Chocolate French Macarons

If you thought making macarons was out of reach these Chocolate French Macarons are for you! These are some of our favorite treats and they are a great baking project when you have a bit more time.

I got the book Les Petit Macarons for Christmas a couple of years ago, meaning to become a macaron pro.

It wasn’t until January I actually cracked it open and tried it out. I looked through the book when I first got it but it seemed so complicated and I was instantly overwhelmed. I always hear how difficult French Macarons are to get right so that intimidated me.

I really love to bake, however, so I finally decided I was going to conquer the french macaron! My first try was a disaster. My shells were cracked and misshapen but I learned a lot from my mistakes and my second batch was awesome. Once you get the hang of the method they really aren’t difficult to make.

Before you start I just have a few suggestions to help you be successful:

Watch youtube videos! For me it really helped to see the process rather than reading it. It is also really helpful to see what the mixture looks like when its the proper consistency.

Use aged, room temperature egg whites. This is crucial. Do not use brand new eggs cold from the fridge.  If your eggs are new you can leave them to age on the counter at room temperature for a few hours and they should do fine.

Sift your dry ingredients to avoid lumpy and ugly shells.

Let your shells sit for 30-60 minutes after piping so that they form a skin.

When you pipe your shells, do a couple test ones first. If they don’t smooth then you need to fold your batter more. Careful not to over mix however or they will spread out too much.

Let your macarons rest. Your macarons will turn out best if you fill them then store them in a container for at least 12 hours. This will soften your shells and allow your filling to seep into the cracks to get that perfect texture.

 Materials you will need:

• a sifter
• an electric mixer with whisk attachment
• mixing bowls
• a piping bag with a half inch round tip (or you can just cut the end of it).
• Optional but helpful-a macaron piping template so all your shells will be the same size. I used this mat that I found on Amazon.
• a rubber spatula
• silicon baking mat or parchment paper (This one is my favorite)
• baking sheets

For the shells:

I buy most of my baking ingredients from Thrive Market. They are like a mail order version of Costco for natural foods and they are awesome.

I’ve found that they beat the prices of almost all my local stores and I get a great selection of food (and other natural products). Check out Thrive Market here.

• 1 c packed almond flour (145 g)
• 2/3 c packed confectioners sugar (145 g)
• 1/4 c cocoa powder (25 g)
• pinch fine sea salt
• 1 T powdered egg white
• 3/4 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 c aged room temperature egg whites (from 4 eggs)
• 1/2 t cream of tartar

For the ganache filling:

• 1 1/3 c dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

To Make your French Macarons

Before you begin, prepare your baking tray by lining it with parchment or a silicon mat.

Sift the almond flour, confectioners sugar, and salt together to get rid of any lumps. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the powdered egg white and sugar. Add egg whites and cream of tarter and mix until frothy. Using your whisk attachment on your mixer, mix on medium speed until still peaks form. Your meringue should be very glossy and not slip in your bowl when turned upside down.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sifted flour mixture. You need to be very careful here not to over mix or under mix. The texture of the batter should be thick and flow slowly like lava. It will look similar to cake batter.

Fill a piping bag with your batter and cut a half inch wide opening at the bottom. Pipe out 1 1/4 inch rounds about an inch apart from each other. 

Firmly slam your baking sheets down on the counter after piping to release any air bubbles. Let your shells sit for about 20 minutes to and hour before cooking so they will form a skin. The batter should not get on your finger if you lightly touch the top of the shells.

Bake the shells at 200 F for 15 minutes and then increase the temperature to 350 F and cook for 9 more minutes. When the shells are done they should lift off the tray fairly easily and cleanly. If they don’t lift up they need more cooking time.

Ganache Filling

Heat whipping cream in a small saucepan until it is just simmering. Place chocolate chips in a bowl and pour in the cream so it covers all the chocolate. Let sit for a minute or two then add the butter. Whisk together until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Let your ganache cool until its the consistency of frosting then spread or pipe your filling onto your shells and sandwich together.

You will get the best texture if you store the cookies in an airtight container for about 24 hours. This allows the filling to seep into the shell and soften it up.

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