
- 2.5 ounces chocolate semisweet, milk or dark
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Before you Begin
- Make the chocolate ganache the day before and refrigerate. Age your egg whites the night before by separating them and leaving them loosely covered in the fridge overnight. The day of baking, bring the egg whites to room temperature before starting. Have all ingredients measured, a macaron template under your parchment paper, and your piping bag set up before you start the meringue.
For the Macaron Shells
- Preheat oven to 320º F. Line a half sheet pan with the macaron template underneath parchment paper.
- Sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, twice. Discard large almond pieces that don't pass through the sieve.
- Pulse the sifted mixture in a food processor 8 to 10 times to create a very fine, uniform texture. Set aside.
- Wipe the stand mixer bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to remove any grease. Dry completely.
- Whip the egg whites on low until frothy. Slowly add the granulated sugar in thirds while mixing on low. Once white and leaving lines, add the cream of tartar and continue whipping on medium to soft glossy peaks. Add vanilla. Increase to medium-high and whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Add ⅓ of the almond mixture to the meringue and fold until no dry spots remain. Add the rest and continue folding until batter reaches ribbon stage: it falls from the spatula like thick lava and a figure eight drawn with the ribbon holds for 10 to 20 seconds before dissolving.
- Transfer batter to piping bag fitted with a #802 round tip. Hold tip straight up about ¼ inch from the paper. Pipe 1-inch rounds. Drop the pan firmly from 5 inches above the counter 3 to 5 times to release air bubbles. Pop surface bubbles with a toothpick.
- Let dry at room temperature uncovered until the tops feel completely dry to the touch, 30 minutes to 2 hours.
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Combine chopped chocolate, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Let stand 5 minutes without stirring, then whisk until smooth. If not fully melted, microwave another 15 seconds and whisk again.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Before using, let sit at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes and whisk until smooth and peanut-butter thick.
To Assemble
- Pair shells by size. Pipe or spread a generous amount of ganache on the flat side of half the shells. Sandwich with the remaining shells.
- Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably 24 hours to mature.
- Remove from fridge 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Cocoa powder: Use Hershey's Natural Unsweetened or Ghirardelli Unsweetened. Avoid high-fat artisan cocoa powders (more than 1g fat per tablespoon), which can cause wrinkly tops and fragile shells.
Egg white aging: Age overnight in the fridge in a loosely covered bowl. If you forget, warm eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Room temperature is non-negotiable.
Maturing: The 24-hour fridge rest after filling is what transforms the texture from dry and crisp to fudgy and chewy. Do not skip. Bring to room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Storage: Refrigerator, airtight container, up to 5 days. Freezer, up to 2 months assembled or up to 6 months for unfilled shells. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Critical do-nots:
- Do not use a plastic bowl for the meringue.
- Do not skip wiping the bowl with vinegar.
- Do not rush the skin-forming step before baking.
- Do not use high-fat artisan cocoa powder.
- Do not eat immediately after filling; always mature first.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
